Every year, approximately one-in-four patient consultations with a GP are to seek advice about a skin-related problem. Many of these problems are benign and require no treatment. Ninety percent can be managed in the primary care setting. There is a wide range of benign skin conditions and GPs have a critical role in their diagnosis and treatment. If a GP is unable to identify benign lesions, an inappropriate priority may be given to referrals of benign lesions at the expense of more serious disorders. The aim of this article is to provide the reader with an overview of the benign skin lesions that are commonly seen in primary care, and how to recognise features that warrant referral for more specialist management. This article also provides an outline on how benign skin lesions can be treated in primary care.