As your skin cancer doctors, it is our mission to save lives by making skin cancer care affordable and accessible to all Northlanders. Our focus is on the early diagnosis and effective treatment of skin cancer in a friendly and welcoming environment.
We’re an experienced and local team who will make sure you’re at ease in our clinic and comfortable with modern and technology. Come see us if you’re worried about your skin cancer risks. Referrals from other healthcare providers are welcome but not necessary.
During your first visit, after we discuss your skin history and understand your concerns, we conduct a full body skin check using dermoscopy and digital dermoscopic imaging.
The skin cancer screening service offered at Skin Cancer Doctors in Whangārei is for anyone who wants their moles checked or requires a clinical opinion from one of our experts regarding spots or lesions on their skin.
One of our experienced and highly trained doctors will perform a full body skin check for you, using dermoscopy and digital dermoscopic imaging. We look for melanomas, other types of skin cancers, and examine for areas of sun damage.
With dermoscopy, we can see deeper into the skin inspecting moles and skin lesions for any concerning features.
New patient appointments are 30 minutes long, which will give us adequate time to do a thorough check. We have both female and male doctors available.
You will need to remove makeup and nail polish prior to your appointment (if applicable). During your appointment you will also need to remove some clothing (usually down to underwear). For this, we offer private areas for where you can dress and undress behind a curtain.
A full skin check involves checking all skin areas, and we will make sure you will feel comfortable and respected. Sheets are available to cover areas of your body when they are not being checked. You are welcome to bring a support person or request a chaperone.
You will be provided with an assessment and plan on the day and some treatments such as liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy) can be done during the appointment. Please note that treatments and procedures e.g. liquid nitrogen/biopsy/surgery incur an additional fee.
For returning patients, we will repeat the full body skin check using dermoscopy and digital dermoscopic imaging looking for any new or developing problems.
For returning patients, we provide a thorough, full-body skin cancer examination and mole check and look closely at any suspicious moles/skin changes. With the aid of dermoscopy and digital dermoscopic imaging, we look for melanomas, other skin cancers and areas of sun damage.
Appointments are 20 minutes long, which gives us enough time to do a full check of your moles and skin. Both female and male doctors are available at our clinic and if you wish, you can bring a support person or chaperone.
During your appointment you will need to remove some clothing (usually down to underwear) and for this we offer private areas for dressing/undressing behind a curtain. Please also make sure to remove makeup and nail polish prior to your appointment.
An assessment and plan will be presented to you on the day. Some treatments, such as liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy), can be done while you are here, during the appointment. Please note that treatments and procedures e.g. liquid nitrogen/biopsy/surgery will incur an additional fee.
While we do recommend a full body skin check as your best line of defense, we also offer spot checks if you would prefer to have 1-3 spots, moles or lesions checked only.
It could bring you peace of mind if you have a mole or spot that’s concerning you.
A spot check or individual mole check is a 10-minute appointment with one of our doctors who, with the aid of dermoscopy and digital dermoscopic imaging, will look closely at the area you are concerned about.
You will be provided with an assessment and plan on the day and if the spot is identified as being a possible skin cancer, your doctor will discuss the options with you.
Your skin cancer doctor can treat with liquid nitrogen during your appointment, otherwise they will advise you if further treatments, biopsy or surgery is required.
Please note that treatments and procedures e.g. liquid nitrogen/biopsy/surgery incur an additional fee.
Skin Cancer Doctors in Whangārei offers skin cancer surgery for all areas of the skin, including the head and neck areas, under local anaesthetic in one of our procedure rooms.
We can perform a range of procedures onsite and are known for our quality of care and comfortable, calm atmosphere.
Skin Cancer Doctors has two surgical rooms onsite for our doctors to perform skin cancer surgery.
Our facility holds NZS 8165:2005 Rooms/Office-based surgery and procedures standard so you know you are having your treatment at an appropriate facility with robust systems and processes in place.
Procedures we offer range from a simple ellipse excision to full thickness skin grafts and skin flaps. We focus on complete removal of lesions while maintaining the best cosmetic result possible.
Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen is an excellent technique for dealing with a variety of benign lesions as well as sun damage and some thin skin cancers.
It’s a minimally invasive treatment that freezes skin surface lesions using an extremely cold liquid.
Cryotherapy is a medical procedure that can be performed during your appointment. A spot (usually an area of sun damage or a wart) is frozen with liquid nitrogen. The extreme cold freezes and destroys abnormal tissue.
This is a quick and easy treatment. Although liquid nitrogen does sting a little, it is usually tolerated very well. Your doctor will explain the risks involved and the usual healing process. This treatment is priced at $11 per lesion but capped at a $111 maximum fee.
A punch biopsy is a diagnostic procedure where we remove a piece of tissue using a small circular blade under local anaesthesia and send it away for testing to provide a diagnosis and guide further treatment.
The appointment takes about 15 minutes, and you can carry on with your normal day to day activities after the procedure.
Under local anaesthesia, usually a 4mm diameter sample of tissue is removed and sent to the pathology laboratory for analysis to help with diagnosis and management decisions.
Your wound will either be closed with a stitch or taped closed with a ‘steri-strip’. Just a little bit of soreness or tenderness can be expected afterward.
If an abnormality or cancer is found, your doctor will discus the significance of this with you along with your treatment options.
After treatment for skin cancer, you may need follow up appointments to review your situation are and see if you have any new problems or worries. If you choose treatment through the public health system or need a referral for another health care provider, we can help.
While we can deal with almost all skin cancers we see, there are occasions where other specialists should be involved, or where you may choose to have treatment performed through the public health system.
Your doctor securely sends a letter about your medical issue, usually along with biopsy results and images (with your permission) to another provider e.g. public hospital or plastic surgeon to provide ongoing care for the issue at hand.
We do not charge for writing these referrals when they are done in conjunction with a skin or spot check.
It’s important you check your skin regularly and know how to protect it in the sun. If you spot any signs of another skin cancer between appointments, you should contact us as soon as possible.
It is a good idea for you to contact your health insurance company to clarify the level of cover you have before booking your appointment as there are many different policies around.
Southern Cross: Dr Christian Wieser and Dr Shirley Wallace are both affiliated providers of skin cancer services to Southern Cross members. We can easily apply for prior approvals and manage your claim on your behalf.
NIB: Dr Christian Wieser and Dr Shirley wallace are both part of the FirstChoice network of providers. We can apply for prior approvals and manage your claim on your behalf.
Other insurers: Please check directly with your insurance company. Most provide cover for surgical treatment with us, but it depends on your policy.
While we provide patients with a courtesy reminder email for their appointments, it is ultimately the patient’s responsibility to remember the appointment time they book.
Our practice requires 48 hours’ notice for cancellation or rescheduling of appointments. This allows us time to book another patient into the appointment slot.
Where this is not provided, a cancellation fee of 50% of the planned consultation/treatment applies.
Each type of skin cancer has its challenges. However, early detection and effective treatment can make all the difference. See Skin Cancer Doctors in Whangārei for mole checks, skin cancer management and specialised treatments.
Mon - Thurs
08:00 AM - 4:30 PM
11A NORFOLK STREET
WHANGAREI 0110
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