BASC Campaign : Skin Cancer Prevention

Since 2001 BASC has campaigned for the Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy Authority (HABIA), and subsequently the Awarding (Lead) Bodies and the Beauty Therapy Associations to remove indoor tanning devices (for cosmetic reasons) from their beauty therapy qualifications and therapist membership insurance.

We ask, at the very least, that manufacturers of indoor tanning devices and the premises providing this service stop using the word “safe” in their advertising and be required to display a notice that clearly states that using this equipment may cause skin cancer, cataracts and premature ageing of the skin.

The S-NVQ Level 3 Beauty Therapy Qualification - where this salon treatment is currently listed as an optional module - will be again under review in 2012-13. The British Association of Skin Camouflage is an expert adviser to the S-NVQ Revision Panel and we shall once again present our plea.

We have taken our campaign (as Committee Members) to the BSI European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) of Management and Quality of Services in Beautician Professional Enterprises.

Please make your voice heard and join our petition by filling out the form below. Your details will not be divulged to any third parties aside from the relevant bodies within this campaign, and only in the form of a petition.

Our campaign has the support of;

BASC patrons Baroness Masham of Ilton, Tim Goodacre (BAPRAS president), Andrew Wright (Dermatologist) and John Buckle (Maxillofacial Prosthetist),
Lord Barry Jones, Professor John Hawk, Crawford Pharmaceuticals (SunSense), Derma UK (Covermark), Sinclair Pharmaceuticals (KeloCote),
Thomas Blake Cosmetic Creams (Veil), L’Oreal-Vichy (Dermablend) and signatures from the BAD-BDNG Annual Conference 2011.
Our campaign is also supported by the Dermatology Council for England, the British Association of Skin Cancer Nurse Specialists, skcin and Skin Cancer UK.

ABSTRACT

Every year there are more new cases of all skin cancers in the UK than breast and lung cancers combined.¹ The rising rate of skin cancer in the UK is a major public health issue. Over the last 25 years, rates of melanoma in Britain have risen faster than any of the top ten cancers in males and females and an average of five people die each day from the disease (2006-8).^2,3 Tragically, rates of melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, are disproportionately high in younger people, with almost one third of cases occurring in people under 55 years old.³ It is estimated that the rate in young people (15-34) will grow by a further 70% in the next 15 years.⁴

Reproduced with kind permission from Skin Cancer UK Campaigning for Action which was initiated and is supported by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Skin comprising the following organisations, SKCIN (Karen Clifford skin Cancer charity), Skin Care Campaign, the British Dermatology Nursing Group – skin cancer sub–group and the British Association of Skin Cancer Specialist Nurses.

¹ Cancer Research UK: cancer incidence for common cancers - UK statistics
^2,3 Cancer Research UK: skin cancer - UK incidence statistics skin Cancer Research UK: skin cancer – UK incidence key facts
³ Cancer Research UK: skin in cancer statistics – UK incidence statistics
⁴ Cancer Research UK: UK incidence statistics – trends over time http://info.cancerresearchuk.org