- Dr. Kuzel
- Treatments
- Conditions
- Calgary South
- Articles
- (403) 286-6888
- Contact Us
A full body skin check at Rejuvenation Dermatology Calgary South, examined by Dr. Paul Kuzel, a board-certified dermatologist. Every mole, every spot, under dermoscopy, with a biopsy on the same visit if one is needed.
Most cancers hide until they cause symptoms. Skin cancer sits on the surface, in plain sight, for months or years before it does any harm. The whole case for a skin check is that a trained eye can find it while it is still only a spot.
Melanoma does not announce itself. In its earliest, most curable stage it is often flat, small and only a shade different from the moles around it. Looking at it from arm's length, even a careful person will miss it, and so will a physician examining without magnification.
A dermatoscope is a handheld instrument that magnifies the skin and uses polarised light to see through the surface. It reveals the pigment network, the blood vessels and the structural patterns that a dermatologist is trained to read. That training is what turns a spot into a diagnosis, and it is why a full body check is done systematically, from the scalp to the soles of the feet, including the places you cannot see yourself.
The examination finds the spots worth worrying about. The biopsy tells you which ones actually are. Both happen in the same room on the same day.
Anyone can look at your skin. The question is whether the person looking has seen ten thousand melanomas, and can tell the eleventh from the benign mole beside it.
A full body examination is not only a hunt for melanoma. It is a survey of everything on your skin, sorted into what is dangerous, what is heading that way, and what can safely be left alone.
The least common skin cancer and the most serious, because it can spread. Highly curable when found early, which is the entire point of checking.
The common skin cancers. Rarely life threatening, but locally destructive if ignored, and far simpler to remove when small.
Rough, scaly patches on sun-exposed skin. Not cancer yet, but some progress to squamous cell carcinoma, so they are treated rather than watched.
Most of what is on your skin is harmless. Part of a skin check is being told so with confidence, and being told which ones are worth watching.
A full body skin check at Rejuvenation Dermatology Calgary South is unhurried and systematic. You will be given privacy to change, and only the area being examined is uncovered at any time.
A dermatologist sees you once a year. You see yourself every day. Once a month, in good light, with a mirror for your back, look for any of these in a mole.
None of this replaces an examination. It is a way to notice change between examinations, which is what matters most. If a spot fails any letter of the ABCDE, or simply looks wrong to you, book sooner rather than waiting for the next annual visit. Nobody at the clinic has ever regretted looking at a mole that turned out to be nothing.
Calgary sits at a high altitude under a lot of sun, with winters spent on snow that reflects most of it back. Sun damage here is not a beach problem.
A skin examination for a medical concern is generally covered by Alberta Health Care with a referral from your family physician. Ask your doctor to refer you to Dr. Paul Kuzel at Rejuvenation Dermatology Calgary South, or have the referral faxed to (403) 225-2914.
If you do not have a family doctor, or you would prefer not to wait, call the clinic at (403) 286-6888 and the team will walk you through the fastest way to be seen. Any biopsy, excision or treatment that follows a medical finding is likewise handled as medical care.
Once a year is the right rhythm for most adults, and it is the interval at which a changing mole can be caught while it is still early. If you have had a skin cancer before, have a family history of melanoma, have a great many moles or have a weakened immune system, Dr. Kuzel will set a shorter interval, often every six months. Between visits, a monthly self-check using the ABCDE rule is what catches change early.
A skin examination for a medical concern, such as a new or changing mole, a spot that will not heal or a history of skin cancer, is generally covered by Alberta Health Care when you are referred by a physician. Any biopsy or treatment that follows a medical finding is also covered. Ask your family doctor for a referral to Dr. Paul Kuzel at Rejuvenation Dermatology Calgary South, or call the clinic and the team will explain the options if you do not have one.
For a skin check billed to Alberta Health Care, yes, a referral from a physician is the normal route, and it can be faxed to the clinic at (403) 225-2914. If you do not have a family doctor or would rather not wait for one, call (403) 286-6888 and the clinic will tell you the quickest way to be seen.
After a short history, you change into a gown in private and Dr. Kuzel examines your skin systematically from the scalp to the soles of the feet, uncovering one area at a time. Moles and spots of interest are examined under a dermatoscope. If anything needs sampling, a biopsy is done in the same visit under local anaesthetic. You leave with a clear summary of what was found and when to return. The whole appointment is usually about thirty minutes.
A dermatoscope is a handheld magnifier with polarised light that lets a dermatologist see structures beneath the surface of the skin, such as the pigment network and blood vessel patterns. These patterns are how an early melanoma is told apart from a benign mole before either looks obviously different to the naked eye. Examination with dermoscopy finds melanoma earlier and results in fewer unnecessary biopsies than examination without it.
It is biopsied on the day. A small sample is taken under local anaesthetic in a few minutes, sent to a pathologist, and the result usually returns within a few weeks. If the result is benign, nothing further is needed. If it is a skin cancer, the treatment plan, most often a simple excision with clear margins, is arranged at Rejuvenation Dermatology Calgary South by the same physician who found it.
The only discomfort is the sting of the local anaesthetic, which lasts a few seconds. The biopsy itself is painless. A shave biopsy leaves a small flat mark that fades, and a punch biopsy is closed with a stitch or two and leaves a fine line. Where the sample is taken from is chosen with the scar in mind.
Arrive with clean skin and no makeup, and remove nail polish so the nail beds can be examined. Skip heavy lotions that day. Wear clothing that is easy to change out of, and if you have a spot that has been bothering you, take a photo of it beforehand in case it has changed by the time you arrive. Bring a list of any previous skin cancers or biopsies if you have had them elsewhere.
Asymmetry, an irregular border, more than one colour, a diameter over 6 mm and any evolution or change in a mole. Together these are the ABCDE criteria. Just as important is the ugly duckling sign: a spot that looks different from all your other moles. A new mole after the age of thirty, or any spot that itches, bleeds or will not heal, is worth an examination.
Yes. A full body examination routinely identifies actinic keratoses, which are precancerous sun damage, as well as benign moles, seborrheic keratoses, skin tags, cysts and lipomas. It also surfaces rashes and conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, rosacea and vitiligo that you may not have connected to a dermatologist. Being told with confidence that a spot is harmless is part of the value.
Dr. Paul Kuzel, MD FRCPC, a board-certified dermatologist and the founder and Medical Director of Rejuvenation Dermatology Calgary South. He sees patients in English and Czech.
Grouped by what you are actually trying to find out.
That is the entire cost of never finding a melanoma late. Book a full body skin check with Dr. Kuzel, or ask your family physician for a referral.
Rejuvenation Dermatology Calgary South
10201 Southport Rd SW #102
Calgary, AB T2W 4X9
Two blocks west of the Delta Hotel
(403) 286-6888
Referrals by fax: (403) 225-2914
Open seven days a week, with early mornings and evenings on weekdays.
Take the first step toward achieving healthy, radiant, and flawless skin. Contact Rejuvenation Medical Aesthetics today to schedule your personalized consultation and explore the advanced treatments tailored to your unique needs.
