Forum

Question:	Is there a good website for patient information leaflets on skin conditions?
Answer:	The New Zealand dermatology website has a wide range of excellent patient information leaflets written by skin specialists. Click Here To View

Question:	Can you recommend a sunblock as I am going on holiday to Egypt? sd Bridgend
Answer:	Choose a sunblock that has UVA and UVB photoprotection. Roc and Uvistat are the ones I normally recommend. A private or NHS prescription is not needed and they can be bought over the counter rather than going to your doctor or a dermatologist. However you should not rely on them to prevent sun danage, ageing and skin cancer. Limit your sun exposure as far as possible by seeking the shade and covering up. Avoid getting sunburnt at all costs and take special care with children.
Question:	I have heard from a skin specialist on the radio that a cream for skin cancer can also be used to stop the ageing process and make your skin younger and more tight. FW Cardiff
Answer:	There is a cream called Efudix which is used to treat certain 'pre-cancers' of the skin and there is some evidence that it improves the quality of the skin by removing unseen sun damaged areas. I have used it alot for pre-cancers and also a few times for cosmetic reasons in private practice and it does seem to work although the change is subtle. The worse the sun damage the greater the effect. As always the best advice is to limit your sun exposure to prevent skin ageing happening in the first place.
Question:	Can I have Botox treatment while taking other medications. CHM, llandaff, cardiff
Answer:	Usually the answer is Yes but Botox can interact with certain antibiotics and drugs for neurological conditions. It is important to have a consultation with a doctor before having your first Botox treatment.
Question:	My eczema is not better even with a steroid cream like hydrocortisone. HH St Fagans Cardiff
Answer:	Topical steroids are one of the main stays for eczema treatment, but 1% hydrocortisone is the mildest. Often it is just too mild to be effective. Topical steroids are safe to use in ecezema and other skin diseases as long as they are prescribed correctly. A doctor such as your GP or a dermatologist will be able to advise.
Question:	My doctor has diagnosed me as having rosacea. I am taking erythromycin which makes me feel sick. Is there another treatment I can use. AG, Sketty, Swansea
Answer:	Erythromycin is a reasonable treatment for rosacea but it does have side effects and is probably not regarded as the most effective by skin specialists. I prefer to use lymecycline which is much better tolerated and very effective. It has replaced minocycline which is now seldom used. You should also be using a cream as rosacea is a very superficial condition and requires both topical and oral treatment. Once the inflammation has settled any remaining redness can be treated with a pulsed dye laser.
Question:	Can you do private laser hair removal?
Answer:	We are very fortunate to have an alexandrite laser for hair removal at the Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend. This is the best type of laser for light coloured skin and gives excellent results. We treat around 10-20 people per week. Laser hair removal is available on a self funded basis and sometimes on the NHS with a GP referral. I will be able to advise as to whether NHS treatment is available. Your initial consultation can be on the NHS [with a GP referral] or privately [referral not necessary - normal private clinic charges apply].
Question:	What is it when you have itchy, dry skin on one hand? RGV Port Talbot
Answer:	Obviously it is difficult to be sure without seeing you in person but a fungal infection can often present in this way. Fortunately that is relatively straightforward to cure. Another possibility would be an allergy [contact dermatitits].
Question:	I have some skin tags that I would like to have removed by a private dermatologist. Please can you tell me the cost?
Answer:	Skin tag or mole removal is performed under local anaesthetic. Sometimes it can be done for no extra charge as part of the private consultation. Otherwise the procedure depends on the number of skin tags or moles. Removal of one to three moles under local anaesthetic in Bridgend might cost £180 for example.
Question:	There is a mole on my shoulder which has been itching and bleeding. I am worried it might be skin cancer although it might be a spot or boil becasue I have had acne before. JR Barry Cardiff
Answer:	Any changing mole should be assessed urgently by your GP or a dermatologist to check for skin cancer. Early detection of skin cancer is vital.
Question:	I have warts on my hands and have been using a wart treatment from the chemist but this has not worked. ALJ Cyncoed Cardiff
Answer:	Cryotherapy [freezing spray] is usually the most effective treatment for hand warts. Laser and topical treatments are also available.
Question:	I have a tattoo on my skin form when I was a teenager. Can you do laser tattoo removal? DR, Neath, Swansea
Answer:	Laser tattoo removal is certainly possible and we do have a list at Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend. Treatment is not available on the NHS however. The cost depends on the size and colours of the tattoo. A tattoo the size of a playing card with one colour might cost around £80 per session and for a professional tattoo approximately ten sessions are required. Multiple tattoos and multiple clours increase the cost. Amateur tattoos will often take 3-4 treatments. The initial consultation is free with no obligation. Some tattoos cannot be treated and you should make sure the area is not sun tanned.
Question:	I have been prescribed a steroid cream for my 2 year old's eczema. Is it safe to use and will it cure the eczema? IS, Pentrebane, Cardiff
Answer:	Unfortunately there is no cure for eczema but there are treatments available which are very effective. Steroid creams make up a big part of eczema management and it is important to use the correct strength in the correct dose. On the skin conditions page you will find a link to an article I wrote on eczema for the Western Mail which gives an overview of the condition and its treatment.
Question:	I have heard that there is a pension available for ex-servicemen with skin cancer.
