Introducing BSD’s latest clinic to the directory, Eden Skin Clinic. Read ahead as we explore their clinic philosophy and specialisation in DPN and skin tag removal.

Lorraine Scrivener, Founder and Clinic Manager, and Adele Coles, Assistant Clinic Manager

Eden Skin Clinic is bridging the gap between MediSpa and beauty salons. They strive to cut out the clinical jargon with medical treatments that clearly explain their benefits. As Eden joins the Black Skin Directory, we speak to Founder Lorraine Scrivener on the clinic's philosophy, the shape of the industry and the clinical treatment of Dermatosis Papulosa Nigra (DPN) that is safe for skin of colour.

WHAT WAS THE JOURNEY OF EDEN SKIN CLINIC, AND WHAT WAS THE DESIRE TO BRING THE CLINIC TO LIFE?

I founded Eden Skin Clinic in Wimbledon myself back in May 2014. Six months later, we opened our Kensington premises. At the time, the clinic was much more in line with a beauty therapy clinic, offering services including waxing, manicures, and piercing. Even then, my visions for Eden extended far beyond this. I’ve always been passionate about skin and began researching how the team could train further to bridge the gap between beauty therapy and medical skin treatments, making advanced skincare accessible to more people. Medical-led clinics can use lots of jargon and feel impersonal, sometimes recommending injectable or surgical treatments, which can feel intimidating, whilst beauty salon offerings are too superficial for problematic skin—Eden slots ideally between the two. Instead, we aim to inspire confidence through education and world-class treatments, encouraging our clients to overcome their insecurities through the language they can understand. Never trying to oversell a therapy; if our clients are learning, we are too (regarding the latest innovations and education to guide our client’s skin professionally and wisely journey).

TELL US MORE ABOUT THE EDEN SKIN ACADEMY.

Eden Skin Academy is our newest venture, and I’m excited to be able to touch on this today. We’ve discussed our unique ethos at Eden Skin Clinic and how we’ve tried to fill a gap within the advanced skincare industry. With the Academy, our team will provide aesthetic therapy courses and mentor the next generation of advanced skin practitioners. Our courses will include Advanced Electrolysis, Micro-needling, Medical Microdermabrasion and more. It’s a passion project for me, and I particularly look forward to seeing the talent out there, just waiting for an opportunity to grow. We don’t have a confirmed launch date yet, but watch this space!

YOU SPECIALISE IN NON-SURGICAL SKIN TECHNOLOGIES; COULD YOU EXPLAIN SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR TREATMENTS?

Yes, our non-surgical approach means a lot to us. We firmly believe in regulating the cosmetics industry and feel injectables and surgeries should be left to medics. We also think there is a vast and untapped zone between spa-led facial treatments and surgical treatments. We are proud to bridge the gap, offering the efficacy of advanced treatments with minimal downtime of traditional beauty therapy.

YOU ARE LISTED AS SPECIALISTS FOR DPN REMOVAL, BUT WHAT ARE DPNS EXACTLY?

Dermatosis Papulosa Nigra (often abbreviated to DPN) is a common skin condition mainly affecting people of colour with Asian, Latinx and Black heritage. Typically, it presents itself as scattered brown or black spots, which are slightly raised from the skin's surface.

HOW AND WHY DOES IT DEVELOP?

The cause of DPN is still largely unknown! It’s widely thought to be hereditary, as many family members will often experience the concern. Research suggests that sun exposure can also trigger DPN, worsened by the misconception that skin of colour does not require SPF. You may also find that they can increase in size and number from time to time (nothing to be alarmed about), but this can happen during a hormonal event such as pregnancy, pre-diabetes changes and menopause.

HOW DOES IT APPEAR ON BLACK SKIN? WHAT ARE COMMON SYMPTOMS TO LOOK OUT FOR?

As can be seen in the above Before & After photos of real Eden Skin Clinic clients, DPN appears as small, raised bumps, typically around 1-5mm in diameter. They are often circular or domed in appearance and tend to occur in scattered clusters, frequently on the temple, cheekbones, and eye area, as well as the neck and chest.

HOW DO THEY DIFFER FROM MOLES AND FRECKLES?

