How to greet a professor in a letter?

[Spetsnaz26]

Hi,everyone,this is my first post here and I'd appreciate any help from you,Thanks.

My problem is how should I greet a professor in a formal enquiry letter? I'm writing to a professor of a British university and I'm now stuck before I can start writing anything.

I mean, can I write something like:

Dear Professor xxxxx:

Hello, I am spetsnaz26 from...is "Hello" the proper choice or is there something else more "formal"?

Thanks again:)

[Soup]

Dear Professor [type in the professor's name here],

I am spetsnaz26 from ...

First, Dear is a greeting, so you don't need to type Hello. Second, use a comma (,) instead of a colon (:).

[Spetsnaz26]

Thank you for the prompt reply!

[Soup]

Spetsnaz26, any time.