Our services

We treat a variety of skin lesions, including: moles, skin tags, warts, seborrhoeic keratoses, and more. We use a combination of freeze therapy (cryotherapy) and surgical treatments for optimum results.

Dr Alex Kennedy (skin surgeon) performs cryotherapy on a client to remove several facial moles

Cryotherapy

From £50

What is cryotherapy?

  • Cryotherapy is when low temperatures are applied to skin lesions to remove them. In this clinic we use liquid nitrogen to achieve this. The cells of the lesion are frozen and damaged, and then the body’s own immune system removes the lesion and heals the area, usually without scarring.

What does the treatment involve?

  • Liquid nitrogen will be applied to the lesion for somewhere between 5 and 12 seconds, depending on the lesion. The skin becomes white and then thaws quickly. The treatment may be repeated up to 3 times at each visit – again, this depends on the lesion

  • Repeat treatments may be arranged, if needed, at an interval of at least 3 weeks. 

What happens after cryotherapy?

  • The treated area may become red and irritated, and a scab may form a few days after treatment. Sometimes a blister can form in the few weeks after treatment

  • If left alone, the area then settles down. Eventually, most cases will look like normal skin – however in rarer cases scarring and skin colour change are possible.

How should the area be cared for after cryotherapy?

  • Try to keep treated areas dry for 24 hours. After this you can wash gently and pat it dry

  • If a scab or blister forms, don’t pick at it

  • Petroleum jelly (e.g. Vaseline®) can be used once a day to aid healing

What are the risks of cryotherapy?

  • Risks are very low, but there is a small chance of infection - this can be treated with a simple course of antibiotics

  • There is a small chance of the skin becoming slightly lighter at the site of treatment (hypopigmentation) but we can minimize this with careful application

  • Numbness can occur if a superficial nerve is frozen, but this typically gets better on it’s own within a month or two

Curettage and cautery

From £200

What is curettage and cautery (C&C)?

  • Curettage and cautery is a simple procedure for mole removal, or removing other skin problems that stick out of the surface of the skin - local anaesthetic is given, then the lesion is scraped away (curettage) and then the skin is lightly burned to prevent recurrence and to help with healing (cautery). No stitches are needed, so recovery is very quick, with no downtime afterwards

What does the treatment involve?

  • Local anaesthetic is injected into the skin using a very small needle. This involves a small stinging sensation, and after this you won’t feel anything during the procedure

  • We’ll check the anaesthetic is working, then a blade will be used to scrape away the lesion and an electrical current will be used to cauterise the area afterwards. A dressing is then applied

  • The procedure takes about 10 minutes

What happens to the skin after curetage and cautery?

  • Initially you will have what looks like a small burn, but this scabs or crusts over. This heals over 2-3 weeks, just like a small graze

  • Over months the scar tissue settles down. Typically you would expect a very subtle scar that is slightly lighter than normal skin, although over longer periods this can become practically invisible.

How I care for my skin after curettage and cautery?

  • Keep the dressing on for 48hrs, and keep it dry. After this you can wash gently and pat it dry

  • Petroleum jelly (e.g. Vaseline®) can be used once a day to aid healing once the dressing is removed. Some clinics will try to sell you very expensive scar care products with little evidence behind them, but there is excellent evidence for cheap and accessible things like moisturisers. Your surgeon can tell you more

What are the risks of curettage and cautery?

  • Risks are very low, but there is a small chance of infection - this can be treated with a simple course of antibiotics

  • There is a chance the area could bleed after the surgery, but this is usually stopped with simple pressure to the area

  • Although the scar is usually very subtle and flat, rarely a scar can heal in a large lumpy fashion (as a hypertrophic scar or keloid scar) - this is very rare, but more common in some skin types, especially if you have had them before. Your surgeon can advise you further