Spots on the skin can seem the same but in fact do differ;

Moles: Appear as small, dark spots often round or oval in shape and are often larger in size.
Freckles: These are completely flat in size and shape and can appear anywhere on the body.
DPN’s: Bumpier and, although dark, small spots, they often are slightly flatter than moles and hang around the face and neck.

IS IT OF MEDICAL CONCERN?

No, DPN is entirely benign and not of medical concern. Most people remove them for aesthetic reasons, but it may also be if they are in an area that experiences lots of friction, which can cause discomfort.

WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE AT EDEN SKIN CLINIC FOR DPN REMOVAL?

We offer Advanced Electrolysis to treat DPN, which is a cautery process. Cautery is the use of controlled heat to burn a targeted area to remove or close the area. Cautery is performed using an ultra-fine sterile probe inserted into or tapped over each lesion. An electric current is run through the probe, cauterising the blood supply and drying up any water content. Within a week, the lesion will start to scab or crust over and eventually drop off. We favour this method as it is incredibly precise, compared to methods such as laser, and performed entirely by hand so we can ensure that no healthy surrounding skin is affected.

DOES ANYTHING NEED TO BE DONE AT HOME PRE OR POST-TREATMENT?

We advise avoiding exfoliants, steamy showers and scented products before and immediately after this treatment. Clients should keep the treatment area dry and clean. We suggest applying aloe vera to soothe itching or dryness. Pure aloe vera is recommended rather than a moisturiser. We appreciate that it can feel daunting for those new to advanced treatments, so clients will always be given a printed copy of aftercare advice to refer to, and this is also available 24/7 on our website.

WHAT DOES A CONSULTATION AND TREATMENT PROCESS LOOK LIKE?

Clients concerned with DPN or skin tags will first have a consultation and patch test with one of our specialists. We will assess the treatment area and discuss the client’s concerns and ideal results before walking them through the Advanced Electrolysis procedure and what to expect. We will discuss expected outcomes, estimate how many sessions will be required and explain the aftercare. A patch test will be conducted, typically on lesions in a more discrete area, so we can see how the skin responds. Typically for DPN, as they occur in clusters and are widespread, multiple sessions are required to remove a large amount. However, each lesion may only take one session itself. At Eden Skin Clinic, we do not charge per lesion removed and instead offer timed sessions of up to 15 minutes or up to 30 minutes, during which our specialists will remove as many DPN or skin tags as possible. We also understand that clients may be concerned with DPN in one area but unbothered by them elsewhere, so we will always discuss where you would like to treat and where you would prefer not to. We will take photos at each session to monitor your progress.

WHAT ARE THE RESULTS WE CAN EXPECT?

After treatment, the lesions treated may crust or scab over. For some people, this happens very quickly, and for others, it takes a little longer. These scabs may take anywhere from 5 days to 2 weeks to drop off- this can take longer when treating the body. Once these lesions have dropped off, smooth, healthy skin will be revealed underneath.

If the DPN are particularly old or stubborn, they may occasionally leave some residual pigmentation. These marks can be faded with homecare products or skin peeling treatments. Results will always vary slightly from individual to individual, but complications are rare if the aftercare has been adhered to.

FINALLY, WHAT IS YOUR APPROACH/MANTRA TOWARDS SKIN AND REJUVENATION?

For me, I summarise our work here at Eden as Preventative, Corrective and Transformative. On the Preventative side, we try to educate our clients on where they can improve their routine to achieve the desired results and, most of all, prevent the skin damage they don’t want! As we’ve said before, prevention is easier than cure, so getting our clients to adopt a good skincare routine and habits early on in their skincare journey is key. Our Corrective work targets clients' concerns: removing skin lesions such as cherry angioma, DPN and skin tags; removing age spots and sunspots and tackling pigmentation; removing and reducing unwanted hair growth, or something else. These treatments focus on ‘undoing’ the minor imperfections that we know can significantly impact our clients’ self-esteem. These treatments are often the reason clients come to us initially, inspiring them to take a newfound interest in their overall skin health. Our Transformative treatments are all about changing, improving, and maintaining the new appearance of the skin. These will be your long-term treatments, focusing on concerns such as the texture and tone of the skin, reversing hyperpigmentation and scarring, and addressing the signs of ageing. We aim to transform our client's appearance, confidence, and approach to their skin.

Ready to treat your DPN? Find out more about Eden Skin Clinic by visiting their BSD page here.

Eden Skin Clinic & DPN Removal