Treating Skin Lesions

A Range Of Needs

Skin lesions is a wide term applied to growths on your skin, including cysts, warts, moles, skin tags, or scaly areas. A few can be signs of problems such as skin cancer but the majority are harmless in a medical sense.

They can still be cosmetically, or practically inconvenient, in some cases quite distressing. Wanting to have a clear diagnosis and treatment makes sense.

More so when the lesion is on, or near your facial area. The part of the body which maxillofacial surgeons treat, using expertise which begins with sound decision making.

Individual Diagnosis

There are around twenty common types of skin lesion, plus sub groups, pigmented and non pigmented alternatives. Understanding them and how they interact with the skin on your face, or neck is key to treatment decisions.

Your consultant will examine any lesions, in microscopic detail where appropriate. They will discuss the position with you, explain available options and the likely outcomes.

Where any lesions could be posing a medical risk, this will be fully investigated. Even where apparently benign lesions are removed, they will often be sent to a laboratory for final analysis.

Good aesthetic results are important for your skin but at every stage, a consultant is there to ensure your long term health is safeguarded.

Treatment

There are skin lesions which will respond to creams, be treatable with cryotherapy (freezing) curettage, light therapy, or other techniques. In the majority of cases, removal still tends to be the best option.

A good percentage of our patients will be referred by other doctors, pre removal approaches may have been tried. Removal also helps to avoid return, spread, or other health risks and can offer the best cosmetic outcome.

Surgical removal of a facial skin lesion can be carried out using either a local, or general anaesthetic. Dependant on the individual case, personal wishes, the size and depth of the lesion.

An antiseptic solution is used to clean the area and sections to be removed may be highlighted with a special marker. Time taken to remove the lesion (or lesions) will vary, although is rarely a lengthy period.

A dressing may be sufficient, or closing any wound with sutures. Care will have been taken to consider natural skin lines and how any disturbance is likely to heal.

Where a skin graft is needed to cover an excised area, this will normally be carried out at the time as surgery. Skin may be taken from behind the ear, or the collarbone, where there is excess skin, then carefully sutured in place and dressed.

Ongoing Support

A little swelling, or bruising is possible, although will soon go down. Any short term pain should require no more than paracetamol, or ibuprofen.

We give all the advice you need on those points, returning to work, driving, caring for the area where surgery took place. The position may differ slightly for everyone, support and advice will be tailored to you.

A review appointment may be arranged. To remove sutures if they are not self dissolving, perhaps discuss lab results, or any matters which you wish to discuss.

Treatment at our London clinic is always based on individual care. If we can help in any way, please get in touch with our friendly staff.