Hair Stylists Against Skin Cancer: An Interventional Study

Scalp skin cancers have delayed detection due to their discreet location. Hairstylists are uniquely positioned to alert their clients about possible scalp skin cancers.

This study aimed to educate hairstylists on the basic concepts of skin cancer, increase their confidence in identifying suspicious lesions, and, subsequently, their likelihood of referring to dermatology.

Hairstylist students across 7 cities in the Midwest were surveyed before and after an educational lecture.

A total of 242 students across 8 schools participated in the study. Most participants (79.3%) completed both surveys. The mean knowledge score postintervention was significantly higher than preintervention (9.13 vs 7.93; p < .001). Cosmetology students reported significantly increased confidence in identifying suspicious skin lesions, informing clients about suspicious lesions, educating clients about skin cancer prevention, and referring a client to a doctor on seeing a suspicious skin lesion postintervention compared with preintervention ( p < .001 for all).

The authors' lecture significantly improved hairstylists' knowledge of skin cancer basics and increased their confidence in informing clients about suspicious lesions and the likelihood of referring to a dermatologist.