00Conditions A–Z
Skin conditions A to Z
Three are marked same-day: if that is you, ring rather than book online.
00The guide
16 conditions, each with its urgency.
- Same day · 3
- This month · 4
- Routine · 9
AcneBlocked pores, inflamed spots and, if left, scarring. Adult and teenage acne respond to the same drugs given properly.Acne & rosaceaRoutine
What to look for
- Blackheads and whiteheads
- Red, sore spots on the face, chest or back
- Deep painful lumps
- Marks or pits that stay after spots heal
What to do
Book the acne and rosacea programme; a consultant within a week.
Book: acne & rosacea programmeAcne & rosacea programme →Acne & rosacea →
Actinic keratosesRough, scaly patches on sun-exposed skin. Not cancer, but a marker of sun damage, and a small proportion progress to squamous cell carcinoma.Skin cancer & molesThis month
What to look for
- Sandpaper-rough patches on the scalp, face, ears or hands
- Pink or skin-coloured, easier to feel than see
- Sometimes sore or crusted
What to do
Book a consultation within a month. Single spots are frozen; fields are treated with PDT.
Book: photodynamic therapy (pdt)Photodynamic therapy (PDT) →Skin cancer & moles →
Basal cell carcinomaThe commonest skin cancer. It almost never spreads, but it keeps growing and destroying the skin around it until removed.Skin cancer & molesThis month
What to look for
- A pearly or shiny bump that slowly grows
- A sore that heals then breaks down again
- A flat pink scaly patch that will not clear
- Visible tiny blood vessels on the surface
What to do
Book a consultation within two weeks. Excision is booked within ten days of diagnosis.
Book: skin cancer surgery and follow-upSkin cancer surgery and follow-up →Skin cancer & moles →
Birthmarks and haemangiomasMost birthmarks need nothing. A red 'strawberry' mark that appears in the first weeks and grows fast can need early treatment, especially near the eye, lip or nappy area.Paediatric dermatologyThis month
What to look for
- A red raised mark growing quickly in a baby under 3 months
- A birthmark near the eye, lip, nose or nappy area
- A large brown birth mole
What to do
Book Dr Rahman within a week for a growing red mark in a baby; routinely for others.
Book: paediatric dermatology consultationPaediatric dermatology consultation →Paediatric dermatology →
Cellulitis and spreading skin infectionA bacterial infection of the deeper skin that spreads by the hour and can make you seriously unwell.Same day
What to look for
- Hot, red, swollen, painful skin that is spreading
- Fever, shivers or feeling unwell
- Red streaks running from a wound
- Rapidly worsening eczema with yellow crusts
What to do
Ring us now for a same-day appointment. If you have a fever or feel unwell, contact NHS 111 or go to A&E.
Contact dermatitisEczema caused by something touching the skin: an irritant such as detergent, or an allergy to a metal, fragrance, preservative, rubber or acrylate.Allergy & patch testingRoutine
What to look for
- Hand eczema in a job that involves wet work or gloves
- Eyelid or face rash linked to cosmetics
- A rash under a watch, buckle or jewellery
- Eczema that clears on holiday
What to do
Book a consultation; patch testing over three visits in one week if an allergy is suspected.
Cysts and lipomasA cyst is a sac under the skin filled with keratin; a lipoma is a soft fatty lump. Both are harmless but can grow, get infected or be in the way.Skin surgeryRoutine
What to look for
- A smooth round lump under the skin, often with a central pore
- A soft, doughy lump that moves under the fingers
- A lump that has become red, painful or leaked
What to do
Book a consultation. Excision under local anaesthetic with histology.
Book: mole or lesion excisionMole or lesion excision →Skin surgery →
Drug reaction, severeA rash after starting a new medicine can be mild. One that blisters, involves the mouth, eyes or genitals, or comes with fever is an emergency.Same day
What to look for
- Widespread rash within weeks of a new medicine
- Blistering or peeling skin
- Sore mouth, eyes or genitals
- Fever, swollen face or feeling unwell
What to do
Stop the medicine if you safely can and go to A&E or ring 999. Ring us afterwards for the follow-up.
