Lancaster beauty therapist spots fiancée's skin cancer

A beauty therapist from Lancaster who had received skin cancer awareness training noticed a tell-tale mark on her fiancée's face.
Shaun and AmyShaun and Amy
Shaun and Amy

Amy Louise Austin noticed the flesh coloured bump under fiancée Shaun Cragg’s face, and following the training she recognised the signs of a non-deadly skin cancer called Basel Cell Carcinoma (BCC).

Shaun, 32, saw his GP and was referred to a dermatologist who diagnosed that it was in fact a BCC.

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Shaun is now awaiting a date for removal and will need a skin graft after it is removed.

Amy, a beauty therapist with 10 years experience, works for Beauty 154 in Lancaster.

She learnt about the skin cancer awareness training programme MASCED from a Whatsapp group set up by her management team.

They recommended that the staff complete the online accreditation that has been designed by charity Skcin, specifically with beauty and hair professionals in mind.

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Shaun said: “I am just so lucky it is not a melanoma that I left too late and that this can be treated. I am so grateful to Skcin and the MASCED training they offer.

“If Amy had not completed the MASCED course I would never have got it checked out and it could have become a lot nastier. I will need a skin graft but some people are not so lucky and can lose their life to skin cancer.

“I would like other men like me who maybe are not as quick to get unusual bumps and lumps looked at to seek medical advice and know that it is better to be safe than sorry.”

So far nearly 10,000 people have completed the online training which has been endorsed by Habia, NHF and BABTAC and is worth 2 cpd points.

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Beauty, health and hair professionals are ideally placed to spot the first signs of skin cancer on their clients and give the right advice to see their GP or dermatologist.

Early detection of skin cancer can save lives so it is vitally important that professions know what to look for. BCC, as it is known is the most common type of ALL cancers with around 100,000 people diagnosed in the UK every year.

BCC is a non-deadly skin cancer but can cause disfigurement when they are removed. To register for MASCED training visit www.masced.uk Together we can make a difference and save lives.