Dr Ben Aldridge

Dr Ben Aldridge is a consultant plastic and dermatological surgeon in Edinburgh who specialises in mole checks, mole removal and sebaceous cysts, alongside skin tags, lipomas, seborrheic keratoses, skin cancer checks and basal cell carcinoma. He privately practises at Waterfront Private Hospital where he serves as lead for dermatological services, and his NHS base is NHS Lothian and NHS Lanarkshire. His clinical work focuses on skin cancer diagnosis and management, cutaneous surgical oncology, and soft tissue facial reconstruction.

Dr Aldridge, whose areas of expertise also include squamous cell carcinoma, and the management of malignant melanoma, holds dual consultant appointments in both plastic surgery and dermatology. He is the only clinician in the UK to have completed full specialist training and examinations in both specialties. This allows him to provide a comprehensive skin service, from diagnosis and medical management with topical and systemic treatments through to cosmetic dermatology advice, laser and injectable treatments, and complex reconstructive and aesthetic surgery. He's recognised nationally for his expertise in the procedural management of skin disease.

He graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2002 and undertook higher specialist training in plastic surgery and dermatology in London and across Scotland. His advanced fellowship training includes cutaneous oncology and Mohs surgery in Norwich, cosmetic surgery in Edinburgh, laser surgery and scar management in Swansea, and senior plastic surgical skin fellowship training at St John’s Institute of Dermatology at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London. He also completed a BAAPS-sponsored fellowship in aesthetic facial surgery and cosmetic dermatology at La Clinic in Montreux, Switzerland.

Dr Aldridge holds a PhD in dermato-informatics from the University of Edinburgh, focusing on skin cancer diagnostics, and an MSc in allergy from Imperial College London. He is chair of the South East Scotland melanoma multidisciplinary team and a co-author of the national SIGN melanoma guidelines. He is an honorary senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh and has published widely in peer-reviewed journals.

He has extensive experience in cosmetic dermatology, having performed over 7,500 skin-focused cosmetic procedures over the course of his career.