Most people have moles and freckles on their skin. Some have more than others, but most of the time they’re completely normal and of no cause for concern.

Sometimes, when checking moles, you may notice a change in appearance. Although, a change in the appearance of a mole or freckles is normal and harmless – a change could indicate cancer.

Early detection is the best step in the prevention of serious skin cancers, which is why it is best to get any suspicious moles checked by a specialist skin doctor called a dermatologist. Skin cancer treatments are available, and many patients live a normal life after treatment, if it’s detected early enough.

The mole scanning service is available to anyone aged 18 and over. If you’re under 18 and have any concerns about your moles or pigmented lesions, please see your GP.

The service doesn’t provide a diagnosis of skin cancer, but our dermatology specialists can analyse the moles/lesions and identify any signs that mean your moles might need further investigation.

Mole scanning uses a bespoke dermatoscopic camera, which has been specifically developed to capture amazing quality images of your skin. The DermoSight camera allows your clinician to take two images of your skin condition/singular lesion. The first image is a distance image, known as a clinical image. The second image is an extreme close-up image known as a dermatoscopic image.

At Benenden Hospital, the service is delivered through the DermoSight Teledermoscopy Solution, delivered in partnership with DeepXHealth.

We can’t scan any moles or pigmented lesions which are:

• Located in an intimate area of the body (e.g. genitals)
• On the eyelid or the tip of an ear
• Covered by an excessive amount of hair
• Wet, open, or bleeding
• On a tattoo

If any of these exclusions apply to you and you’re still concerned about your mole, please see your GP for help and advice.

There are two stages to the mole scanning service:

Stage 1

A member of our clinical outpatient team will take you through to a private consultation room and ask you to complete a consent form. They'll then ask you a pre-scan questionnaire about your sun exposure to UVA/UVB and general skin health/history.

You’ll be asked to identify the mole(s) or pigmented lesion(s) that you’d like scanned.

The skin condition or lesion is imaged using a non-invasive dermatoscopic camera. Once the images are saved, your clinician will ask a series of post-scan questions regarding the skin condition or lesion history.

The consultation will last about 20 minutes.

Please note

Our team cannot advise you on the day which area to scan. If you need advice, or are unsure about which mole(s) or pigmented lesions(s) to scan, then we recommend booking in for a face-to-face consultation with our expert Dermatologists. Please contact our Private Patient team on 01580 363158 or complete our online form to book an appointment.

Stage 2

The scans will be analysed by a Consultant Dermatologist for signs of benign and malignant melanoma, with a report sent to you within one week.

If the results show that your mole(s) or pigmented lesion(s) are a concern, the clinical Outpatient team or Consultant Dermatologist will contact you promptly and as a priority to discuss the next steps, including mole removal.

• The first mole/pigmented lesion will cost £60
• Each additional mole/pigmented lesion scanned within the same consultation will cost £25

We recommend that you speak to your GP or our Consultant Dermatologists if you wish to have a whole-body check with large numbers of moles/pigmented lesions.

You have the right to cancel your appointment, however any fees you’ve paid will be non-refundable. Please call us on 01580 363158 (9am-5pm Monday to Friday).

If you’re unable to book online, please call our Private Patient team on 01580 363158.

Please note that the team is only available between 8am-6pm Monday to Friday, so to guarantee an appointment, especially at short notice, we’d recommend you book online.

To reschedule an online booking, use the link in your confirmation or reminder email or - for all other bookings - call our Private Patient Team on 01580 363158 (8am-6pm Monday to Friday).

You have the right to cancel your appointment, however any fees you’ve paid will be non-refundable.

No; you should only book an appointment for yourself. If someone you know is unable to book online, please call our Private Patient team on 01580 363158 (8am-6pm Monday to Friday).

We accept card payment via Stripe. If you experience issues when paying for your private GP appointment, please contact your card issuer.

Please give our Private Patient team a call on 01580 363158 (Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm) to discuss.