Comprehensive Full-Body Skin Checks

We offer detailed total body skin examinations for all patients. These appointments are comprehensive and typically require approximately one hour.

A key component of our surveillance program is routine full-body photography, also known as mole mapping. Depending on each patient’s individual level of risk, photography is generally repeated every 12 months, 18 months, or 2 years.

During photography sessions, patients are required to remain in their underwear. Our experienced nursing staff understand that this can feel uncomfortable or embarrassing for some patients, and every effort is made to preserve modesty and ensure the experience is supportive, respectful, and as comfortable as possible.

Following photography, the doctor performs a meticulous head-to-toe skin examination using dermoscopy and magnification to closely assess the skin surface for any suspicious lesions.

One of the greatest advantages of total body photography is the ability to detect subtle changes in the skin over time. Malignant lesions inevitably grow or change, while most benign lesions remain stable.

By comparing current skin findings with previous photographic records, we are often able to reduce unnecessary biopsies while improving our ability to detect very early melanomas — including small, featureless melanomas that may otherwise go unnoticed.

This is particularly important in patients over 50 years of age, where a significant proportion of new or changing lesions may in fact represent melanoma, even when they lack the classic visual features typically associated with skin cancer.

Because melanomas are almost always changing lesions, total body photography plays a critical role in identifying cancers at the earliest possible stage. 

At each visit, we carefully assess every patient’s individual melanoma risk profile. This includes consideration of:

· Previous history of melanoma or skin cancer 

· Number of moles present 

· Family history of melanoma 

· Skin type 

· Lifetime exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation 

Patients with large numbers of moles, particularly more than 100, are considered at especially high risk.

Based on this assessment, we recommend personalised follow-up intervals ranging from six months to two years.

Our clinic also performs excisions of suspicious and confirmed skin cancers using careful surgical and plastic surgical techniques designed to optimise healing and cosmetic outcomes.

To improve patient comfort, we routinely buffer local anaesthetic with bicarbonate, significantly reducing the sting associated with injections. We also commonly use a long-acting anaesthetic in combination with standard local anaesthetic, providing up to eight hours of pain relief following procedures.

Most patients report minimal discomfort after surgery.

We understand that skin cancer checks and procedures can sometimes feel stressful or confronting. Our team is committed to making every patient feel informed, supported, and comfortable throughout their care.

Our staff are friendly, experienced, and always available to discuss concerns or answer questions. We encourage open communication and believe that excellent medical care should always be paired with kindness, respect, and reassurance.