Hairdressers can Help in Screening Skin Cancer Patients

Dermatologists in the UK are recommending that hairdressers can and should be trained to spot the early signs of skin cancer in their clients. Doctors from the Department of Dermatology, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California feel that hairdressers are the ideal people who can spot lesions on the scalp and the back of the neck which can easily go unnoticed. Skin cancer is on a rise in UK, with almost 100,000 new cases diagnosed every year but no formal screening program exists. Doctors suggest that such checks could become routine, alongside a cut and blow dry, across UK's 36,000 hair salons. Hairdressers could help by pointing out any lumps, bumps or sores they find to their client who can bring it to the attention of their own doctor.

Sarah Williams, of Cancer Research UK said, "Spotting skin cancer early makes treatment more likely to be successful. So it's important to raise awareness of the changes to look out for and encourage people to visit their GP if they notice anything unusual. Signs of skin cancer everyone can look out for include changes to the size, shape or colour of a mole, any other change to a mole or patch of skin, or a sore that hasn't healed after several weeks. If you notice any of these changes, it's best to get them checked out by a doctor without delay."

This report has been published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Source-Medindia