Stylists Against Skin Cancer

Program Overview

Skin cancer is a growing health concern in North America. It is estimated that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime [1]. If detected early and treated quickly, skin cancer is curable. If allowed to progress and spread to other parts of the body, it is very difficult to treat and is almost always fatal. ASDS members performed more than 3.5 million skin cancer treatments in 2017. The key to reducing the devastating effects of skin cancer is prevention and early detection.

Hair professionals can assist dermatologists in the early diagnosis of skin cancer. Stylists Against Skin Cancer is a dermatologist-led educational campaign for hair professionals that focuses on the detection and prevention of skin cancer in the scalp. Because hair professionals see the entire scalp, they can find growths on the scalp that clients might not see. With education, hair professionals may identify suspicious skin growths during the course of their work and encourage clients to visit a dermatologist for further investigation. The true benefit is awareness that the hair professional can bring to the client.

Currently, skin cancer education is not uniformly addressed in cosmetology school. Given the unique opportunities hair professionals have for client scalp assessment and the high prevalence of skin cancer, hair professionals may have the opportunity to note skin growths that warrant a dermatological evaluation. It is not the hair stylist’s role, nor are hair stylists qualified, to diagnose skin cancer. However, training hair stylists in detecting features of skin cancer with prompt referral to a dermatologist may improve skin cancer detection. For this reason, the Stylists Against Skin Cancer program was created to raise awareness of scalp skin cancer among hair stylists. With education, hair professionals can serve as a link between the community and dermatologists.

Program Objectives

• Teach the warning signs of the most common scalp skin cancers.
• Demonstrate basic ways to look for scalp skin cancer.
• Discuss when and how to refer clients to a dermatologist.
• Educate stylists on how to approach clients about skin abnormalities in a way that promotes positive attitudes towards visiting the doctor with any concerns.
• Discuss effective preventive measures for skin cancers, including patient education resources.