Hairdressers at West Suffolk College trained in skin cancer awareness

Dermatology nurses Claire Birch (right) and Sarah Kirk Picture: SARAH KIRK (Image: Archant)

Claire Birch and Sarah Kirk, who are west Suffolk ambassadors for skin cancer charity Skcin visited the college as part of the MASCED roadshow campaign.

MASCSED.uk launched in January and is a free online training programme for the health, hair and beauty industry.

The charity says hairdressers can help the fight against skin cancer by learning what suspicions lesions to look out for as they work on clients.

Stephen Dunn, chief executive of the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Skin cancer is the UK’s most common and fastest rising cancer, so it’s fantastic to see education being spread across our local Suffolk community in this way.

“The more we can do to help people spot early signs of skin cancer and reduce deaths, in this case through supporting learning with hairdressers, the better.

“This brilliant Skcin initiative is an example of the simple things we can do when we work collaboratively – we’re proud of the innovations and joint-working we have across West Suffolk Hospital, the community and the college.

“This kind of close-working and innovation helps to underpin our early detection of cancer as a Trust, which has been the best in England for the last three years.”

Claire Dale, campaign manager for Skcin, said: “We are delighted at Skcin that West Suffolk College has embraced this campaign so fully and that their hair and beauty students are being trained to help save lives.

“Seeing their clients skin regularly, hairdressers and beauty therapists can be powerful advocates in the fight against skin cancer.

“Thank you to our ambassadors Claire Birch and Sarah Kirk whose dedication to raising awareness is making a real difference.”