Minor Surgery · Kensington, London
Hyfrecation in London to Remove Skin Tags, Milia and Benign Lumps
Hyfrecation is minor surgery that removes small benign skin lesions using a fine needle carrying a high-frequency electrical current. At Faciem it is used for milia, skin tags, sebaceous hyperplasia, syringomas, warts and diagnosed benign moles, in an appointment of around 30 minutes, from £150. Dr Prasad, a GMC-registered doctor with 20 years’ experience, holds the needle herself.
Nothing is treated until Dr Prasad has examined it face to face and is satisfied it is harmless, because the current destroys the tissue it touches and destroyed tissue cannot be sent to a laboratory. A lesion she cannot identify with confidence is biopsied or referred instead of being put under the needle.
- Diagnosed before removed
- Local anaesthetic offered
- Performed by Dr Prasad
- Kensington, London
96%
Patient satisfaction
- Medically reviewed by Dr Prasad
This page sets out how hyfrecation is assessed, priced and carried out at Faciem, and is checked for clinical accuracy.
Last reviewed: 14 July 2026.
Patient information only. Hyfrecation destroys the tissue it treats, so a lesion is examined and diagnosed at a face-to-face consultation with Dr Prasad before anything is removed.
Patients since 2019
Procedures
Satisfaction
TL;DR
Hyfrecation is minor surgery for benign skin lesions. A fine needle carries a high-frequency current that acts as a diathermy, drying out and destroying milia, skin tags, sebaceous hyperplasia, syringomas and diagnosed benign moles at the point the tip touches them. Prices start from £150 for an appointment of around 30 minutes, with any further lumps dealt with that day sitting inside the same fee, and one to two sessions are commonly needed. Anaesthetic is offered every time. The lump goes on the day; the scab left behind takes two to six weeks to heal, depending on its depth. Dr Prasad identifies each lesion before she treats it.
- Lesion destroyed at the needle tip, nothing cut
- Local or topical anaesthetic offered each time
- Small scar risk whenever skin is broken
Treatment at a Glance
What to Expect from Hyfrecation
Procedure time
30 minutes
Includes examination, consent and photographs before anything is treated.
Treatment price
From £150
Where one appointment starts, with every lump treated that day inside it.
Results visible
Immediately
The lesion goes during the appointment; the skin then heals around it.
Results last
Varies by lesion
A destroyed lesion does not usually regrow, though warts can recur and new lumps can appear elsewhere.
Downtime
A small scab
Healing takes two to six weeks, depending on how deep the scab is.
Back to work
Same day
Most people go straight back; the treated points stay visible while the scabs heal.
*£150 is where a single appointment starts. The figure moves with the size and spread of what needs removing, and the cost of your own treatment is confirmed in writing at consultation. No lesion is treated without a face-to-face medical assessment first.
About the Treatment
What Is Hyfrecation and How Does It Work?
What a hyfrecator does to a lesion, why nothing is treated before it is identified, and how the half-hour appointment runs.
Hyfrecation removes a small benign skin lesion with a fine needle that carries an electrical pulse. The needle acts as a diathermy, and the current passing through its tip destroys the lesion selectively where the tip touches the skin. It is minor surgery, usually under local anaesthetic, and the lesion goes on the day.
How does the current remove a lesion?
A hyfrecator passes a high-frequency electrical current through a fine needle tip. Where that tip touches the lesion, the current heats and destroys the tissue rapidly and selectively, so the lump can be taken down without cutting into the skin around it. Dr Prasad works across each lesion in small stages, checking as she goes instead of clearing it in one pass.
Because the tissue is destroyed in place, there is nothing to stitch. What is left is a small raw point that dries into a scab, and that scab protects the skin while it repairs. Healing takes roughly two to six weeks depending on how deep the scab is, and most lesions are dealt with in one to two sessions.
Why is a lesion diagnosed before it is removed?
Hyfrecation destroys the lesion it treats, so there is nothing left to send to a laboratory afterwards. Any lesion removed this way has to be one a doctor is satisfied is benign before the needle is used. Dr Prasad, a GMC-registered dermatology doctor, examines the lesion, takes its history, and treats only what she can confidently identify.
This matters most with moles and pigmented marks. A mole that is changing shape or colour, itching, bleeding or looking different from its neighbours is not a candidate for destruction — it is biopsied or referred so it can be examined properly. If a pigmented lesion is what brought you here, book a dermoscopy mole check first; removal is a separate decision that comes afterwards, if at all.
What does hyfrecation feel like?
Anaesthetic is offered for every hyfrecation treatment — local anaesthetic by injection, or a topical anaesthetic cream — alongside ice packs and music as a distraction. Which of those you have, or whether you have any at all, is settled before the needle is picked up, and the decision is yours. Nothing touches the skin until that has been agreed.
The appointment runs to around 30 minutes, and a good part of that is examination, consent and photographs before treatment begins. During the treatment itself you may notice a brief sting, a smell and a sensation of heat at each point. Afterwards the area is usually tender for a short while, and a scab forms over every treated spot.
The hyfrecator, and what limits it
A hyfrecator is a small electrosurgical unit built for exactly this work: destroying tiny volumes of tissue precisely, at the tip of a needle, with the depth controlled by the operator. It is a standard instrument in dermatological minor surgery, and its usefulness lies in how little of the surrounding skin it disturbs when it is handled well.
That control is also its limitation. Set or held badly, the same instrument that takes a milium off cleanly can reach further than it needs to and leave a mark. Depth, contact time and the number of passes are judged lesion by lesion, on your skin, which is why Dr Prasad holds the needle herself instead of delegating the work.
Hyfrecation or freezing: which suits the lesion?
Minor surgery is a routine part of dermatology, and hyfrecation is one of several ways a benign lesion can be dealt with. It suits small, raised lesions — milia, skin tags, sebaceous hyperplasia, syringomas, seborrhoeic warts — where precision at the surface matters more than depth. Several lesions can often be treated in a single appointment, which is useful to mention when you book.
Freezing is the alternative for many of the same complaints. Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen suits sun-related and viral lesions better, while hyfrecation gives more control over exactly how much tissue goes. Neither is automatically the right answer, and some lumps are best left alone. Our guide to common benign lumps and bumps sets out what each of them actually is.
What Hyfrecation Removes
Lesions Hyfrecation Is Used For
Hyfrecation at Faciem is used on benign, diagnosed lesions in three groups: small raised lumps such as milia, skin tags, sebaceous hyperplasia and syringomas; surface marks and viral lesions such as age spots and warts; and pigmented lesions that have been examined first. What is suitable is decided after examination, never from a photograph.
ZONE I
Small Raised Lumps
The everyday benign bumps hyfrecation handles most precisely.
Skin tags
Soft, benign tags of skin, common on the neck, eyelids, underarms and anywhere skin or clothing rubs. A tag can usually be taken off at its base with very little disturbance to the skin around it.
Milia
Small, firm white bumps of trapped keratin sitting just under the surface, most often around the eyes. Squeezing does not shift them and tends to mark the skin; yellowish eyelid deposits are usually xanthelasma, which is a different problem entirely.
Sebaceous hyperplasia
Small yellowish bumps with a dip in the centre, where an oil gland has enlarged. They are harmless but persistent, and stand out more on skin that is naturally oily.
Syringomas
Small benign growths of the sweat ducts, usually appearing in clusters around the eyes. Syringomas often need more than one session, because several are treated in stages so the skin is not overworked.
ZONE II
Surface Marks and Viral Lesions
Flatter or virally driven lesions where the surface is the target.
Age spots and seborrhoeic warts
Age spots and the raised, waxy patches known as seborrhoeic warts can both be treated by hyfrecation. Because pigmented marks can mislead the eye, each one is examined and identified before any decision to remove it.
Warts
Viral warts can be removed by hyfrecation, though the virus itself may persist in the surrounding skin. Warts can therefore recur or appear nearby, and repeat treatment is sometimes needed.
ZONE III
Pigmented Lesions, Diagnosed First
Where examination decides whether removal is appropriate at all.
Benign moles
A mole is treated only once Dr Prasad is satisfied it is benign. Destroying a mole leaves nothing to analyse, so certainty about the diagnosis has to come first.
