- Best ResultsVariable
- Treatment Recovery2-6 days
- Procedure TimeVariable
- Skin SpecialistDr Davin Lim
- Duration of ResultsVariable
- AnaestheticVariable
- Back to WorkVariable
- CostNil
DVA Skin Checks
I do see veterans for dermatological conditions, including skin checks & management of skin cancer. DVA patients who hold a Gold Card, or a White Card for Skin are entitled to the latest treatments for skin cancer & pre-cancer treatments. I also do medico legal work for DVA.
FactsFacts on DVA Skin Checks
- Veterans have a much higher incidence of skin cancers
- The most common skin cancers include basal, squamous cell & Bowen disease
- Certain forms of skin cancers including SCCs & Bowen can be prevented
- Photodynamic therapy or PDT can reduce solar keratosis & prevent cancer
- Treatments are covered under DVA
- Lasers for redness & rosacea are also covered under DVA
What skin conditions are covered by DVA?
DVA Skin Checks
Providing you have either a Gold Card or White Card that covers skin, skin conditions are covered under DVA- Veteran Affairs. Conditions include-
- Sun damage – actinic keratosis, solar keratosis, & sunspots
- Skin cancer – treatment and prevention of Bowen’s, IECs and BCCs
- Scarring from acne, trauma, or skin cancer surgery
- Rosacea & rhinophyma
- Broken capillaries, facial veins
- DVA Skin Checks
- Birthmarks
- Psoriasis
- Rashes
Why are skin checks important for veterans?
Veterans have a much higher chance of developing skin cancers due to their chronic sun exposure during service. The risk factors depend on your skin type (fair patients are more susceptible), your genetics & importantly your previous occupation in the military.
How do you know if you are covered for skin cancer treatments under DVA?
Your DVA advocate would have informed you of your entitlements. A DVA Gold Card covers for most conditions, including skin related issues. A White Card will only cover for conditions that are on that card– check to see if ‘skin conditions’ are covered.
If skin conditions are covered, you will be entitled to a cover of skin conditions listed. For example, sun damage, skin cancer, eczema, psoriasis, & rashes. Treatments covered include fully ablative lasers, rhinophyma treatment, pulse dye laser treatment for broken veins as well as PDT or photodynamic therapy. These high-end treatments can only be provided by specialist & not skin cancer GPs
What skin conditions are not covered by DVA?
Cosmetic treatments including wrinkles, enlarged pores, & melasma pigmentation. If in doubt, check with the Department of Veteran Affairs.
What types of sunspot treatments are covered by DVA?
All treatments including PDT, surgery and laser are covered by DVA. Additionally transport to and from the clinic is provided by DVA. Our staff are all well versed in the necessary paperwork to get you there and back with minimal paperwork (we do all the paperwork for you, including arranging transport to and from home).
View our Treatment Gallery
What is photodynamic therapy for sun damage?
PDT or photodynamic therapy is subsidized by DVA. It can only be administered by dermatologists & not skin cancer GP (as DVA only recognises dermatologists). If you are seeing a skin cancer doctor, chances are they will prescribe you Aldara or Efudix.
On the other hand, dermatologists can prescribe you PDT for sunspots & certain forms of skin cancer.
The advantages of PDT include- less discomfort over the course of treatment. Higher clearance of sunspots compared to creams, & a much faster recovery period. Typically, PDT takes 4-6 days for your skin to heal, compared to 4-6 weeks for other creams.
Do I do medico legal reports for DVA?
Yes, I do. These include assessment & claims. Most reports I do are high level claims or disputes. Your advocate can advise you.