Eczema (atopic dermatitis)Dry, itchy, inflamed skin that comes and goes, common in children and often lifelong in a milder form. Controllable with the right plan taught properly.Eczema & psoriasisRoutine
What to look for
- Dry, itchy patches in the creases of elbows and knees
- Itch that disrupts sleep
- Thickened skin from scratching
- Weeping or crusted patches when infected
What to do
Book the eczema clinic: consultant plan, then nurse-led teaching. Same-day if hot, weeping or crusted.
Hair loss and nail changesHair loss has several causes that need different treatments; nail changes are usually fungal or psoriasis but a dark streak in one nail must be examined.Hair & nailsRoutine
What to look for
- Shedding or thinning for more than three months
- Round bald patches
- Itchy, scaly or scarred scalp
- A thickened, lifting, ridged or dark-streaked nail
What to do
Book the hair and nail clinic with Dr Nair; soon if there is a new dark streak in a nail.
Melanoma: the signsThe skin cancer that spreads. Found early it is cured by a simple excision, which is why the signs matter and the wait does not have to happen.Skin cancer & molesSame day
What to look for
- A mole that has changed in size, shape or colour
- A mole with an irregular edge or more than one colour
- A new mole after 40, or one that looks different from the rest
- A mole that itches, bleeds, crusts or will not heal
- A dark streak in a nail or a dark spot on the sole or palm
What to do
Ring for a same-day mole slot if it bleeds or has changed within weeks; otherwise book a mole check this week. Or send a photo now.
Molluscum and wartsViral infections of the skin, very common in children, harmless and eventually self-clearing, but slow and sometimes spreading or sore.Paediatric dermatologyRoutine
What to look for
- Small pearly bumps with a dimple in the middle
- Rough raised warts on the hands, knees or feet
- Spreading over months despite pharmacy treatments
What to do
Book Dr Rahman for children or a consultation for adults; cryotherapy where appropriate.
Book: paediatric dermatology consultationPaediatric dermatology consultation →Paediatric dermatology →
PsoriasisAn immune condition producing thick, scaly red plaques, often on elbows, knees and scalp, sometimes with joint pain. Measurable, and treatable at every level of severity.Eczema & psoriasisRoutine
What to look for
- Well-defined red plaques with silvery scale
- Scalp scaling beyond the hairline
- Pitted or lifting nails
- Stiff or swollen joints in the morning
What to do
Book the psoriasis and biologics review. Same-day if the skin is red all over or covered in pustules.
Book: psoriasis & biologics reviewPsoriasis & biologics review →Eczema & psoriasis →
RosaceaPersistent facial redness, flushing, bumps and sometimes sore eyes, usually from the thirties on. Often mistaken for acne and treated with the wrong things.Acne & rosaceaRoutine
What to look for
- Redness across the cheeks, nose and chin that does not fade
- Flushing with heat, alcohol or spicy food
- Small red bumps or pus spots without blackheads
- Gritty, sore or red eyes
What to do
Book the acne and rosacea programme with Dr Nair.
Book: acne & rosacea programmeAcne & rosacea programme →Acne & rosacea →
Squamous cell carcinomaThe second commonest skin cancer, on sun-damaged skin, growing over weeks to months. It can spread if left, so it is removed promptly with a margin.Skin cancer & molesThis month
What to look for
- A firm, scaly or crusted lump that grows over weeks
- A sore that bleeds and will not heal
- A tender lump on the ear, lip, scalp or back of the hand
What to do
Book a consultation within a week. Biopsy or excision is done within ten days.
Book: skin cancer surgery and follow-upSkin cancer surgery and follow-up →Skin cancer & moles →
Worried about a mole?
Ring, or send a photo. Either way, you are seen.
Mole checks within 3 working days; same day if bleeding.
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