Overview
A Wood's lamp is a light that uses long wave ultraviolet light. When an area of scalp that is infected with tinea (a type of ringworm fungus) is viewed under a Wood's light, the fungus may glow. This test may be done to detect the presence of a fungal scalp or skin infection.
Review Date 10/14/2018
Updated by: Michael Lehrer, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.