By Kate Sullivan, Allure
Yet another reason to be BFFs with your hairstylist: A study in the Archives of Dermatology found that the up-close-and-personal relationship a stylist has with a client's scalp, neck, and face can lead to early skin cancer detection.
[post_ads]A survey of Houston, Texas-area stylists found that 37 percent regularly examined client's scalp for lesions. And nearly 60 percent of stylists have recommended that a client see a doctor based on something they observed during a visit. Alan Geller, an RN and MPH from Harvard University, who conducted the survey and wrote the study with his colleagues, believes that educating people in the beauty biz—such as hairstylists, massages therapists, and nail technicians—about what to look for might lead to more skin cancer detection. And about 50 percent of hairstylists said they were either "extremely" or "very" interested in participating in some kind of a skin cancer education program.
With the bird's eye view a hairstylist has and the frequency with which people visit beauty professionals (it's probably a lot more than they're seeing their dermatologist or GP) we think this proposed education program makes great sense. But to take some of the pressure off of the hairstylists to save their clients' lives, we all should be better educated on skin cancer. To find out what you should be looking for in a self-exam, check out these illustrated instructions on the American Academy of Dermatology's website.
RELATED LINKS:
[post_ads]A survey of Houston, Texas-area stylists found that 37 percent regularly examined client's scalp for lesions. And nearly 60 percent of stylists have recommended that a client see a doctor based on something they observed during a visit. Alan Geller, an RN and MPH from Harvard University, who conducted the survey and wrote the study with his colleagues, believes that educating people in the beauty biz—such as hairstylists, massages therapists, and nail technicians—about what to look for might lead to more skin cancer detection. And about 50 percent of hairstylists said they were either "extremely" or "very" interested in participating in some kind of a skin cancer education program.
With the bird's eye view a hairstylist has and the frequency with which people visit beauty professionals (it's probably a lot more than they're seeing their dermatologist or GP) we think this proposed education program makes great sense. But to take some of the pressure off of the hairstylists to save their clients' lives, we all should be better educated on skin cancer. To find out what you should be looking for in a self-exam, check out these illustrated instructions on the American Academy of Dermatology's website.
RELATED LINKS:
