We recommend that adults and children over 12 wear face masks when attending our clinic, but no longer provide masks to patients and carers. Videoconsultations are conducted via telehealth at our dedicated virtual clinic. We are experiencing high demand for appointments hence require that all patients provide a referral prior to booking an appointment so that we can identify and manage urgent and emergency conditions in a timely manner, and so that our surgeons can assess your suitability for a telehealth appointment and identify any further information or tests that might be required before your consultation. If our surgeons assess that your condition (especially recent injuries) is best managed with hand therapy rather than surgery we may recommend that you see a qualified hand therapist (physiotherapist or occupational therapist) rather than schedule an appointment with our surgeons. Dr Tomlinson does not offer consultations and surgical services where a Medicare Rebatable Item Code does not apply; this includes injections for palmar hyperhidrosis. Dr Tomlinson has scheduled sabbatical leave during much of October, November and December 2023 so will not be available for urgent or emergency referrals during that time.

Skin cancer prevention

Created 12 August 2012, last modified 25 November 2018

sunsmartbeach Being outdoors in summer is a great part of life in Australia but it's also the reason Australians have extremely high rates of sun damage and skin cancer. To protect your skin use the Sunsmart UV Alert Guide to look up daily UV levels and sun protection recommendations. It's a great way to plan your activities and sun protection to maximise your skin safety. You can look up the UV Alerts from this website, or download an application to your smartphone.

To maximise your skin safety follow this Australian Cancer Council advice:

minimise sun exposure when the SunSmart UV Alert is >3
minimise sun exposure between 10am and 3pm when UV levels reach their peak
seek shade
wear a hat that covers the head, neck and ears
wear sun protective clothing
wear close-fitting sunglasses
and wear an SPF30+ sunscreen

If you've ever doubted the effectiveness of sunscreen, the video below is an amazing demonstration of how you look to the sun with and without sunscreen. Please take the time to watch it - and keep watching until the sunscreen goes on!

When you're applying sunscreen be sure to ask someone for assistance if there are exposed areas of your skin that you cannot reach - otherwise you may find yourself in pain with sunburn like this man pictured on the left. Ouch! Sunburn increases your risk of melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma, as well as ageing your skin prematurely - so if you can't find someone to help you apply sunscreen then keep your shirt on!

The Sunsmart UV alert guide can also be found at the Sunsmart website.

Skin Checks

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The Australian Cancer Council recommends that all adults, particularly those aged 40 and over, should:

become familiar with their skin
check all areas of their skin, including skin not normally exposed to the sun
look for changes in shape, colour or size, or a new spot – if you notice anything unusual, see your doctor straight away
seek assistance from others to check difficult to see areas, such as their back.

beachsunsmarttentandhat You should have your skin checked at least once a year; if you are at high risk of skin cancer then checking your skin at least every 3 months is wise. This Body Map, a mirror and the Sunsmart 5 steps for skin self-examination are very useful tools to help you perform a skin self-examination. Many people find that doing a skin check with a close friend or family member makes it easier to see difficult areas (like behind your ears, and on your back).

To help you know what you are looking for Sunsmart has produced a 2 page PDF guide to skin cancers, warning signs and harmless spots that can be viewed here: How to check for skin cancers.

If you have any concerns about your skin always seek assistance from a qualified health professional. Where there is doubt or uncertainty about a skin lesion a biopsy is a reliable method of determining what treatment you need.

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Skin cancers account for 80% of all newly diagnosed cancers

_{Source: Cancer Council Australia}

Two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the time they are 70
_{Source: Cancer Council Australia}

Every year in Australia around 434,000 people are treated for one or more non-melanoma skin cancers. In 2007, 448 people died of the disease.
_{Source: Cancer Council Australia}

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