BOOK A SKIN CHECK

WITH OUR HANDY CLINIC FINDER:

WHY SHOULD YOU GET CHECKED?

There’s a lot of conjecture about who needs to get checked and when, but our golden rule is: “Every Aussie should be getting checked at least once a year, or every six months if you’re high risk”.

We’re happy to debate this, but our main argument is no-one is better placed to check your skin and educate you about your skin health than a professional specialist. Because in those 15 minutes, while you’re (hopefully) having a thorough examination, you’re a captive audience. You can learn about what to look out for, why early detection is so important and why prevention measures are vital. Especially in Australia.

To find these services, we’ve teamed up with the biggest, most updated and comprehensive databases of medical practitioners in the country. It’s called the National Medical Health Services Directory and it’s run by a wonderful team called Health Direct. To use it, simply use your current location or type in your postcode, select the service you’re looking for and hit search. If you have any questions please get in touch.

Also, if you’re not happy with the quality of your skin check for whatever reason, we encourage you to shop around until you are. So many skin cancers go un-detected every year, which is why it’s important to get the best possible service you can – preferably with clinical imaging on a platform like DermEngine.

We’ll send you an email to see how you went and if you have a #SkinCheckVictory, we’d love to share it.

All the best and let us know how you go!

WHO SHOULD YOU GET CHECKED WITH?

General Practitioners (your local doctor)

As recommended by the Cancer Council… the first step for getting your skin checked is to talk to your local GP. They should have access to your health history and can help you understand your personal skin cancer risk factors. Most GP’s should also be able to examine your skin, treat some skin cancers and refer you to a specialist if things are looking a bit more serious. They should also provide you with care and patient pathways depending on your diagnosis, as well as follow-up if you need to have something biopsied or seen to by someone else. As well as all this, your GP should provide you with valuable information about proper skin cancer prevention and being more sun-safe!

Skin Cancer Clinics

Australia has a great range of skin cancer clinics who offer a variety of services and fee arrangements. You don’t need a referral to go to a skin clinic, and some clinics bulk-bill for at least some of their services. Most doctors who work in skin clinics are GPs, not dermatologists, and research has shown that doctors in general practice and those working in skin cancer clinics generally diagnose skin cancer with similar accuracy. However, skin cancer is their day-to-day specialty, and many have done extra training which could lead to a more in-depth service.

Dermatologists

Specialists who treat skin cancer include dermatologists (doctors who’ve completed additional training in skin diseases), plastic surgeons and some general surgeons. If you’d like a consultation with a specialist, you may require a referral – which is why seeing a GP is the preferred first step. Also, there are just under 600 registered Dermatologists in Australia, and many don’t always focus on skin cancer, so demand for their services is often very high, leading to long wait times and (sometimes) high prices. However… they’re usually super talented at what they do and if your GP finds something dangerous, they may be able to bump you up the priority list.