Dermatology in Aberdeen

There are various types of eczema, which usually manifest during childhood. Sometimes, people grow out of it, but often in later life it can flare up again – due to external factors, such as things people come into contact with or allergies – in adulthood.

"Many people have a genetic tendency to develop eczema, and flares can be triggered by skin dryness, infection, stress, coming into contact with irritants and allergens, changes in weather or room humidity, or sometimes the cause of repeated flares isn’t known, and flares are instead related to the severity of the condition in that person" says Dr Alexandra Bonsall, Consultant Dermatologist at Albyn Hospital.

Sometimes there is no reason for the onset of eczema or why it flares up, and it can affect anyone.

For patients with eczema, we can offer patch testing, which is a type of test which is required in some patients. Skin patch testing can help ascertain if the patient has an allergy to something which has come into contact with their skin. This could be anything from perfume to jewellery or clothing.

Skin patch testing only identifies the substance that affects you when it is in contact with your skin; any dietary or inhaled allergens are not detected by a skin patch test.

We may also require blood tests for patients who need them.

Unfortunately there is currently no cure for eczema. Good quality moisturisers aim to repair damage to the skin barrier, limit loss of water, replace proteins and lipids, and relieve symptoms. Topical eczema treatment with topical steroid or steroid-free creams reduces inflammation, when used in an appropriate way.

We also cater for all types of acne, and we provide medical treatment at Albyn Hospital, including topical preparations, oral antibiotics, isotretinoin (or Roaccutane, as it’s more commonly known).

We will assess each case, which may require looking at the skin to see if the patient needs any specialist help.

In terms of our mole check and cancer service, we can offer biopsies and photodynamic therapy. The latter treatment involves light-sensitive medicine, combined with a light source. This aims to destroy abnormal cells.

During photodynamic surgery, a light-sensitising cream is applied to the affected area of skin for around three hours. The cream, which is absorbed selectively by diseased cells, results in the accumulation of photoactive porphyrins (PAP) in these cells.

Following this, red light-emitting diodes are shone onto the treated area. This lasts for between eight to 15 minutes, and this works to activate the cream and selectively destroy dyslectic and cancerous cells.

We also provide skin surgery to remove moles or other skin lesions, including epidermoid cysts, lipomata, and skin tags.

Some people choose to leave these lesions alone, but if you would like them removing for cosmetic reasons, surgery is the only answer. It is, however, a quick and relatively straightforward operation, taking between 15 and 20 minutes.

When removing an epidermoid cyst, for example, your surgeon will make an elliptical cut over the cyst and will then cut it out.

To remove a lipoma, your surgeon will make a straight cut in the skin directly over it, freeing the lipoma from the tissues and removing it.

A skin tag can simply be numbed with local anaesthetic and then removed.

Micrographic surgery for mole removal is not offered at Albyn Hospital, but it may be offered in the future, says our consultant dermatologist. This is a surgical technique which is used to treat skin cancer, during which thin layers of cancer-containing skin are removed and examined. This is performed until only the cancer-free tissue remains.

Consultations begin with our consultant dermatologist taking your full medical history, before understanding more about the kind of symptoms you may be experiencing as a result of your skin issue.

A bespoke treatment plan may then be offered, which can include anything from minor procedures performed within a day, or more complex surgeries where you may be required to stay overnight.

We provide proper evidence-based management, and most treatment modalities are offered at Circle Health hospital, but if we don’t offer them we let patients know how they can access such treatments – via referral to a different Circle Health Hospital, for example.

If you’re looking for a dermatologist in Aberdeen, Albyn Hospital provides a wide range of consultant-led appointments. Here are some reasons why you might want to choose Albyn Hospital for your dermatology appointment.

• Expert assessment from an experienced consultant. You will see the same Consultant will be seen by the same consultant throughout the entirety of their treatment journey.
• Fixed-price dermatology packages for certain procedures. The package includes a one follow-up appointment and histology. 
• Treatment plans tailored to meet your individual health needs.
• You can book an initial consultation online with most of our consultants.
• *97.0% of patients said their overall experience of our service was good or very good.

^{*During the period of January to December 2023 Albyn Hospital received 2,170 completed Inpatient/Day Case patient surveys.}

If you would like to make an appointment with our Consultant Dermatologist here at Albyn Hospital, simply call our friendly team on 01224 595993

You can also book an initial appointment by using our handy online booking system.