Dermatosis papulosa nigra
The small dark papules that develop across the cheeks and temples, most often in darker skin tones. Treatment is planned carefully, because the surrounding skin holds more pigment and reacts more readily to injury.
Anything atypical or changing
A lesion that is changing, bleeding, itching or simply unusual is not removed for appearance. It is biopsied or referred so it can be examined under a microscope.
Deeper skin tones
Any treatment that breaks the skin can leave a paler or darker mark, and that is more likely in deeper skin tones. The approach and the risks are discussed with you first, and how Dr Prasad would treat your skin is confirmed at your consultation.
Choosing the Right Treatment
Hyfrecation vs Surgical Excision: Which Suits the Lesion?
A small lesion comes off in one of two ways: it is destroyed where it sits, or it is cut out whole. Hyfrecation does the first and leaves nothing to analyse. Excision does the second and keeps the tissue, which is why anything needing a diagnosis is biopsied or referred instead of destroyed.
| Hyfrecation | Surgical excision | |
|---|---|---|
| How the lesion comes off | A fine needle carrying a high-frequency current dries the lesion out at the point of contact, so nothing is cut. | The lesion is cut away with a blade and the wound is closed, usually with stitches. |
| What it leaves | A small scab over each treated point, which lifts as new skin grows beneath it. | A closed wound and a linear scar, generally longer than the lesion that was taken out. |
| Can the tissue still be examined? | No. The lesion is destroyed in place, so there is nothing to send to a laboratory. | Yes. The lesion comes away whole and can be examined under a microscope. |
| Best for | Small raised benign lumps: milia, skin tags, sebaceous hyperplasia, syringomas and age spots. | Anything that needs a diagnosis, and lesions sitting deeper than the surface. |
| How the skin recovers | Two to six weeks while each scab forms, lifts and the skin closes underneath. | A dressed wound, a return visit to have the stitches taken out, then a settling scar. |
| Where Faciem stands | Carried out here by Dr Prasad, once she is satisfied the lump is benign. | Where a lesion should be examined under a microscope, it is biopsied or referred instead. |
Neither route suits every lesion, and how skin heals differs from person to person. Dr Prasad will tell you when a lump is better left alone, when freezing is the better tool, and when it belongs in a laboratory instead of under a needle.
Fees & What Affects Them
How Much Does Hyfrecation Cost at Faciem?
Hyfrecation at Faciem starts from £150 for a single appointment, and lumps taken off alongside the first during that appointment fall inside the same fee. The figure you are quoted depends on how large the lesions are and where they sit — a cluster of syringomas around the eyes is a longer job than one skin tag on the neck — and on whether the plan needs one visit or two, since one to two sessions are commonly required. Call us on +44 20 7131 3539 and we will talk you through what your own removal is likely to come to.
Lesion removal is priced very differently across London, and a low price usually means something has been left out. The thing most often left out is the examination. Anyone can burn a lump off skin; the value sits in the doctor who decides whether that lump should be burned off at all, and who recognises the one in a hundred that needs a laboratory instead of a needle.
Your price is confirmed in writing before treatment starts, and nothing is done at the same appointment unless you are happy to go ahead. If Dr Prasad thinks hyfrecation is the wrong choice for a particular lesion, she will tell you and explain what she would do instead, including when that means doing nothing at all.
| Treatment | Price |
|---|---|
| Hyfrecation, a single appointment | From £150 |
| Additional lesions treated in the same appointment | Included in the appointment fee |
| Second session where a lesion needs further treatment | Confirmed at consultation |
| Consultation, examination and diagnosis | Confirmed when you book |
Why Faciem
Why Have Hyfrecation Done by a Doctor, Not a Technician?
The instrument is simple. Deciding which lesion should be destroyed, how deep to go on this particular skin, and which one needs a laboratory instead is the part that carries 20 years’ experience behind it.