Answer:	You are right that the Veteran's Agnecy provides a one off compensation payment to ex-servicemen and women who were stationed in hot countries and later develop skin cancer. It is normally £3000 or more and is fairly straightforward to claim. There is no time limit and I have had many WW II and national service veterans who have claimed successfully. In fact it is rare for anybody to be turned down. Any NHS or private dermatologist can provide you with the information you need to claim.
Question:	I have a 1 month old baby who has developed a red birthmark on the right buttock, under the nappy area. It was not there when she was born. ST, Ystalyfera, Swansea
Answer:	There are a few different types of red birthmarks that can develop at or shortly after birth. The commonest are infantile haemangioma and port wine stain. Laser treatment is available in Bridgend, where we run a paediatric laser list every fortnight, including general anaesthetic facilities if required. We have a specialist paediatric anaesthetist and paediatric dermatologist so hopefully we have all the bases covered for birthmarks.
Question:	I would like to have laser hair removal. VH, Llanishen, Cardiff
Answer:	We are very fortunate to have an Alexandrite laser at the Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend. This is the best laser for hair removal and costs around £60,000 to buy. Consequently you will not find one in a high street salon! A consultation is required first [please see Clinics page], but some people are eligible for NHS treatment. If you would like a copy of our information leaflet you can email me via the website.
Question:	Is there a good website for skin cancer pictures? SH, Gorseinon Swansea
Answer:	The New Zealand Dermatology website http://www.dermnet.org.nz/ has very good information and pictures on all types of skin cancer and skin rashes. I would not recommend it as an alternative to seeing your doctor or a skin specialist but it does have very good information.
Question:	I saw that you are a consultant in ABM trust - is that eh same as the Princess of wales Hospital? CHE Cardiff
Answer:	Abertawe Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust is the name for the merged hospitals in Swansea, Port Talbot and Bridgend. I am an NHS consultant in the dermatology department in Bridgend and Port Talbot. I also work privately in the Vale clinic, Cardiff Bay.
Question:	A skin specialist in South Wales has told me that I cannot have my moles checked regularly but I am worried that I might have a risk of skin cancer developing in a mole.
Answer:	Ideally everyone would have their skin checked for changing moles or suspicious lesions to make sure that skin cancer is caught early. In Wales, as in the rest of the UK, the NHS does not have the resources to perform regular skin cancer screening. In America it is fairly common practice but here it is usually limited to people with a high risk of developing skin cancer eg those with multiple moles or a family history of malignant melanoma. Privately a dermatologist / skin specialist can assess your skin and advise whether regular skin cancer screening is worthwhile.
Question:	What is the difference between a skin specialist and a dermatologist?
Answer:	Essentially they are the same thing. A dermatologist is a skin specialist who is included on the General Medical Council's Specialist Register. You can use this to search for any doctor by name or GMC number [mine is 4105208] to see their qualifications. You can check whether a skin specialist is included on the register at http://www.gmc-uk.org/
Question:	Do you have any acne cure? Dave, Radyr, Cardiff
Answer:	A cure implies that a condition will go away and not come back. In fact this generally is the case with acne. It is just a question of how far along the acne treatment pathway you need to progress before you are clear. Any consultant dermatologist will have access to all the necessary treatments for acne.
Question:	Can you do Botox in Bridgend as well as Cardiff? L Bridgend
Answer:	Yes. In fact Botox is available in any of my clinics. It is important on the first visit to have a full discussion of Botox treatment and its implications first. Thereafter you can just book the treatment. The cost of Botox treatment starts at £150 and the consultation is free.
Question:	Do you have a clinic in Swansea? I have some spots that I would like to get rid of. LT Swansea
Answer:	I do have a clinic every Wednesday in the Sancta Maria Hospital, Swansea.
Question:	Do you offer free consultations? SM Newport
Answer:	I don't offer free consultations routinely as I think they always introduce an element of bias into decision making. I have had many patients over the years who have been talked into having unnecessary or unsuitable procedures in clinics offering a free consultation. The only exception is with Botox where I deduct the cost of the consultation from the first treatment if someone decides to go ahead, which means it ends up being free.
Question:	I have a lot of moles that I wold like to be removed if possible. I don't think they are skin cancer but I don't like te way they look. Can you tell me how much it would be?
Answer:	A consultation costs £120 and sometimes a mole removal can be performed as part of the consultation at no extra charge. If a local anaesthetic is required the cost is from £168 and depends on the number of moles and the method used to remove them. After the consultation you can take some time to think about the procedure. A skin specialist or dermatologist will also be able to tell whether any of the moles are suspicious of skin cancer.
Question:	I have been suffering from acne and spots for many years. They have begun to appear under my arms as big boils. My GP says I have hidradenitis suppurativa. I live in Swansea. Is there any treatment?
Answer:	Hidradenitis was a very difficult condition to treat until a few years ago. We can now use a combination of antibiotics called Rifampicin and Clindamycin for 3 months. They are almost always very effective giving a long remission if not a complete cure. The course can also be repeated if the problem recurs.
Question:	Is there a good website for patient information leaflets on skin conditions?
Answer:	The New Zealand dermatology website has a wide range of excellent patient information leaflets written by skin specialists. Click Here To View
Question:	Where can I find out more information about an acne cure?
Answer:	I have written an article for the Western Mail about acne which hopefully you will find useful. Click Here To View