Dr Ben Aldridge is a Consultant Plastic and Dermatological Surgeon, with his major NHS focus being skin cancer diagnostics, cutaneous surgical oncology and soft tissue facial reconstruction.

He holds dual consultant posts in the departments of dermatology and plastic surgery (NHS Lothian & NHS Lanarkshire). He uniquely consults on all aspects of the management of skin problems, being the only person in the UK to have undertaken full training in both plastic surgery and dermatology and have passed the qualifying examinations in both specialities. These qualifications mean he can provide a holistic skin service, from diagnosis to prescribing topical and systemic treatments, along with cosmetic dermatology advising on interventions such as LASERs and injectables, through to allied aesthetic surgery and complex plastic surgical reconstructions. He is recognised as a national expert in the procedural management of skin disease.

Ben graduated from the University of Edinburgh medical school in 2002 and went on to undertake higher specialty training in both plastic surgery and dermatology in London and across Scotland. He spent the latter stages of his formal training undertaking multiple national and international fellowships focusing on Cutaneous oncology & Mohs surgery (Norwich 2015), Cosmetic surgery (Quaba Plastic Surgery, Edinburgh 2016), LASER surgery and scar management (Swansea 2017), and as the senior plastic surgical skin fellow at the UK’s National Skin Hospital (St John’s Institute of Dermatology/Guy’s & St Thomas, London) where he had previously trained in dermatology.

In 2018, before taking up his consultant posts in Scotland, he completed a BAAPS sponsored fellowship in Aesthetic Facial surgery and Cosmetic Dermatology at the world-famous La Clinic (Montreux, Switzerland). He completed a PhD in Dermatoinformatics from the University of Edinburgh, focusing on skin cancer diagnostics, along with a MSc in allergy from Imperial College. He is the Chair of the southeast Scotland melanoma multidisciplinary team and has recently co-authored the updated national SIGN melanoma guidelines.

He has been one of the lead clinicians at sk:n in Edinburgh since the clinic opened in 2008 and the Medical Director there since 2020. He has also undertaken regular commitments in the London Harley Street sk:n clinic over this period. Through his role at sk:n, he has carried out over 7500 skin-focused cosmetic procedures.