- Every lesion examined and identified before the needle is used
- Treatment carried out by Dr Prasad, a GMC-registered doctor
- Local or topical anaesthetic offered for every treatment
- Confidential medical photographs taken and consent given before treatment
- Anything atypical biopsied or referred instead of destroyed
- Scar and pigment risks explained honestly before you decide
Experience & Expertise
Why It Matters Who Holds the Needle
Hyfrecation rewards restraint. A lesion has to be taken down far enough that it does not simply return, and no further, because every extra pass reaches tissue that did not need treating and raises the chance of a mark. Judging that on a milium beside the eye is a different problem from judging it on a skin tag under the arm, and it is decided in the moment, by the person treating you.
The decision that matters more happens before that. A benign mole and an early melanoma can sit side by side on the same face, and one of them must never be destroyed. Dr Prasad examines every lesion first, treats only what she is satisfied is harmless, and arranges investigation for anything she is not. Where a lump is better left alone she says so, and if you scar readily or have had keloid or raised scarring before, that changes the advice she gives.
- Dr Anamica Prasad — MBChB (1999), Dip Dermatology (2001), MRCGP, DFFP, DRCOG · a GMC-registered doctor
- Member of the Joint Council for Cosmetic Practitioners (JCCP), British Medical Laser Association (BMLA), Royal Society of Medicine and the Aesthetic Complications Group · ZO Skin Health UK Faculty & Trainer
- Clinic operated by Derma Medical UK Ltd — registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for diagnostic and screening procedures, surgical procedures, and treatment of disease, disorder or injury (Location ID 1-25573003746)
- Face-to-face medical consultation, examination and consent before any lesion is treated
- Minor surgery carried out in a CQC-registered clinic, with local or topical anaesthetic offered
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Your Journey, Our Promise
How a Hyfrecation Appointment Runs
A hyfrecation appointment has a fixed shape. Each lump is examined and identified, you are told which ones can be treated and what that costs, anaesthetic is offered, and then Dr Prasad works through them one at a time at the needle tip.
STEP 01
Examination and Diagnosis
Dr Prasad looks at each lump in turn and asks when it appeared, whether it has altered, and whether it itches or bleeds. Nothing is treated at this stage. Its purpose is to separate the lumps that can safely be destroyed from any that belong under a microscope.
STEP 02
Plan, Consent and Photographs
You are given a written plan: which lumps can be treated, which are better left alone, how many visits are likely and what the total comes to. Dr Prasad then confirms it is appropriate to proceed, takes your consent and records confidential medical photographs.
STEP 03
Anaesthetic and Treatment
Anaesthetic is offered first, as an injection of local or as a topical cream. Dr Prasad then treats each lesion at the needle tip in small passes, checking as she goes. The appointment usually runs to around 30 minutes in total.
STEP 04
Scabs and Review
You go home with written instructions for the scabs, which decide how the skin looks afterwards: left alone they lift by themselves, knocked or picked they mark. Healing runs to two to six weeks depending on how deep each scab is, and anything still present at review can be treated a second time.
Side Effects & Safety
What Are the Risks of Hyfrecation?
Hyfrecation breaks the surface of the skin, and that is where its risks come from. Most of what follows is ordinary healing — a scab, some tenderness, several weeks before the skin looks like itself again. The two things to understand before you agree are the possibility of a small scar and the possibility of a lasting change in skin colour at the treated point.
Common, temporary effects
- A small scab over each treated point
- Tenderness and redness around the area while it heals
- Two to six weeks for the skin to heal, depending on how deep the scab is
- Soreness at the injection site where local anaesthetic was used
Uncommon effects
- Every time the layers of the skin are broken there is a risk of a small scar, and great care is taken to minimise it. Most people find the trade acceptable and are glad the lesion has gone; at its worst the mark usually looks like a small chickenpox scar. Infection is uncommon and is treated promptly if it occurs. Pigment change is the other possibility: a treated point can heal paler or darker than the skin around it, more often in deeper skin tones, and it can take months to even out. Contact the clinic on +44 20 7131 3539 if the area becomes more painful, swollen or starts to discharge, without waiting for your review.
Who hyfrecation is not for
- Hyfrecation is not used on a lesion that has not been diagnosed, or on any lesion Dr Prasad considers suspicious — those are biopsied or referred, because destroying them removes the ability to examine them. A history of keloid or poor scarring, and a deeper skin tone in which pigment change is more likely, both weigh on the decision and are discussed before treatment. Your medical history and medicines are reviewed as part of the assessment. Because hyfrecation works by passing an electrical current through the skin, tell Dr Prasad if you have an implanted medical device such as a pacemaker, and what that means for you will be confirmed at your consultation.
