New Zealand Dermatology & Skin Cancer Centre

17/12/2025

Exciting News!
NZ Dermatology and Skin Cancer Centre is proud to announce the opening of our new clinic in Kapiti Coast!

📍 Address: 2 Presentation Way, Paraparaumu 5032
Located behind the Z Garage on Kapiti Rd.

Our team is ready to provide expert dermatology care, including skin cancer assessments, treatment, and general skin health services.

📞 To book an appointment, please call us on 0438 001 25.

29/07/2025

Dr.John Snow is back with NZDSCC and available to see patients one week every month.

26/09/2024

Exciting News at NZ Dermatology!
We're thrilled to announce the arrival of our new hand and feet phototherapy machine! This technology offers targeted treatment for a range of skin conditions, ensuring more effective and comfortable care for our patients.

18/08/2021

NZ Dermatology and Skin Cancer Centre will be closed under Level 4. If your appointment has been cancelled due to lockdown, our team will be in touch to reschedule your appointment as soon as we can.

05/12/2019

NZ Dermatology and Skin Cancer Centre will be closing for Christmas break from 23/12/19 to 10/01/2020. Enjoy the summer and please do not forget your sun screen when you go out.Happy holidays and New year.

18/07/2019

Narrowband UVB phototherapy

What is narrowband UVB phototherapy?

Narrowband UVB is the most common form of phototherapy used to treat skin diseases. "Narrowband" refers to a specific wavelength of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, 311 to 312 nm. UVB phototherapy was formerly provided as a broadband source (290 to 320 nm).

The narrowband range of UV radiation has proved to be the most beneficial component of natural sunlight for psoriasis. Narrowband UVB may also be used in the treatment of many other skin conditions including atopic eczema, vitiligo, pruritus, lichen planus, polymorphous light eruption, early cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and dermographism.
Skin conditions treated with narrowband UVB
Severe psoriasis

Compared with broadband UVB:

Exposure times are shorter but of higher intensity.
The course of treatment is shorter.
It is more likely to clear the skin condition.
Longer periods of remission occur before it reappears

What are the side effects and risks of narrowband UVB?

Narrow-band UVB can result in burning, just like sunlight and broadband UVB. Frequent emollients should be applied to burned skin, and if recommended by the therapist, topical steroids. It sometimes provokes polymorphous light eruption.

Long term exposure to ultraviolet radiation ultimately causes skin ageing and skin cancers. In theory, less UV exposure occurs because the patient is only exposed to therapeutic wavelengths. Although the risk from narrow-band UVB is unknown, research to date suggests it is no more risky than broadband UVB and probably less risky than photochemotherapy (PUVA).
What does narrowband UVB treatment involve?

Patients attend for phototherapy two to three times weekly. If whole-body treatment is recommended, the patient is placed in a specially designed cabinet containing fluorescent light tubes.

The patient stands in the centre of the cabinet, undressed except for underwear, and wears protective goggles. Usually the whole body is exposed to the UVB for a short time (seconds to minutes).

Shorter bulbs can be used for localised UVB treatment, eg of hands and feet or a small body region.

The amount of UV is carefully monitored by the phototherapy staff. A number of protocols exist depending on the individual's skin type, age, skin condition and other factors.
What is the result of narrowband UVB?

The skin may remain pale or turn slightly pink (the Minimal Erythemal Dose) after each treatment. Let your therapist know if you experience any discomfort.

Patches of psoriasis generally start to become thinner after five to ten treatments. Most patients with psoriasis require 15 to 25 treatments to clear. Results vary.

Info Courtesy: DermNetNZ

11/07/2019

Mohs micrographic surgery

It is a precise surgical technique in which the complete excision of skin cancer is checked by microscopic margin control. Mohs surgery is recognised as the treatment of choice for high risk basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The skin cancer is progressively removed in stages. After each stage, the excision margins are microscopically examined for remaining cancer cells and this process is repeated until all cancer has been removed.

04/07/2019

ABCDs of Melanoma

'ABCDEs' of melanoma is an acronym designed to identify features in skin lesion that may suggest a melanoma or in situ melanoma.

A asymmetry
B border irregularity
C Colour variation
D diameter >6mm
E evolving or changing

A is for asymmetry. A harmless mole is usually symmetrical,whereas melanoma is often irregular or asymmetrical in shape.

B is for border irregularity. A normal mole has smooth and even borders ,whereas a melanoma often has irregular and hard to define borders.

C is for colour variation. A normal mole usually has a single shade of colour or two shades of colour one inside the other or regularly repeated(pink,brown or tan). Melanoma can be brown but can have as many as five or six colours (blue,black,brown,tan,grey,pink and red) and the colours are evenly or irregularly distributed.

D is for diameter. Most melanomas are greater than 6mm in diameter when they are diagnosed.

E is for evolution(change). A melanocytic neavus(normal mole) is usually stable and does not change in size,shape or colour,whereas a melanoma changes over time. Change in size, colour,shape or structure may be noted over months or years.

25/06/2019

Using Sun Protection:

Sunscreen needs to be applied 20 minutes before going outdoors. When applying sunscreen, you need at least one teaspoon per limb, one for the front of the body, one for the back and one for the head. A full body application for an adult should be at least 35mL or seven teaspoons.

Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours if you are spending time outdoors and after swimming, sweating or towel drying.

It is not recommend the use of sunscreen in babies under six months. The main forms of sun protection for babies should always be protective clothing, hats and shade.

19/06/2019

The skin

The skin is the largest organ of the body. It acts as a barrier to protect the body from injury, control body temperature and prevent loss of body fluids. The two main layers of the skin are the epidermis and dermis. Below these is a layer of fatty tissue.

Epidermis

This is the top, outer layer of the skin. It is made up of several cell types:

Squamous cells – These flat cells are packed tightly together to make up the top layer of skin and form the thickest layer of the epidermis. Over time, our body sheds these dead skin cells.

Basal cells – These block-like cells make up the lower layer of the epidermis and multiply constantly. As they age, they move up within the epidermis and flatten out to form squamous cells.

Melanocytes – These cells sit between the basal cells and produce a dark pigment called melanin, the substance that gives skin its colour. When skin is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, melanocytes make extra melanin to protect the skin from getting burnt. Melanoma develops in melanocytes. Melanocytes are also in non-cancerous spots on the skin called moles or naevi.

Dermis

This layer of the skin sits below the epidermis. The dermis contains the roots of hairs (follicles), sweat glands, blood vessels, lymph vessels, and nerves. All of these are held in place by collagen and elastin, the proteins that gives skin its strength and elasticity.

16/05/2019

UV Forcast

The maximum UV level on 17th of May 2019 is Low. Click to see when you need to use sun protection!

11/04/2019