Experimenting with laser assisted delivery of retinoids AKA: LARI or laser assisted retinoid infusion 2.0
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🔬Skin science: approximately 1-2% of topical retinol is absorbed by the skin. It requires conversion to retinoic acid for activity. Stuff that, too many variables, too many steps before it is biochemically active
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👍🏻The Concept: increase absorption by a factor of 20-50. I have been using small spot super dense, low energy CO2 fractional lasers. They work infinitely better than NA lasers. Last week I nearly tripled the spot size to 300 microns. This week it’s 500 microns, super dense with adjusted joules (due to bigger spot size)
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🧪The molecule: I have been playing around with retinoic acid 1-5%, trifarotene, & today #tazarotene (third gen retinoid). I would have continued with #trifarotene, but it is patented, so I can’t increase my concentration. Solution? Tazarotene at 5 mg/ml (5-10x stronger than prescription, when it was available)
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🧬Hopeful outcome: retinoid bomb topically, MOAR - monther of all retinoids, it’s probably 1000X more acitve than topical retinol. Hopefully peel for 4-8 days
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🔎Aiming to improve: skin quality- wrinkles, pores, pigment, etc…
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💯Stay tuned
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😎Davin Lim
Dermatologist
Brisbane🇦🇺
#retinol #retinoids #retinoicacid #retinoltips #retinolskincare #differin #acnetips #co2laser #skincaretips #skincarescience #skinscience
Off label thulium 1927, one session only. 20mj 22 passes to achieve 92% coverage
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🔫Laser: Fraxel 1927 in HD or high density settings. At 92% it is still non-ablative
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👍🏻The wavelength, even with the less ‘powerful’ diode cf. thulium is pretty special. Just finished comparing histology with the 1940 & low & behold it is around 200 microns across the board .. from 3 different laser companies. The dermal remodeling from such superficial penetration is so much more than bulk heating, probably related to cytokine release we have yet to fully understand, same goes to the non selective effects this wavelength has on the vessels 😱😱😱
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😎Davin Lim
Dermatologist
Brisbane🇦🇺
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#laserdermatologist #fraxel #fraxeldual #thuliumlaser #laserresurfacing #fractionallaser #laseMd #fraxpro #laserrejuvenation #skinscience
How long does it take to get a White Card or Gold Card?
If you have not got a Gold or White card for skin conditions, you may be entitled to one. The process can take between 3- 12 months, depending on the complexity of your case.
Call the DVA Brisbane office, and they will put you in touch with your personal DVA Advocate. This advocate is on your side and will put your case forward for approval. In cases of uncertainty, I can be called upon to provide a medicolegal report.
What is the secret to getting a Gold Card?
DVA follows a complex algorithm. In some cases, it is piss easy to get a card, other times it is a pain in the arse. It depends on these factors-
- How good/dedicated/experienced/fair your advocate is.
- Your service history
- Documentation in your medical docs
- Assessment of service-related treatments
If your advocate is fence sitting, or if they want to get you over the line, they may ask a report from myself.
What are important things to consider when going for an assessment?
Bring all your documentation, both service records and civi records. This will help me help you. For complex cases it takes me 3 hours to provide a medicolegal report.
What is my experience with DVA?
I have done over 250 high level reports, including the Reseal/Deseal reports pertaining to the RAAFs F111 program. I am also av med trained & underwater medicine trained, so I speak the lingo.
How to make a booking to see me?
Give Cutis a call. Tell them you are DVA or they will block you from seeing me. I only do skin checks on DVA patients & not the general public.
What if you are in the military now & would like to see me?
This can get tricky. If you are still serving & would like to see me, you will need area health approval. I was the defence dermatologist of choice for over 7 years, but with the new (8 years old) private health contracts, I did not want to cut my service fees by 50%. Any subsidised treatment I perform does need approval. This can take months.
Davin’s Viewpoint on DVA skin checks & entitlements
I started my dermatology training under Lt Col Rob Rosen and Commander Peter Hoare in Sydney.
I was also the Consultant Dermatologist for the F 111 Reseal Deseal investigation under the Veteran’s act and provided over 90 legal reports. I am also called upon for more complex medico legal work pertaining to DVA claims.
I keep my skin cancer skills up to date, but only extend this to DVA card holders. I perform DVA skin checks, skin cancer surgery, but also laser and PDT to DVA patients. The majority of DVA patients are unaware that they are entitled to high level cover by dermatologists, including top cover using the very latest in laser and light technology. This includes the treatment of broken capillaries / blood vessels, sunspots & skin cancer prevention. These are all medical conditions that are treated by dermatologists using the latest technology.