After Your Treatment
Looking After the Treated Points
Hyfrecation aftercare is about protecting a scab, and it follows a predictable arc. A scab forms over every treated point within the first day or two and does the work of a dressing while new skin grows beneath it. Most scabs lift by themselves somewhere between two and six weeks, depending on how deep each one was, leaving a pink point that fades over the following two to three months. Knocked or picked off early, the point heals more slowly and marks more readily.
Do
- Keep each treated point clean and dry for the first 48 hours
- Shield the scabs from knocks, straps and razors for the two to six weeks they take to lift
- Use SPF 50 on the new skin daily for at least three months after each scab lifts, which is what keeps the point from darkening
- Tell the clinic within 24 hours if a point becomes more painful, swollen or starts to discharge
- Return for review so anything still present after six weeks can be treated a second time
Avoid
- Picking or scratching a scab off — every one lifts by itself within two to six weeks
- Shaving, waxing or exfoliating over a treated point for at least two weeks, and not until its scab has gone
- Saunas, steam rooms, hot yoga and hard exercise for 48 hours, and swimming pools until every point has closed
- Makeup, concealer or fake tan directly over a treated point for the first 48 hours
- Squeezing or picking at milia and other lumps at home between appointments
Judge the final appearance of a treated point around three months after its scab has lifted, not before — the pink mark left behind is still settling until then. The written instructions you are handed after treatment are the ones to follow: they are matched to the lesions treated and to where each one sits, and they take precedence over this page wherever the two differ.
Common Questions
Your Questions, Answered
Short answers to what patients ask before booking a lesion removal — cost, comfort, scarring and healing time. Anything specific to your own lumps is settled once Dr Prasad has examined them.
How does hyfrecation work?
Hyfrecation works by passing a high-frequency electrical pulse through a fine needle, which acts as a diathermy. Where the tip touches the lesion, the current destroys the tissue rapidly and selectively, so the lump is taken down without the skin around it being cut. The treated point then scabs over and heals from underneath.
How much does hyfrecation cost in London?
Hyfrecation at Faciem starts from £150, and that figure buys an appointment, not a single lump — anything else removed on the day falls inside it. Where the price lands depends on the size of the lesions, where they sit and whether one visit or two is likely; one to two sessions are commonly needed. Your price is confirmed in writing at consultation, and the consultation fee is confirmed when you book.
Does hyfrecation hurt?
Most people do not find hyfrecation significantly uncomfortable, and anaesthetic is offered for every treatment: an injection of local, or a numbing cream. At each point you may notice a brief buzz, a sensation of heat and a faint smell, all of it over in seconds. The treated points feel tender for a short while afterwards.
Will hyfrecation leave a scar?
Hyfrecation can leave a small scar, because the layers of the skin are broken, and care is taken to keep any mark as small as possible. At its worst it usually resembles a small chickenpox mark. Tell Dr Prasad if you scar badly or have had keloid scarring before, as that changes what she recommends.
How long does the skin take to heal after hyfrecation?
The lesion goes on the day of treatment, but the skin takes two to six weeks to heal, depending on how deep the scab is. Leaving the scab alone is the single most useful thing you can do in that time. The final appearance of a treated point is judged only once healing is complete.
How many hyfrecation sessions will I need?
One to two hyfrecation sessions are commonly required. A single skin tag is usually a one-visit job, while clusters such as syringomas or dermatosis papulosa nigra are often treated in stages so the skin is not overworked. The likely number is estimated once Dr Prasad has examined the lesions and put a plan in writing.
Can I go back to work after hyfrecation?
Yes — the same day, as hyfrecation needs no recovery time. The practical consideration is appearance, not recovery: the treated points scab over and stay visible for a few weeks, which matters more on the face than on the body. Book with any wedding, holiday or photographs in mind.
Can I wear makeup after hyfrecation?
