Dermatology

Skin Health MOT

It is important to take care of your skin - after all, you have a lot of it. A skin health MOT is a great way of ensuring your skin stays healthy as well as affording you peace of mind.

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Award Winning Specialist Clinic

We've won 12 top industry awards since 2010 and regularly feature in the national and international press.

Industry Leading Consultants

We've invited only the very best consultants in the country to practice with us.

Care Quality Commission

Our Leadership has been rated Outstanding by the independent regulator of health and social care in England

GMC Registered Dermatologists

All of our dermatologists are registered with the General Medical Council.

Medically Reviewed November 2023, by Dr. Susan Mayou (GMC: 2405092) - founder of the Cadogan Clinic and one of the world's leading dermatologists

What is a skin health MOT?

A skin health MOT is an annual check-up where one of our expert dermatologists examines you from top to toe to ensure that everything is as it should be. Moles and lesions will be scrutinised using a dermoscope, a special handheld device that can magnify the area by up to 10 times. The dermatologist can then decide whether the mole or lesion needs any immediate action.

An annual skin health check ensures that any moles or skin lesions can be monitored effectively and if any medical intervention is required, then this can be carried out swiftly.

A skin health MOT will also check the skin for sun damage and our expert dermatologist will provide advice on how to carry out effective mole checks in between check-ups and advice on how to keep your skin protected from the sun’s harmful rays.

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Why have my skin checked?

A skin health check ensures that any dangerous moles or growths can be dealt with quickly.

Skin cancer kills more than 2,500 people each year and the most dangerous form of skin cancer is melanoma, which can develop from existing moles or develop as new standalone marks on the skin. Regular skin health checks with a dermatologist and self-checks at home can help to identify skin cancer in its early stages. Most skin cancers can be cured if they are detected early. However it is not always easy to check your moles yourself if they are located somewhere where it is difficult to see, for example on your back or scalp. An appointment with a specialist will ensure that these moles are not overlooked. If skin cancer is suspected, but not confirmed, a skin biopsy may be performed. This sees a small portion of the skin removed and examined more closely under a microscope in order to identify cancer cells.

If any worrying moles do turn out to be cancerous, they must be removed immediately via surgical excision or Mohs surgery.

It is also important to monitor certain types of birthmarks which have the potential to develop into cancer. A very rare type of birthmark, called a giant congenital melanocytic naevus, can develop into a melanoma if it is larger than 20cm, so it is important that it is checked regularly for any signs of change. Medical guidance recommends that people who have large congenital melanocytic naevi should have regular checks by a dermatologist.


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The importance of good skin health

According to Cancer Research UK, melanoma skin cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the UK, and the number of people being diagnosed with this particular type of skin cancer has continued to rise over the last few decades. Around 85% of all diagnosed melanomas are caused by too much ultraviolet radiation, a direct result of sun exposure or using tanning beds.

Although we recommend that every adult should get a skin health check, there are certain people who are at a higher risk of melanoma and should seriously consider a regular skin health MOT.

The risk of melanoma increases with age, with more than 25% of those diagnosed with melanoma aged 75 and above. That said, compared to most types of cancer, melanoma is also quite common in younger people. Although people with fair skin are more at risk of skin cancer,  people of colour can also get skin cancer. Often skin cancer in Black people is not diagnosed until its later stages, meaning it is more difficult to treat. A skin health check will help to catch skin cancer in its early stages.

The more common moles a person has on their body, the higher their risk of developing skin cancer, so anyone with lots of moles should be having regular checks with a skin specialist, as well as conducting regular self-checks.

Although not all cancerous moles present in the same way, there are several key things you should consider when you are checking your moles yourself.

Healthy moles look the same on both halves. If one side of the mole looks different to the other, this could be a skin cancer symptom.

A normal mole has a well-defined border. A worrying mole will have a ragged or notched border and the pigment may be bleeding into the surrounding skin.

Healthy moles are uniform in colour. A melanoma is usually a mix of two or mole colours, such as black, tan, brown, red, pink, grey, white or even blue. However amelanotic melanoma may have no colour at all.

Melanomas typically increase in size. Most measure more than 6mm in diameter.

In short, if a mole has changed size, shape, colour or in any other way, it is a cause for concern.

A worrying mole may have one, some or none of the above characteristics. As well as the ABCDE checklist, you should also apply The Ugly Duckling Test - if something doesn’t look right, it needs to be checked out.

It is not always possible to prevent a melanoma developing as some risk factors - including your family history and skin tone - are out of your control. But practicing good sun safety can help to prevent a benign mole from turning into a cancerous one. Avoid using sunbeds and when going out in the sun, make sure you put on a sun cream with an SPF factor of 30 or above, accompanied by a wide-brimmed hat. You should cover up any moles where possible.

Excessive sun exposure not only puts you at an elevated risk of developing skin cancer, but the sun’s rays can also cause premature aging of the skin.  As well as wrinkles and sagging, years of sun exposure can cause hyper-pigmented spots, commonly known as sun spots or liver spots. Our expert dermatologist will be able to advise you on how to care for your skin to ensure it stays healthy for the years to come.

Cadogan Clinic. A strong tradition of innovation

Founded in 2004 by world renown dermatologist Dr Susan Mayou, we now work with over 100 leading consultants and successfully treat over 20,000 patients each year. We have been winning industry awards since inception.

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Skin Health Specialists

We have invited a selection of the country's very best consultants to join us at the Cadogan Clinic so that you can be sure that whatever the nature of your treatment, you will be seeing one of the top practitioners in the country.


How To Find Us

The Cadogan Clinic is based at 120 Sloane Street in Chelsea, just off Sloane Square and the Kings Road.

We are accessible by all major bus routes that pass through Sloane Square and Sloane Street, as well as Sloane Square tube station.

We are just a 5 minute walk northwards up Sloane Street once you have arrived at Sloane Square.

Local pay parking is available just around the corner from the Clinic on Cadogan Gate, Cadogan Square and Cadogan Gardens. Our local residential parking zone is the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.

Address: 120 Sloane Street, Chelsea, London, SW1X 9BW




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2023

Aesthetic Awards

Highly Commended Best Clinic in London

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2021

Aesthetics Awards

Highly Commended

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2021

My Face My Body

Best Clinic Winner

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2020

My Face My Body

Best Clinic Winner

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2019

My Face My Body

Winner

Laurel Wreath for Awards
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2018

My Face My Body

Highly Commended

Laurel Wreath for Awards
Laurel Wreath for Awards

2018

Aesthetics Awards

Highly Commended

Laurel Wreath for Awards
Laurel Wreath for Awards

2017

Aesthetics Awards

Winner

Laurel Wreath for Awards

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