Frequently Asked Questions

Family General Practice FAQs

Skin Cancer Clinic FAQ’s

Usually a 30 minute appointment is booked for skin cancer checkups. This includes some time for us to discuss your medical and sun exposure history and advise you about best sun protection measures.

Skin cancer doctors use a dermatoscope to take a close up look at any concerning spots. Using a dermatoscope is painless and greatly assists us in deciding if a skin lesion is of concern or not. Sometimes we take dermoscopic photographs of a spot or mole, so it can be monitored over time for any changes.

To test a suspicious spot or mole, we take a biopsy under local anaesthetic. The sample is sent to a pathology laboratory for testing. Receiving the test result usually takes a few days.

In most cases, when found early, skin cancers can be easily and successfully treated with surgery or non-surgical methods such as creams or cryotherapy. Most appropriate treatment option will depend on the type of skin cancer found and your other medical conditions.

We are fully equipped and have the skills to do most surgical treatments onsite. However you’ll be referred on if more advanced facilities and skills are required to treat your condition.

Cosmetic Medicine FAQ’s

During general aesthetic consultations we explain about various factors which contribute to skin ageing and ways to minimise their effect. Facial peels, cosmeceutical topical creams, serums and other available products are discussed to help you achieve a rejuvenated, healthy and beautiful skin.

Sometimes anti-wrinkle injections are recommended to prevent or soften dynamic facial wrinkles. Dermal filler injections are used to enhance facial features like lips and to create a more youthful appearance by restoring facial volume which is diminished during the natural ageing process.

Anti-wrinkle injections work by relaxing selected facial muscles which produce wrinkles. They are most commonly used for softening frown lines, crow’s feet and forehead lines. Anti-wrinkle injections are contraindicated during pregnancy or breast feeding and with some neuromuscular disorders.

We only use Hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal fillers. Hyaluronic acid naturally exists in youthful skin and is necessary for maintaining normal skin hydration, texture and tone. However, over time, natural HA levels decrease and this along with other factors such as bone resorption leads to loss of volume (around eyes and nasolabial folds) and appearance of deep static lines (around mouth, nasolabial folds).

Short lasting pain, swelling, bruises and other side effects may occur. However, we use very fine needles and apply topical treatments to minimise this and you could apply make up after treatments if desired. Injections are only done by trained doctors and we rely on our extensive knowledge of anatomy and experience gained through skin cancer surgery to reduce risk of rare but more serious side effects.