Keep makeup off the treated points for the first 48 hours, and off each scab entirely until it has lifted — usually two to six weeks. Applying it and cleansing it off is exactly the friction that dislodges a scab early, which is what turns a treated point into a mark. Makeup on the surrounding skin is fine from the next day. Once a point has closed, mineral makeup over the pink patch is reasonable, and Dr Prasad will say when yours is ready.
Can hyfrecation remove a mole?
Hyfrecation can remove a mole only once it has been examined and is confidently benign. Destroying a mole leaves nothing to send for analysis, so anything changing, unusual or uncertain is biopsied or referred instead. If a mole is your concern, book a mole check with dermoscopy first and treat removal as a separate decision.
Is hyfrecation suitable for darker skin tones?
Hyfrecation is used in darker skin, including for dermatosis papulosa nigra. Skin tone is assessed on the Fitzpatrick scale before treatment is planned, because skin in the Fitzpatrick IV to VI range holds more pigment and responds more readily to any injury. The risk being managed is post-inflammatory pigmentation — a treated point healing paler or darker than the skin around it, which can take months to even out. Contact time is kept short, fewer lesions are treated per visit, and a small area is often done first so the way your skin heals can be seen before more is treated.
What is the difference between hyfrecation and cryotherapy?
Hyfrecation destroys a lesion with heat from an electrical current and removes it during the appointment; cryotherapy freezes the lesion with liquid nitrogen and the skin sheds it over the following weeks. Hyfrecation gives finer control over small raised lumps, while freezing suits sun-related and viral lesions better.
Can I exercise after hyfrecation?
Light activity is fine the same day, but leave the gym, hot yoga, running and anything that makes you sweat heavily for 48 hours after hyfrecation. Sweat, heat and friction on a scab that is still forming are what lift it early. Swimming pools, saunas and steam rooms wait longer — until every treated point has closed, which takes two to six weeks. A treated point under clothing that rubs, such as a tag at the waistband or under a bra strap, needs the same care.
Hyfrecation in Kensington, London
A Doctor-Led Clinic in the Heart of Kensington
Hyfrecation is carried out by Dr Prasad at Faciem Dermatology & Medical Clinic on Kensington Church St, London. High Street Kensington station is a few minutes’ walk away and Notting Hill Gate about ten, with a Kensington council underground car park nearby for anyone driving in from Chelsea, Holland Park or further west.
The clinic is open Monday to Saturday, 10am–7pm, and half an hour is usually enough for a removal, so an appointment fits a lunch break or an early evening. What needs planning is the healing, not the visit: scabs sit on the skin for a few weeks, so if the lesions are on your face, book with any event or photographs in mind.
Lesion removal is offered on the high street as a beauty treatment, and what separates the two is the diagnosis. Before anyone applies a current to your skin, ask whether the lump has been examined face to face by a doctor registered with the GMC, what happens to the tissue once it is destroyed, and what the treated point will look like while it heals. At Faciem those answers come first, and the price is agreed in writing before treatment begins.
You are under no obligation to book treatment at the end of a consultation. Some people come to have a lump identified, find out it is harmless and decide to keep it. That is a good outcome too, and it is a decision you can take away and think about.
Plan Your Visit
- Faciem Dermatology & Medical Clinic
- Phone: +44 20 7131 3539
- 7 Kensington Church St, London W8 4LF, United Kingdom
- Tube: High Street Kensington (few minutes’ walk) · Notting Hill Gate (~10 minutes)
- Parking: Kensington council underground car park nearby
- Open Monday–Saturday, 10am–7pm · Sunday closed
- Hyfrecation appointments bookable online; treatment follows examination and diagnosis
- Consultation-first — no treatment without medical assessment
- Serving Kensington, Chelsea, Notting Hill & Central London
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Faciem Dermatology & Medical Clinic · Kensington
Have the Lump Identified Before It Is Removed
Book a consultation with Dr Prasad to have your lesions examined and diagnosed, and to find out whether hyfrecation is the right way to deal with them. Appointments run Monday to Saturday, 10am–7pm, on Kensington Church St. If you would like to hear from people treated here first, read our patient reviews.
Prefer to talk? +44 20 7131 3539