Skin Clinic

Welcome to Wheaton Hall Skin Clinic where we have a special interest in skin disease/dermatology in general practice.

You do not have to be registered at our medical practice to attend our Skin Check Clinic or Minor Surgery Clinic.

No referral is needed.

Dr Helen Kilrane has spent time working in the dermatology department of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.
Dr Sylvia McKenna has received advanced training in the use of a specialised skin microscope (dermoscope) to detect early skin cancer, and also performs minor surgery to remove or help diagnose skin lesions where appropriate.
Our skin clinic services include a full skin check, Roaccutane acne treatment, and removal of skin lesions using cryotherapy or minor surgery.
Complex cases or melanoma are referred to the hospital.

Our Full Skin Check includes

Personalised skin questionnaire
History and full body skin examination
Dermoscopy: A microscope is applied to the skin to see deeper structures not seen with the naked eye. This can pick up early skin cancer and reassure where benign. It’s simple and painless for the patient.
Clinical Photography: Photos of suspicious moles under microscope can be taken for comparison
Skin education: How to examine, changes to look out for and how to protect against cancercan

Costs of Full Skin Check: €150
€100 for medical card holders who are registered patients of the practice

Roaccutane Clinic  (for Acne)

Unfortunately, Dr. Kilrane is not taking any new patients for this service in 2024.

Roaccutane, otherwise known as Isotretinoin, is a very effective medication for the treatment of Acne. It is a retinoid and derived from Vitamin A.
Roaccutane can only be prescribed under strict criteria, either by a Dermatologist or a GP with special qualifications and experience.
Here, at Wheaton Hall Medical Centre, we are delighted that Dr. Helen Kilrane is able to offer this service to our patients.
Roaccutane is generally only prescribed for people with Severe Acne, or if their Acne has not improved with 2 or more other prescribed courses of Antibiotics.

It works by:

• Reducing amount of sebum produced on the skin
• Helps prevent follicles being clogged
• Reduces the amount of bacteria on skin
• Reduces swelling and redness around spots

Common side effects include:

• Inflammation, dryness and cracking of lips and nostrils
• Temporary flare of Acne in first 7-10 days of treatment
• Muscle joints, aches
• Dry eyes
• Skin becomes more likely to burn in the sun
• Headache

It needs close observation with regular blood tests, as it can potentially affect the liver function and cholesterol.
Girls and Ladies require to be on hormonal contraception as Roaccutane can cause serious defects to an unborn baby. Pregnancy tests are required before starting and monthly while on treatment.
There have been reports of people experiencing mood changes while taking Roaccutane. There’s no evidence that these changes were the result of medication.
However, mood questions and questionnaires are used routinely, as precaution only. Many patients feel their mood improves as their Acne improves as they feel better about their appearance.

Costs

Private patients:  €150 initial visit, €100 subsequent visit
Medical Card holders: €100 per visit

If you have Severe Acne or Acne that has failed to respond to two courses of antibiotics, please call our surgery today to book a Roaccutane Consultation with Dr. Helen Kilrane.
People who are not patients of the practice can be referred by their own GP to Dr. Helen Kilrane for consideration of this treatment.

 Dermatology

At our skin clinic we can also assess and treat a wide range of skin, hair and nail problems to include:

• eczema
• psoriasis
• skin infections
• warts and verrucae
• “lumps and bumps” on the skin
• hair, nail and scalp problems

If you have a skin complaint, we recommend that you discuss your concerns with your doctor.

Minor Surgery, Cryotherapy

Many simple lumps, bumps and moles on the skin, or ingrowing toenails can be adequately dealt with at a general practice skin clinic without referral to a hospital. If you have any such concerns, please ask your doctor whether it would be appropriate to treat here, or would onward referral be more appropriate. This decision can only be made on an individual basis following discussion between your doctor and yourself.

The practice has for some years used liquid nitrogen for “freezing” other skin problems such as warts and skin tags. Modern equipment allows us to do this more efficiently. We have a special cryotherapy clinic to deal with these problems.

Some (but not all) cryotherapy and minor surgical procedures may be covered under both the Medical Card Scheme or by the leading medical insurers (VHI, Laya, Irish Life).