Medical Services
Click on one of the service options below to learn more:
| Full Skin Check | Skin Cancer Treatment | Photodynamic Therapy | Sweating | Allergy Patch Testing | Light Therapy |
Full Skin Check
The skin is the largest organ in the body, and you only get one, so it’s important you take care of it. Skin cancer accounts for the largest number of cancers diagnosed in Australia per year, so having regular checks is extremely important.
If you have skin, you have a risk of skin cancer, however some patients are higher risk than others.
High risk patients may have the following:
Fair and freckles
Fair or red hair
Lots of sun exposure or use of tanning beds
Family history of skin cancer
Conditions that suppress the immune system
Large number of naevi (moles).
Your questions answered below, click to expand and learn more.
+ What happens during a full skin check?
The doctor will ask you to unchange down to your underwear, so that all of your skin surfaces can be examined. This includes your feet, in between your toes and your scalp. Feel free to point on any lesions that have concerned you or changed.
+ What should I wear to a full skin check?
Loose clothes that are easy to remove as 'full skin check' really means full skin!
+ Is there anything I shouldn't do?
Please don't wear any makeup or moisturiser. Not even tinted suncream or lip balm. This means we can properly assess your skin. Under the dermatoscope (magnifier) even the tiniest bit of makeup can change to the appearance of a suspicious lesion. Please do not use fake tan in the 10 days prior to your appointment.
+ What is a biopsy?
A biopsy is a sample of a lesion. It is used to assist in diagnosis. Your doctor may recommend this during your skin check. A biopsy is performed using local anaesthetic – this is a small needle with a numbing agent injected prior to taking the sample of skin. The specimen is then sent to a laboratory to be examined under a microscopy.
+ Should I bring anything to my appointment?
An up-to-date list of any medications that you take, a list of any allergies and any history which is relevant to your skin or other medical conditions.
do you need a full skin check?
Skin Cancer Treatment
Skin cancer treatment involves a number of steps. Identification of suspicious lesions, correct diagnosis and then discussion of appropriate treatments.
In some situations correct diagnosis involves taking a biopsy/sample of the lesion, but in others clinical examination is enough to correctly identify a skin cancer.
Treatment options may then be any of the following:
Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen
Treatment with a topical cream
Curettage
Surgical excision
Referral to radiation therapy or plastic surgeon for more complicated procedures.
do you need treatment for skin cancer?
Photodynamic Therapy
This treatment modality employs a photosensitising agent, which is applied to your skin and then activated with light.
It can be used to treat superficial skin cancers, generalised sun damage and is occasionally used for acne and photo-rejuvenation. Photodynamic therapy can be performed in the conventional manner using a light source to activate the photosensitising agent, or sunlight can be utilised.
are you interested in photodynamic therapy?
Sweating / Hyperhidrosis
Hyperhidrosis means excessive sweating. This is a common problem and can occur under the arms, on the palms of the hands, on the back and face. It is likely due to altered signalling in the sympathetic nervous system pathway.
In most cases it is benign and non-harmful, but it can be annoying. There are multiple treatments available ranging from antiperspirants, lotions, tablets, iontophoresis, radiofrequency and injectables. Different treatments suit different patients, so you should discuss these options with your doctor.
We offer the following treatments for Hyperhidrosis, click to expand and learn more.
+ Medication
Antimuscarinic medications which are tablets can help control sweating. These medications decrease stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system and as a result decrease sweating. They are very well tolerated in most patients, but are a maintenance treatment and require ongoing therapy
+ INJECTABLES
Patients that are suffering from underarm hyperhidrosis, and have not responded to standard treatments, may be eligible for a dermatologist only procedure, involving the injection of a neurotoxin into the armpit. This is a very safe procedure and works by stopping the nerve endings in the area from stimulating the release of sweat. It is not permanent and in most patients last for around 4 months.
With a valid referral a portion of this procedure is rebatable from medicare. If you would like to book in for this, please let us know prior to the appointment.
