Dr Alia Ahmed, Consultant Dermatologist
BSc(Hons), FRCP
Dr Alia Ahmed is a Consultant Dermatologist who sees and treats adults, young people and children. She has a particular expertise in hair loss and in psychodermatology, the psychological effects of chronic skin disease and the link between the skin and stress. She is registered with the General Medical Council and is on the Specialist Register for Dermatology. She works in the NHS at King Edward VII Hospital, Windsor, and at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel.
Why see Dr Alia Ahmed
Dr Ahmed is experienced in dermatological surgical procedures and carries out biopsies for scalp conditions and hair loss. She sees adults, young people and children with any hair or scalp condition, including non-scarring hair loss (such as telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, and male and female pattern hair loss), scarring hair loss (such as lichen planopilaris, frontal fibrosing alopecia, and CCCA), and scalp conditions (such as an itchy or flaky scalp, folliculitis, eczema, psoriasis and seborrhoeic dermatitis).
She also specialises in psychodermatology, the psychological effects of chronic skin disease and the link between the skin and stress. Psychodermatology appointments may suit chronic skin disease with a psychological impact (such as acne, rosacea or vitiligo affecting self-esteem, body confidence, anxiety or depression), skin conditions affected by stress (such as eczema, psoriasis or urticaria), chronic itch, non-resolving infestations, genital skin conditions and nail biting, hair pulling and skin picking, and body image issues and body dysmorphia.
Areas of Expertise and Conditions Treated
Dr Ahmed diagnoses and treats a wide range of conditions in adults, young people and children, including:
Hair and scalp: non-scarring hair loss (telogen effluvium, alopecia areata, male and female pattern hair loss), scarring hair loss (lichen planopilaris, frontal fibrosing alopecia, CCCA), and scalp conditions (itchy or flaky scalp, folliculitis, eczema, psoriasis, seborrhoeic dermatitis).
Psychodermatology: chronic skin disease with a psychological impact, stress-related skin conditions, chronic itch, non-resolving infestations, skin picking, hair pulling and nail biting, and body image concerns and body dysmorphia.
General dermatology and procedures: chronic skin conditions, genital skin conditions, dermatological surgery and biopsies for scalp conditions and hair loss.
At a Glance
- Specialises in hair-loss and scalp conditions for adults, young people and children
- Specialises in psychodermatology, the psychological effects of chronic skin disease and the link between the skin and stress
- Psychodermatology appointments are scheduled for one hour
- Available on Saturdays
- BUPA Open Referral and Platinum Consultant
Schedule
Saturdays: 9:30am to 5:00pm – every fortnight.
Please advise if you require a Psychodermatology appointment at the time of booking as we will schedule 60 minutes
Accepted Insurers
Dr Alia Ahmed is recognised by all major private insurers. Complex Dermatology appointments have a charge of £585 and Psychodermatology appointments have a charge of £585 and both types of appointments are not covered by private health insurers, they are offered on a self-pay basis only.
Qualifications and Memberships
- BSc (Hons), FRCP
- BSc in Psychology with Clinical Psychology
- Registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and on the Specialist Register for Dermatology
- Member of the British Association of Dermatologists
- Member of the British Hair and Nail Society
- Member of the Royal Society of Medicine
- Member of the Medical Protection Society (MPS)
Education and Training
Dr Ahmed graduated from Barts and The Royal London School of Medicine in 2008 and completed her dermatology training in London, becoming a consultant in 2017.
She also holds a BSc in Psychology with Clinical Psychology, and completed a research fellowship in psychodermatology. She undertook her dermatology rotations at Royal Free London Hospital, Luton and Dunstable University Hospital and Watford General Hospital.
She regularly attends conferences to keep up to date, both in the UK and internationally.
NHS and Academic Roles
Dr Ahmed holds NHS Consultant posts at King Edward VII Hospital, Windsor, and the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel. Alongside her NHS work she is an honorary lecturer in psychodermatology at the University of Hertfordshire, and has completed a research fellowship with the UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network.
She sits on the executive committee for Psychodermatology UK, is a spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation, contributes to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Skin, and is the elected British Association of Dermatologists regional representative for Thames Valley and Wessex.
Research and Publications
Dr Ahmed is a regularly invited speaker at national and international conferences, with more than 30 conference presentations. She has recently published a UK guideline in psychodermatology and has contributed to several dermatology textbooks.
Examples of her peer-reviewed publications include:
- Patel N, Kho J, Smith KE, Ahmed A, Van den Abbeele K, Mandal AKJ, Missouris CG. Polymorphic cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 infection in a single viral host. Int J Dermatol. 2020 Jul 19. doi: 10.1111/ijd.15072.
- Ahmed A, Steed L, Burden-Teh E, Shah R, Sanyal S, Tour S, Dowey S, Whitton M, Batchelor JM, Bewley AP. Identifying key components for a psychological intervention for people with vitiligo: a quantitative and qualitative study in the United Kingdom using web-based questionnaires of people with vitiligo and healthcare professionals. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2018 Dec;32(12):2275-2283. doi: 10.1111/jdv.15168.
- Ahmed A, Solman L, Williams HC. Magnitude of benefit for topical crisaborole in the treatment of atopic dermatitis in children and adults does not look promising: a critical appraisal. Br J Dermatol. 2018 Mar;178(3):659-662. doi: 10.1111/bjd.16046.
- Osinubi O, Grainge MJ, Hong L, Ahmed A, Batchelor JM, Grindlay D, Thompson AR, Ratib S. The prevalence of psychological comorbidity in people with vitiligo: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Dermatol. 2018 Apr;178(4):863-878. doi: 10.1111/bjd.16049.
- Patten DK, Ahmed A, Greaves O, Dina R, Flora R, Tolley N. Anaplastic Spindle Cell Squamous Carcinoma Arising from Tall Cell Variant Papillary Carcinoma of the Thyroid Gland: A Case Report and Review of the Literature. Case Rep Endocrinol. 2017;2017:4581626.
Media and Press Appearances
Dr Ahmed is regularly interviewed by the press as a dermatology expert, particularly on the link between mind and skin, and has appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC News discussing the impact of chronic skin conditions on mental wellbeing. Examples of her press coverage include:
- Vogue, ‘How anxiety affects our skin, and what can you do about it?‘ (25 October 2020).
- Glamour, ‘How psychodermatology can beat stress and give us clearer skin‘ (17 August 2019).
- Stylist, ‘Why your skin feels so itchy when you are experiencing stress or anxiety‘ (December 2020).
- Huda Beauty, ‘Why psychodermatology is the real key to better skin’ (13 November 2019).