About Derm.ca

Dr. Ken Alanen believes that world-class skin care starts with listening to your story and making you feel right at home. Recognized as one of Canada’s leading authorities in advanced skin care, skin pathology and cosmetic dermatology, he combines deep clinical expertise with a genuine passion for helping patients look and feel their best.

Dr. Alanen earned his Bachelor of Science from Western University in London, Ontario, in 1990 and was offered early admission to medical school that same year. He completed medical school in London, followed by a full five-year residency in laboratory medicine.

In 1999, he was accepted into the two-year dermatopathology fellowship at the University of Colorado in Denver, where he trained under Dr. Loren Golitz and Dr. James Fitzpatrick. He then completed the University of Alberta dermatology residency program in 2002.

With 17 years of formal academic training, Dr. Alanen is triple-certified as a dermatologist, laboratory medicine physician and subspecialty-certified dermatopathologist, and is a fully credentialed Mohs skin cancer surgeon. This rare combination means he doesn’t just examine your skin — he understands it from the surface, through the dermatoscope and all the way down to the microscope, allowing him to deliver remarkably precise care. Over his career, he has personally reviewed more than 250,000 skin biopsy specimens.

He has co-authored a textbook, published extensively in peer-reviewed medical journals, served as a medico-legal expert and spoken at conferences worldwide, including the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and the American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP). Nearly twenty years ago, he founded the University of Alberta Dermatopathology Fellowship, and he has taught dermatopathology and clinical dermatology to many physicians in training.

In 2008, Dr. Alanen co-founded Derm.ca with Ildikó Juhasz. The two form a rare team, and many patients see them both. Their goal is to make sure you are free of skin cancer, and that the cosmetic effects of years of sunshine are addressed through Ildikó’s laser, cosmetic and skincare expertise.

Since Derm.ca opened, Dr. Alanen has cared for more than 160,000 patients, performed more than 50,000 skin cancer surgeries and built Canada’s busiest mole mapping service — one of the largest skin cancer surveillance programs in the country, or “mole patrol,” as he calls it. He also offers photodynamic therapy (PDT) to help prevent non-melanoma skin cancer.

Routine skin checks make up a large part of his day, with the goal of detecting skin cancer at the earliest possible stage. On any given day, hundreds of precancers and early cancers are found and treated. Because key risk factors — age, genetics, early-life sun exposure and skin colour — can’t be eliminated, many of his patients are followed long-term, and many have been seen routinely for more than fifteen years. As he likes to joke, borrowing from Hotel California: once you’re a Derm.ca patient, we never really let you go.

Dr. Alanen knows that skin concerns, especially acne and scarring, can deeply affect everyday confidence. As Calgary’s go-to specialist for advanced acne scar treatment — including subcision, Bellafill injections and medical-grade TCA peels — he takes a personalized, compassionate approach. Whether you’re visiting for medical care or a cosmetic refresh such as Botox, dermal fillers or thread lifts, he considers your facial anatomy and personal goals and gives honest, tailored guidance every step of the way.

Outside the clinic, Dr. Alanen is an avid cyclist — road, mountain, gravel, winter fat biking and indoor rides on Rouvy — and almost always commutes to the clinic on two wheels. One of his favourite accomplishments is inspiring Ildikó to love the bicycle almost as much as he does.