Acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, mole reviews, hair loss, skin allergies and more — assessed by Dr Elena Koleva, a medical doctor with specialist dermatology experience and an MSc in Clinical Dermatology. Dermoscopy on every mole. Clear treatment plan. Onward referral when you need a consultant or surgeon.
Dr Koleva is a medical doctor with specialist dermatology experience, managing a wide range of skin conditions including eczema, acne, psoriasis, skin cancer, and hair loss. She obtained her degree in Internal Medicine from the Medical University of Sofia, Bulgaria, before completing a Master of Science in Clinical Dermatology at Cardiff University in 2012. With more than 10 years of NHS dermatology experience, she's known for her compassionate approach, careful attention to detail, and commitment to evidence-based treatment tailored to each patient.
Surgical excision & specialist referrals
For skin lesions requiring removal — moles, cysts, lipomas, skin tags — Dr Koleva refers internally to our GMC-registered surgeons. For complex cases requiring consultant dermatology input (severe psoriasis on biologics, suspected skin cancer, complex paediatric eczema), we refer onward to NHS or private specialists.
The vast majority of skin conditions don't need a hospital. They need someone who'll look properly, take a careful history, examine the lesion or rash, and recommend the right treatment — whether that's a prescription cream, an oral medication, a lifestyle change, or onward referral. That's what this clinic does.
Teenage and adult acne, hormonal acne, cystic acne. Topical retinoids, oral antibiotics, isotretinoin (referred for monitoring), hormonal treatments where appropriate. We don't push every patient to harsh treatment — many respond well to careful topical regimes.
Book nowAtopic eczema, contact dermatitis, seborrhoeic dermatitis, hand eczema, eyelid dermatitis. Identifying triggers, optimising emollient and steroid use, considering second-line treatments where appropriate. Treatment plan you can follow at home.
Book nowPlaque, scalp, nail, flexural, and guttate psoriasis. Topical and oral options assessed against severity. For moderate-to-severe psoriasis needing biologics, light therapy, or specialist input, we refer to a consultant dermatologist.
Book nowFacial flushing, redness, pustules, eye involvement. Topical metronidazole, ivermectin, azelaic acid; oral tetracyclines where indicated; lifestyle trigger management. Clear distinction from acne — the treatments differ.
Book nowAny concerning mole, changing lesion, new growth, or pigmented spot. Dermoscopy on every mole consultation for accurate assessment. If anything looks suspicious for melanoma or non-melanoma skin cancer, we refer urgently — see the Mole Pathway section below.
Book nowMale and female pattern hair loss, alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, scarring alopecia. Blood tests for reversible causes (iron, thyroid, hormones), treatment with minoxidil, finasteride/dutasteride where appropriate. For surgical restoration, see our Hair Transplant service.
Book nowFungal infections (ringworm, athlete's foot, nail fungus), bacterial infections (impetigo, folliculitis), viral warts and molluscum. Diagnosis often clinical; swabs and scrapings sent when needed; appropriate antimicrobial treatment.
Book nowSuspected contact allergies, urticaria (hives), drug rashes. History-taking and clinical assessment; specialist patch-testing referred to consultant allergy/dermatology services where indicated.
Book nowIf your concern isn't here, book a consultation anyway — we'll either help, or honestly tell you it's not something we manage well and point you to the right service. We won't charge you for a consultation just to refer you onward without value.
This is the question that brings most people to a private dermatologist. NHS skin cancer pathways are slower than they should be for non-urgent cases, and online "mole-check" apps aren't a substitute for a doctor with dermoscopy looking at your skin properly. Here's exactly how we handle it.
Your consultation includes a full skin examination of the area you're worried about, plus any other lesions you'd like assessed. Dermoscopy is used on every suspect mole — a magnified, polarised view that lets us see pigment patterns invisible to the naked eye. This is what skin cancer screening clinics do, and what good NHS dermatology clinics do.
For each lesion we look at, you get one of three answers:
If anything looks suspicious for melanoma or non-melanoma skin cancer, we refer urgently — same day in most cases. This is normally to the NHS 2-week-wait (2WW) pathway, which is the fastest route for suspected cancer in the UK and is free at the point of care. If you'd prefer private specialist input, we can also refer to a consultant dermatologist or plastic surgeon, but the NHS 2WW is usually faster for cancer pathway work.
