Shave biopsy is most helpful in diagnosing diseases where the pathology is in or near the epidermis. Lumps and bumps, as opposed to rashes, are best biopsied with the shave technique. Such lesions appear pedunculated, papular, or exophytic. These include seborrheic keratoses, warts, intradermal nevi, pyogenic granulomas, actinic keratoses, basal cell carcinomas, and squamous cell carcinomas. Lesions suspected of being melanoma should not be biopsied in this manner.