Learning life-saving talents

The skin cancer team from Clifton Hospital held a roadshow event under the Melonoma and Skin Cancer Early Detection (MASCED) programme for hair, health and beauty industry professionals, at Blackpool And the Fylde College, in Bispham.

The programme encourages early detection of skin cancer by hairdresser and beauty therapists.

The team ran six sessions throughout the day, reaching around 90 students, who all passed and received online accreditation through the Skcin charity.

Between April 2017 and March this year, there were 1,654 confirmed cases of skin cancer on the Fylde coast. Most were treatable.

Michelle Forsyth, Macmillan skin cancer coordinator for the Fylde coast, said: “It’s not about asking anyone to diagnose skin cancer, but about helping staff in the beauty industry to have the confidence to know when something looks different and to signpost a client to their GP.

“We used the strapline ‘training eyes to save lives’, because that’s exactly what it does.

“Early detection is vital. Skin cancer is very prevalent, but also very curative – if people get to us early.

“Staff in the hair and beauty industries are often the first to spot potential skin problems – especially if they are found on the scalp, back or other areas that are hard to see yourself.”

Michelle said she hoped the roadshow might become an annual event in the future and added the team – made up of Michelle, with Heather Bains, lead skin cancer nurse and Macmillan skin cancer nurse specialist Joan DeVega – would be following up to deliver the programme to students who couldn’t make it to the event.

She said: “We held it during Skin Cancer Awareness Week for that impact, but it will be on-going.

“We had really good, positive feedback from everyone on the day.”