Not every skin concern needs the same type of appointment. At Adare Dermatology Clinics (ADC), we offer a range of consultation formats — in-person, virtual, and teledermatology — because matching the right type of consultation to the right condition gives patients better outcomes, faster access, and better value. Here's a guide to how our consultation options work, and which one is right for your concern.

Mole Screening: Why This Needs an In-Person Consultation

If you're worried about a mole, we'll book you in for a dedicated mole screening consultation. Moles genuinely need to be assessed properly, in person, by a dermatology specialist using dermoscopy — a magnified examination that reveals far more detail than the naked eye ever can.

During this consultation, we'll take a full history: the appearance and number of your moles, whether you've used sunbeds, whether you're on immunosuppressant medication, and whether you have a family or personal history of melanoma or non-melanoma skin cancer. This, combined with a full skin examination, allows us to properly risk-stratify you and give tailored advice — including your daily photoprotection regime and how frequently you should have full-body mole screening going forward.

Some patients will be selected for mole mapping, allowing us to track subtle changes over time with precision. And on occasion, we identify a skin cancer on the day itself — in these cases, we'll schedule a biopsy or excision, either in our own clinic or via referral to a plastic surgeon or ENT surgeon, depending on the location and nature of the lesion.

Hair Loss Consultations: Detailed, In-Person Assessment

Hair loss is another area that genuinely benefits from detailed, in-person specialist attention. These consultations involve a thorough history, a trichoscopy examination, and — where indicated — a scalp biopsy. Blood tests, arranged either through your GP or through our clinics, often give the dermatologist a much clearer picture of what's driving the problem. As with mole screening, all in-person consultations attract a higher consultation fee, reflecting the additional time, equipment, and expertise involved.

Virtual Dermatology Consultations: Convenient, Effective, and Widely Applicable

A significant proportion of our work now happens through virtual dermatology consultations, and for many conditions, this works extremely well. These are suitable for a broad range of presentations, including acne vulgaris, acne rosacea, pigmentation concerns, eczema, psoriasis, scarring, and general aesthetic consultations where a patient wants proper, bespoke skincare advice — what will genuinely work for their skin, and what won't.

Dr. Mackle and her dermatology colleagues have extensive experience across the full range of laser and device-based treatments — including pulsed dye laser, VBeam Perfecta, Nd:YAG lasers, intense pulsed light (IPL), Thermavein, fractional CO2 laser, Q-switched Nd:YAG, and diode lasers, alongside medical-grade microneedling, Secret RF, chemical peels, and nurse-led laser genesis treatments. A virtual consultation is often the ideal first step to get expert advice on which treatment or laser genuinely suits your skin and concern — you don't need to travel to Dublin, Limerick, or London to access that opinion. Because our clinics are based in these capital cities, we regularly see patients dialling in from right across the UK and Ireland, and beyond.

Importantly, our approach to virtual consultations is about giving accurate, honest advice — not a sales experience. We're very happy to advise on moles or hair loss virtually too, but in many cases, the honest advice will be that you need to come in for a proper in-person trichoscopy or dermoscopy assessment, because these examinations genuinely require hands-on, magnified evaluation to be accurate.

Our Step-Up Process

We operate a clear step-up process across all our consultation types. If, during a virtual or teledermatology consultation, something doesn't add up — the history is atypical, previous treatments haven't worked as expected, or the presentation is more complex than it first appears — we escalate to a full in-person consultation with one of our dermatology specialists. This ensures patients are never left in a virtual consultation that isn't giving them what they actually need.

Teledermatology: Simple, Photo-Based Consultations

For more straightforward, well-defined conditions, we also offer teledermatology consultations. These suit conditions like acne vulgaris or acne-induced hyperpigmentation, where a good-quality photograph, combined with a properly completed history form, gives the dermatologist enough information to build an effective plan.

For acne, this typically means a tailored skincare routine combined with an appropriate topical treatment — benzoyl peroxide, topical antibiotics, or a topical retinoid — because it's usually the combination of the right skincare and the right active treatment that makes the real difference, not either alone. The same principle applies to rosacea and pigmentation concerns.

Not every condition is suitable for diagnosis from a photograph, so we're careful about which presentations we accept for teledermatology. We need a properly completed history form covering what's already been tried and what has or hasn't worked. If the reviewing doctor has any concern, or doesn't feel teledermatology is appropriate for what's being described, the consultation is escalated to a virtual or in-person appointment instead.

What Happens If Treatment Isn't Working

Whichever consultation type you choose — in-person, virtual, or teledermatology — the same rule applies: if what's been prescribed isn't working, or the condition is worsening, you should book back in. None of these formats are “one and done” by design; they're the beginning of an ongoing treatment relationship, and we'd always rather review and adjust than have a patient struggle on with something that isn't working.

Why Virtual and Teledermatology Consultations Genuinely Add Value

In-person consultations remain the most detailed and thorough option, particularly for moles and hair loss, but virtual consultations work extremely well for a great many conditions. They're quicker, more cost-effective, and far more convenient — particularly once school holidays end and daily traffic returns to normal, or for parents managing a child's treatment alongside work and family commitments.

For patients on medications requiring ongoing monitoring — for example, a young patient on a course of isotretinoin, or an adult on methotrexate — we can often organise blood monitoring and pregnancy testing remotely, provided everything is progressing as expected. This allows a significant proportion of these follow-up consultations to be handled virtually, which makes ongoing dermatology care far more manageable for patients who don't live in central Dublin or London.

Choosing the Right Consultation for You

The right starting point depends entirely on what you're dealing with:

• Concerned about a mole or your skin cancer risk? Book a mole screening consultation.

• Noticing hair thinning, shedding, or a changing hairline? Book a dedicated hair loss consultation.

• Managing acne, rosacea, pigmentation, eczema, psoriasis, or considering laser or aesthetic treatment? A virtual dermatology consultation is often an excellent starting point.

• A simple, well-defined complaint like acne with good-quality photos available? Teledermatology may be all you need.

At Adare Dermatology Clinics in Dublin, Limerick, or London, our goal is always to match you with the right level of care — honestly, efficiently, and with the option to step up to a more detailed consultation whenever your condition genuinely needs it.