Skin tags and growths are usually harmless and will not cause you any health problems. However, if you have any concerns that a skin lesion is changing and could be cancerous you should see a GP straight away. We offer urgent GP appointments if required. If your skin lesion is benign there are still many reasons why you may opt to have it removed. It could be catching on your clothes or when you are shaving, therefore causing discomfort, pain or repeated bleeding. You may also have it removed if you do not like the appearance or it is affecting your self-esteem.

How does it work?

Consultation

We offer a full consultation service, where our Surgeon will ask questions about your skin lesion, including how long you have had the lesion, if it has ever increased in size and how it affects your daily life. They will also ask you about your medical history and your past and current medications.

Your surgeon will explain the procedure to you and discuss whether there is a likelihood of recurrence or scarring. 

Minor Surgery treatment

If you choose to go ahead with the procedure, we will arrange your appointment to come into the clinic. Our surgeon uses a variety of surgical techniques to remove skin lesions, including excision and cautery. The procedure sometimes involves stitches. We will advise you when to make an appointment to have the stitches removed.

After your appointment

After your appointment, we may send your Doctor a written notification of the procedure. Although it is unlikely that your lesion represents a danger to your health, we may send it to the laboratory for analysis. You will also be provided with wound care information.

Our Minor Skin Surgery clinic assists with mole removal, skin tag removal cyst excision, and skin cancer analysis.

Tay Medispa is located in Perth city centre: 

53-55 York Place, Perth, Perthshire, Tayside, Scotland, PH2 8EH

Courtesy of Google Maps

Journey times

If you are looking to travel to Tay Medispa Minor Skin Surgery clinic from another city or area in Scotland, we have collated some estimated journey times below.

From Dundee: 35 min (22.7 mi) via A90

From Edinburgh: 1 hr 9 min (44.0 mi) via M90

From Glasgow: 1 hr 5 min (58.7 mi) via M80 and A9

From Aberdeen: 1 hr 49 min (88.4 mi) via A90

From Stirling: 39 min (33.4 mi) via A9

From Inverness: 2 hr 15 min (111.4 mi) via A9

If you need any information or directions please feel free to email us at info@taymedispa.co.uk or call our reception team on 01738 451 567

Skin tags

Skin tags are small, soft, growths. They can vary in colour and size, from a few millimetres up to about 5cm wide. Skin tags are harmless, but they may snag on clothing or jewellery and bleed. Skin tag removal is considered cosmetic surgery and therefore is not available through the NHS.

Moles

Moles are growths on the skin that are usually brown or black in colour. You can choose to have a mole removed for cosmetic reasons if it affects your self-esteem or you feel that it is unsightly. Moles are usually harmless, but changes in shape, size, colour, or texture can be a sign of skin cancer. If you experience any of these changes, please book an urgent GP appointment with us or your NHS GP. There are a few methods of removal for moles, and the shape, size and where the mole is located will determine the removal method and cost of the treatment.

Sebaceous cysts

Sebaceous cysts are harmless, but some people have them removed because they experience recurring inflammation or infection, or because the cyst becomes large and unsightly.

The cost will depend on the lesion type being treated. We normally ask you to send us an image of the treatment area or show us in your consultation. A consultation is required before any surgery is undertaken and costs from £150. We will then be able to advise you of the price, and you can decide whether you would like to proceed.

Mr Alastair Lowrie

Mr Lowrie offers mole, wart and cyst excision and skin tag removal. In addition, Mr Lowrie is also able to provide excision of skin cancers and local flap/skin grafts. Prices are as follows:

• Excision of 1 mole/wart/cyst/tag - from £500
  • Per additional mole/lesion - from £100
• Excision of skin cancer - from £800 (including pathology)
• Excision of benign lesion plus local flap/skin graft - from £800
• Excision of skin cancer plus local flap/skin graft - from £1100

Pathology/histology

If your lesion needs to be sent to the laboratory for pathology, then there may be an additional cost. These prices are as follows:

• 1 sample - from £100
• 2 samples - from £140
• 3 samples - from £160
• 4 samples - from £210
• 5 samples - from £270
• 6 samples - from £360

For this type of surgery, there is an extremely low risk of post-operative infection, so it's not something you need to worry about. However, we will give you advice on how to care for your wound after your procedure. If you experience symptoms such as redness and heat on the area or begin to feel unwell then you should contact us or your GP as soon as possible.

You may experience mild scarring after your procedure, and the scarring will normally be pale. Occasionally, they could become pigmented or darkened. Scars will usually fade over time but they can persist. The degree of scarring can depend on your age, where the lesion is and whether an infection occurs.

We use a local anaesthetic similar to those used in dental surgeries so you will be awake throughout the treatment. This means that there is less risk, and you can ask any questions if you need to during the procedure. You will feel a small pinch from the anaesthetic injection. The injection makes the treatment area feel numb, this effect will wear off after a few hours.

There is a risk that the skin lesion may return after the treatment. This can occur with any type of lesion but is most common with epidermal or sebaceous cysts and lipomas. Mr Lowrie will discuss this with you during your consultation, so you are aware of the risks of this and know what to expect.

Our clinicians are all local General Practitioners or Plastic Surgeons, with expertise in skincare and Aesthetics. We are fully regulated by Healthcare Improvement Scotland and are fully licensed to carry out minor skin procedures, so rest assured that you are in safe hands.

Mr Lowrie is a fully accredited Consultant Plastic Surgeon on the General Medical Council’s Specialist Register in Plastic Surgery. He specialises in Cosmetic Surgery of the face, eyelids, nose, breast, abdomen, arms and legs. He performs a full range of operations and non-surgical treatments. 

Mr Lowrie studied medicine in Edinburgh, winning prizes in Surgery and Anatomy and graduating with Honours. He began surgical training in Glasgow and worked in the famous Canniesburn Plastic Surgery Unit. He then completed research into weight loss and healing before finishing his training in England.  He undertook prestigious fellowships in Cosmetic and Hand Surgery and travelled to America, Europe and India to learn from the best surgeons.

Mr Lowrie is also an NHS Consultant in Plastic Surgery at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee and is our Plastic Surgeon here at Tay Medispa in Perth.