Pain, joints & skin
Skin conditions & procedures
We diagnose and treat common skin problems and carry out minor procedures in the office — removing cysts, skin tags and warts, and taking biopsies where something needs identifying. We also assess moles and refer promptly when a lesion is suspicious.
Come in if you have
- A mole that has changed in size, shape or colour
- A sore or spot that has not healed in a month
- A persistent rash, or one that keeps returning
- A lump under the skin, a cyst, or troublesome skin tags
- Warts, or a skin problem affecting how you feel about being seen
What happens at your visit
- We examine the area properly and, for a lesion, use a dermatoscope where appropriate.
- We tell you what we think it is and how confident we are.
- Minor procedures are usually done there and then, under local anesthetic.
- Anything suspicious is biopsied or referred urgently — we do not watch and wait on those.
Get changing spots looked at
The single most useful thing on this page: a spot that is changing should be examined. Not necessarily urgently, but not left for a year either.
Skin cancer, caught early, is usually very treatable. Caught late it is a significantly more serious problem. The difference between those two outcomes is often just how long someone waited before showing it to a doctor.
Southern California sun exposure makes this more relevant here than in most places.
What to look for
- Asymmetry — one half unlike the other
- Border — irregular, notched or blurred
- Colour — more than one shade, or uneven
- Diameter — larger than about 6mm, though smaller ones can matter
- Evolving — the most important one. Any change in size, shape, colour, or a spot that starts to itch, bleed or crust
Also worth showing us: the spot that simply looks different from all your others, and any sore that has not healed within a month.
Minor procedures here
Common things we handle in the office, under local anesthetic:
- Skin tag removal
- Small cyst removal
- Wart treatment
- Skin biopsy where a diagnosis is needed
These are short appointments. For larger lesions, or anywhere cosmetically sensitive like the face, we will often recommend a specialist instead — and we will say so rather than attempting something better done elsewhere.
Rashes
Persistent or recurring rashes are worth diagnosing rather than treating blindly with whatever cream is at hand. Eczema, psoriasis, fungal infections and contact reactions can look alike and need quite different treatment — and the wrong cream can make some of them noticeably worse.
Bring photos if it comes and goes; rashes have a habit of disappearing on the day of the appointment.
Common questions
- Which mole changes should worry me?
- Asymmetry, an irregular border, more than one colour, growth beyond about 6mm, and — most importantly — change over time. Any single spot that looks different from your others is worth showing us. So is any sore that has not healed within a month.
- What can be removed in the office?
- Commonly skin tags, small cysts, warts, and small lesions needing a biopsy. It is done under local anesthetic and takes a short appointment. Larger or cosmetically sensitive areas — the face particularly — are often better referred.
- Will removal leave a scar?
- Any procedure that cuts the skin leaves some mark. How noticeable depends on size, location and how you heal. We will tell you honestly what to expect before you decide, and for cosmetically sensitive sites we may recommend a specialist.
- Is a skin tag or cyst removal covered by insurance?
- If it is causing symptoms — catching, becoming infected, painful — usually yes. Purely cosmetic removal is generally not. Ask us and we will tell you which category yours falls into before booking.
This page explains how we care for this condition at our office. It is general information, not medical advice for your specific situation — please talk to us about your own care.
Ready to get this looked at?
Call us or send a request and we will get you in — often the same or next day.