Hair Stylists Against Skin Cancer: An Interventional Study

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Public Health
• Medical Education

Background:

• Scalp skin cancers are often detected late due to their location.
• Hairstylists are well-positioned to identify potential scalp skin cancers in clients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To educate hairstylists on skin cancer fundamentals.
• To boost hairstylists' confidence in recognizing suspicious lesions.
• To increase the rate of client referrals to dermatology.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to hairstylist students before and after an educational lecture.
• The study included 242 students across 8 schools in 7 Midwestern cities.
• Data analysis focused on changes in knowledge and confidence levels.

Main Results:

• Post-lecture knowledge scores significantly improved compared to pre-lecture scores (9.13 vs 7.93; p < .001).
• Students reported significantly higher confidence in identifying lesions, informing clients, and making referrals after the intervention (p < .001).
• A high completion rate (79.3%) ensured robust data.

Conclusions:

• The educational lecture effectively enhanced hairstylists' understanding of skin cancer.
• Confidence in identifying suspicious lesions and referring clients to dermatologists increased significantly.
• This intervention shows promise for improving early detection of scalp skin cancers.