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Charity and FHT accredited course provider, Skcin, work tirelessly to raise awareness of the need for early detection of skin cancer and melanoma. May is skin cancer awareness month and the FHT will once again be supporting Skcin with their campaign. Education is our most powerful weapon in the fight against the disease, so this May the FHT will be sharing educational social media posts from Skcin focused on prevention and early detection.
The Skcin website is an amazing resource full of detailed information about skin cancer, including: the causes, how to reduce the risk, and how to check your skin. A lot of this information can be found in one useful download booklet.
About skin cancer
There are two main types of skin cancer, Non-Melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) and Melanoma skin cancer - which is the most serious type of skin cancer. In the UK 1 in 4 men and 1 in 5 women will develop a form of skin cancer at least once in their lifetime. Over 230,000 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed annually in the UK with rates predicted to reach almost 400,000 per year by 2025.
Whilst skin cancer statistics are concerningly high, the good news is that around 90% of all cases are preventable . In addition it is the only cancer we can physically see developing in its early stages, so with education, we can reverse these statistics and save many lives.
What Causes Skin Cancer?
Around 90% of all skin cancers are caused by over-exposure to UV radiation from the sun and/or sun beds. Sunburn, reddening, peeling and even tanning of the skin, is clear indication of sun damage. While many people associate a tan with looking healthy, a tan is actually a sign that our skin has been harmed by UV radiation and is trying to defend itself against further damage.
Sunburn has strong links to melanoma. When we burn, the superficial layers of the skin release chemicals that cause the blood vessels to expand and leak fluid, causing swelling, pain and redness. Without sun protection UV radiation starts to penetrate deep into the layers of the skin, causing damage to the DNA in our skin cells. Damage from UV is cumulative and irreparable, therefore once the tan fades, the damage remains, which can result in serious consequences over time.
How are Skcin helping professionals detect skin cancer sooner?
Non-melanoma skin cancers are often found on the head whilst melanoma can appear ANYWHERE on the body, so if you’re a hairdresser, beauty therapist, physiotherapist, makeup artist, chiropractor, podiatrist, nail technician, sports or alternative therapist - or if you practice any kind of therapy or service that involves a close connection to and observation of your clients skin, you are in the perfect position to become a powerful advocate in the fight against skin cancer and save lives.
Skcin have developed an FHT accredited online training course, MASCED (Melanoma and Skin Cancer Early Detection) for hair, health and beauty industry professionals. The MASCED Programme has been developed to significantly raise awareness of the early signs and symptoms of skin cancer and to promote the early detection of melanoma, to improve prognosis and save lives. By taking part in the MASCED Accreditation Programme, you are not expected or required to ‘diagnose’ skin cancer - this is a job for a trained professional. However, by increasing your knowledge you could spot something suspicious and interact with your client to recommend they seek professional advice to get it checked out.