Our Services

It’s important to learn how long a spot has been present and if it’s changing, bleeding or sore to help us understand how concerning this spot may be and determine if it needs to be biopsied.

Importantly, we’ll discuss other information such as where you grew up, the nature of your work, existing medical conditions & medications, history of severe sunburn, time spent at tanning salons or sun-baking and any history of skin cancer within your family. These will help us to ensure your care plan is tailored and right for you.

We’ll then conduct a thorough, non-invasive examination of your skin and any spots of concern. This involves looking through the hair and scalp, head and neck areas and other areas of your skin including feet and between your toes. The examination is done with a bright, handheld light with magnification and a dermatoscope which allows close inspection of the skin and any spots or suspicious lesions. We use DermEngine software when taking photographs of lesions that may be of concern, need to be monitored or for future identification.

Your comfort is our priority, and to make you feel more at ease during the examination, modesty sheets and/or a chaperone are available as needed. If you have any concerns or wish to have only certain spots or body parts examined, please let us know.

Lastly, we’ll discuss the findings of your skin check examination including the condition of the skin, the nature of any spots that are of concern and a plan moving forward, including recommendations of follow up examinations or treatments. You will be given opportunities to ask any questions and discuss any concerns you may have.

Treatments we offer:

• Reduction in pigmentation and/or redness (erythema) and improvement in skin texture of sun damaged skin
  • Face, neck, decolletage
  • Poikiloderma (neck)
• Reduction/removal of pigmented lesions including freckling, solar lentigo, seborrheic keratoses, melasma, light brown birth marks etc
• Improvement in conditions with erythema (redness)
  • rosacea, post-inflammatory erythema, active acne, facial flushing, red/purple birth marks
• Removal of/improvement in vascular lesions including spider and cherry angiomas (Campbell de Morgan spots), telangiectasia (superficial vessels), venous lake, port wine stains
• Improvement in some scarring – examples include acne (atrophic scarring), reddened scars

For further details about what we offer, please click here.

The process involves booking in with our nurse to have the photographs taken. A doctor will then review the photographs and these are kept on file at Central Perth Skin Clinic for subsequent skin checks with our doctors. This service can be particularly useful to people who have lots of moles or a condition called Dysplastic Naevus Syndrome. It can also be useful to anyone who wants to have the reassurance of close monitoring of areas of the skin that may be difficult to see such as your back.

For the first set of photographs taken, these can be done before or after a skin check appointment. Subsequent photographs are best scheduled at least one week prior to a skin check appointment to allow time for review of photographs by the doctor before your examination. We usually recommend 1-2 weeks prior to a skin check appointment.

Fees for Total Body Photography, unfortunately, do not attract a Medicare benefit. It may be worth checking with any private insurance that you may have to see if they provide a benefit for this.

Fees:

• Initial set of photographs                     $150
• Subsequent sets of photographs        $200

*Fees are in addition to any consultation fees for doctor appointments.

To book Total Body Photography, please call our Reception staff on 1300 277 546.

This involves sending part of a lesion, or in the case of a possible melanoma then the whole lesion, to a pathologist for it to be assessed under a microscope.

There are several ways to biopsy a lesion but most commonly this will be done by a shave biopsy, a punch biopsy or an excisional biopsy. These are all done under local anesthetic which involves a small needle and injection of anesthetic into the skin. The type of biopsy used is determined by several factors including the suspected diagnosis, location on the body and size of the lesion. Taking a biopsy does have risks including but not limited to bleeding and scar formation and these will be discussed with you prior to performing a biopsy.

Shave biopsy

A shave biopsy involves using a blade to take a superficial sample of a skin lesion. It does not need to be sutured closed but often the biopsy site will be cauterised with electrocautery to stop bleeding. It is a quick and relatively easy way to biopsy but may limit the depth of tissue that the pathologist receives in order to make a diagnosis. The biopsy site will generally heal within a few weeks.

Punch biopsy

This method uses an instrument called a punch that takes circular sample of tissue the full thickness of the skin. These are commonly performed with a 3 or 4mm diameter punch and closed with a stitch. This provides a sample with greater depth to the pathologist. Generally, the suture will need to be removed at a later date.

Excisional biopsy

This is the most common technique used to biopsy pigmented lesions that may be of concern for melanoma. This provides the most information to the pathologist as the whole lesion is removed and includes the full thickness of the skin. It requires stitches to close the wound and takes longer than a shave or punch biopsy.

Please note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks, so before proceeding, if you have any concerns, please seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

These could include topical creams, curettage and ablation or excision. Sometimes skin cancers are treated with radiation therapy. Please note that not all treatments are suitable for every lesion.

Most skin cancers can be treated here at Central Perth Skin Clinic. However, sometimes we will refer to other specialists for management, or you may choose to be referred for treatment. Other specialists could include dermatologists (including those who perform MOHS surgery), plastic surgeons, radiation oncologists and ophthalmologists (eye surgeons). Referrals can be made to either the public or private system.

We are always happy to facilitate a second opinion should you wish to seek one, and you are encouraged to if you have any reservations or questions about proceeding with recommended treatment.

Topical treatments

Some skin cancers and pre-cancerous lesions may be treated with topical creams. These will be discussed with you should they be a suitable treatment.

Curettage and ablation

Curettage and ablation is a fairly quick procedure that is performed to “scrape off” a superficial skin lesion. The area is then treated with cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen application) or diathermy (cauterisation). It is performed under local anaesthetic.

Excision of skin cancers

Excision of skin lesions are performed under local anaesthetic and involve cutting out a skin lesion with a margin of normal skin around it. Generally, the wound is then closed with sutures. Some larger wounds or those in difficult locations may need to be closed with a skin flap or a graft. The nature of any procedure recommended to you will be discussed in detail prior to proceeding.

Please note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks, so before proceeding, if you have any concerns, please seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

A consult with one of our doctors is required prior to proceeding to have these removed to ensure that the diagnosis is correct and that it can be done safely under local anaesthetic in our rooms. Sometimes we may refer you to have an ultrasound to evaluate a small lump prior to removal to confirm a diagnosis and/or ensure it is not close to or attached to important structures. We sometimes refer difficult cysts or lipomas to other specialists such as plastic surgeons where necessary.

Generally, however, these are removed in our clinic, under local anaesthetic and through a small cut in the skin with a few stitches required. If you would like to have a cyst or lipoma removed, please make an appointment to discuss it with one of our doctors. If you have previously had any imaging of a cyst or lipoma, please bring all reports along with you.

For more information on cyst removal, click here.

For more information on lipoma removal, click here.

Please note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks, so before proceeding, if you have any concerns, please seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

In addition to performing Skin Cancer checks and consultations for cysts & lipomas, Dr Josh Hurn also offers GP appointments at Central Perth Skin Clinic. As part of this service, he offers some specialised services or procedures.

To find out more, click here.