Practical health guide
How to take useful skin photos for telehealth
Good photographs can add useful information to a skin consultation, although they cannot replace every in-person examination.
Use light and focus
Use natural light where possible, avoid filters, clean the camera lens and make sure the affected area is in focus.
Include context and detail
Take one wider photograph showing where the problem is located and a closer image showing texture and edges. A ruler may help show size, but do not place anything on painful or broken skin.
Protect privacy and know the limits
Share images only through the secure clinical process. Do not send intimate photographs through ordinary email or social media. Changing pigmented lesions, severe infection signs or uncertain findings may require in-person examination.
Clinical review
Reviewed by Dr Lily Vu
Australian-registered Medical Doctor · Content reviewed 15 August 2026
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