+ IONTOPHORESIS
This is a procedure in which an electrical current is passed through skin soaked in tap water or normal saline, allowing ionised (charged) particles to cross the normal skin barrier.
It reduces sweating by:
- the ions physically blocking the sweat ducts in the stratum corneum.
- the electrical current disrupting normal sympathetic nerve transmission.
- decreasing the pH in the sweat gland due to an accumulation of hydrogen ions.
Patients start treatment at our practice, usually 3 times per week, and after 4 weeks notice significant improvement. At this stage they can continue maintenance treatment, or purchase a recommended device for home use. Iontophoresis works best for palmar (hand) and plantar (foot) hyperhidrosis.
+ RADIOFREQUENCY MICRONEEDLING
Microneedles are able to efficiently deliver energy to the deep dermis where eccrine ducts (sweat glands) are located. By heating the tissue, it is possible to destroy the sweat glands. This gives the potential to permanently reduce sweating
RF microneedling is best suited to underarm sweating, 3-4 treatments are required to achieve sweat reduction, and occasionally an annual top up treatment is required. No referral is required for this treatment.
do you need a treatment plan for excessive sweating?
Allergy Patch Testing
Patch testing is used to test for Allergic Contact Dermatitis. This occurs when a substance or chemical that comes into contact with your skin causes a rash.
This investigation involves having patches placed in contact with your skin, usually your back, for several days and then checking for reactions. It does not involve any needles and does not test for food intolerances, asthma or hay fever. It is possible to develop allergies to chemicals over time, so sometimes we will test you to your own products as well as a range of common allergens.
do you need an allergy patch test?
Light Therapy
Light therapy or heliotherapy is actually an ancient treatment that has been recorded up to 3500 years ago when Egyptian and Indian practitioners used the ingestion of plants in addition to sunlight for treating "leucoderma".
Today we would recognise this as psoralen and UV therapy for treatment of vitiligo. UVA and UVB, in particular have a very complex interaction with the epidermis and dermis resulting in a suppression of immune and inflammatory cells of the skin which are present in various diseases. The benefit of phototherapy, as opposed to going out in the sun, is that the treatment is concentrated light from only wavelength (310nm – UVB and 360nm - UVA) minimising your risk of sunburn and skin cancer.
At Gold Coast Dermatology Clinic we use both UVB and UVA to treat a range of conditions.
Psoriasis
Atopic dermatitis
Lichen planus
Vitiligo
Morphea
Mycosis Fungoides.
are you interested in light therapy?
Acne Scarring
If you’ve got a hammer everything looks like a nail. This runs true for treating acne scars. It is not a one size fits all approach and one laser will never do the job for everyone
Just like the acne and the person that it has affected, acne scarring is unique and varied.
The things our practitioners consider when treating your acne
The types of acne scars
Your Fitzpatrick skin type
Where on your face your scarring is
Scars left over from acne are
Your relevant medical history and medications
How your skin heals
Once these are factored in our dermal therapist and dermatologists can formulate a treatment plan that is specific for you.
Treatments that we may utilise include
TCA Cross peel treatments - good for icepick scars - several are needed and they help the scar to build up from the base
INFINI Radiofrequency microneedling - helps to stimulate collagen, tighten oil glands/pores, decrease redness from old scars
Fractional ablative CO2 Laser - resurfacing laser - Deep CO2 (DOT DEKA therapy) or more superficial CO2 (CoolPeel
Scar excision - for atypical or non-responsive scars and large lumpy (hypertrophic scars)
Vascular laser - Cutera Excel V+ - this is good for redness of old scars
Dermagenesis - Dermapen microneedling (more superficial than INFINI) + Laser genesis - this combination is good for superficial early scarring
More than 1 treatment is required and usually 3 - 6 over the course of 12 months
Combined treatments can be performed
This list can be a bit overwhelming, so a consultation for planning is imperative so that you can achieve the best results
For those with ongoing active acne, we can also advise on skin care +/- medical therapy