Medical

There are various creams that are designed to treat skin cancers and these can be discussed and prescribed by your doctor. It is important  to remember that not all creams treat all skin cancers, and there are some skin cancers that cannot be treated with any cream. Melanoma skin cancer can only be treated surgically.

Aldara cream is used to treat some superficial skin cancers and sunspots. This cream stimulates your immune system to recognize the abnormal skin cells and then destroy them. The cream is applied at home and can cause a red, sometimes weeping reaction and rash during treatment, however the cosmetic results are usually very good.

Efudix cream is used to treat some superficial skin cancers and sunspots. The cream works as a type of topical chemotherapy for the skin. It gets into the abnormal skin cells and interferes with their DNA and destroys them. The cream is applied at home and causes an irritated red rash during treatment, however the cosmetic results are usually very good.

Solaraze gel is used to treat some sunspots. The cream works by blocking the production of chemicals in abnormal skin cells and brings about their destruction. The cream is applied at home and causes minimal discomfort and the cosmetic results are usually very good.

Picato gel is designed to be applied to a broad area of sun damaged skin where there are multiple sunspots. The active ingredient of the gel enters abnormal skin cells and directly induces cell death and then causes a secondary inflammatory reaction which targets any remaining atypical cells. This dual action is ideal for clearing sunspots from a broad area and the skin heals well following treatment with a minimal risk of scarring. An advantage of Picato is that application of the gel is only required for up to 3 days, and then the inflammatory response clears 7-14 days later, which means reduced downtime compared to the other available treatments.