Important: we do not excise suspected skin cancers in this clinic. Cancer excision requires wider margins, careful technique, dermatopathology review, and if positive, sentinel node consideration — all things that happen properly in a hospital setting, not a primary-care minor surgery room.
For benign lesions you want removed (cosmetic, repeated trauma, nuisance), we refer internally to our GMC-registered surgeons for excision. Histology is included in the price — even for benign-looking lesions, every excised lesion is sent to the lab to confirm. See Minor Surgery for excision pricing and the surgical team.
If you have a mole or skin spot that meets any of these, please book sooner rather than later, or use the NHS 2WW pathway via your GP:
Most worrying moles turn out to be fine on dermoscopy. But the few that aren't, matter enormously. Early melanoma is highly treatable; late melanoma is not.
Full pricing for all consultations, procedures and reports is published on our price list. We do not charge separate appointment fees on top of quoted prices, and all costs are confirmed before any test, procedure or report is started.
Most dermatology appointments are available within the same week, often within a few days. If you have a suspicious mole or rapidly growing lesion that's worrying you, tell us at booking — we'll prioritise you, and if there's any chance it could be melanoma we'll see you the same day where possible.
Dr Koleva is a GMC-registered medical doctor with specialist dermatology experience. She holds an MSc in Clinical Dermatology from Cardiff University and has more than 10 years of NHS dermatology experience. She is not on the UK GMC Specialist Register for Dermatology — that is a specific training pathway (CCT in Dermatology) she did not undertake in the UK system.
What this means for you: she can confidently manage the vast majority of skin conditions you'd see in a specialist dermatology clinic. For cases requiring a consultant on the Specialist Register — severe psoriasis on biologics, complex paediatric dermatology, suspected skin cancer needing biopsy, rare conditions — she will refer you to a consultant dermatologist, either NHS or private.
Dermoscopy is included in every consultation where mole or lesion assessment is the reason for the visit. We use a dermatoscope — a polarised, magnified handheld device — to examine pigment patterns invisible to the naked eye.
Full mole mapping (whole-body photographic surveillance with software-tracked changes over time) is a more involved service we don't offer in this clinic — for that we'd refer you to a specialist mole-mapping clinic. For most patients with one or a few moles of concern, a careful dermoscopy assessment is what you need.
If a prescription is part of the treatment plan, yes. For ongoing conditions like eczema, psoriasis or acne, we typically issue a private treatment on the day for you to start treatment, then write to your NHS GP requesting shared care so they can continue NHS-priced prescriptions long-term where appropriate.
Most GPs accept shared care for standard dermatology medications (topical steroids, retinoids, antibiotics). For some treatments (oral isotretinoin for acne, biologics for psoriasis), specialist monitoring is required and we refer to a consultant dermatologist for those.
Yes, in most cases. The process is: dermatology consultation first to confirm the mole is benign and discuss the cosmetic outcome of removal, then booking with our surgeons for excision under the Minor Surgery service. Histology is included — even moles that look completely benign are sent to the lab to confirm.
For some lesion locations (eyelid margin, near nostril, very small lesions on the face), we may recommend referral to a plastic surgeon for the best cosmetic outcome.
Dr Koleva sees patients from 16 years old upwards. For under-16s with skin concerns, the right pathway is usually NHS paediatric dermatology (which has good waiting times for most non-urgent issues) or a private paediatric dermatologist. Common childhood conditions like atopic eczema, viral warts and molluscum are well managed by GPs in most cases — we can see your child in a regular GP consultation if needed.
If after assessment we conclude that we're not the right service for your problem — either because it needs consultant dermatology, a surgical setting, or a different specialty entirely — we'll tell you honestly and refer you to the right place. You've still paid for the consultation, but you leave with a clear plan and a referral letter that speeds up your onward care.
This page covers medical dermatology — treating disease and disorders of the skin. For cosmetic skin treatments (chemical peels, anti-wrinkle injections, dermal fillers, skin boosters), see our Medical Aesthetics service. The two are deliberately separate — cosmetic treatments need different clinicians, different premises setup, and different expectations.
If you have a skin problem you've been putting off, or a mole that's been worrying you, book a dermatology appointment. Dr Koleva will assess properly, explain clearly, and treat or refer with confidence.
See full pricing on our price list