Public Health and Skcin Partner on Skin Cancer Training

Tuesday 21 April 2026

Public Health has partnered with the UK charity Skcin to offer both free and reduced fee places on a national accreditation programme designed to harness the unique role that hair, health, beauty and tattoo professionals play in spotting early signs and symptoms of skin cancer.

Public Health is offering ten free training spaces to islanders wanting to complete the online training. Please email publichealth@gov.gg to enter for a space.

Anyone who enrols on the training until the end of May will also be able to access the training from Skcin at a reduced fee: MASCED Training

Marie Tudor, CEO at Skcin, explains:

"People working in hair, beauty, health and tattoo artistry are uniquely placed to spot the early signs of skin cancer on their clients' skin. They are trusted professionals who can provide supportive advice and signpost clients to medical care, helping promote early diagnosis, improve outcomes and ultimately save lives. We are proud to collaborate with Guernsey's Public Health Services to provide the training.

"Although we are promoting this opportunity to industry professionals, the training is not restricted - any member of the public can sign up."

Local Beauty Therapist Racheal Day has already completed the training and said:

"The MASCED training has given me so much more confidence in recognising changes in the skin that might need medical attention. It's helped me understand what to look out for and how to have those conversations with clients in a supportive way. Knowing I could help someone spot something and encourage them to get it checked really shows how valuable this training is."

Diane Mathews, Strategic Screening Lead for Public Health, highlights why this training is especially important for Guernsey and Alderney:

"Guernsey has incredibly high rates of skin cancer - our incidence rate of new skin cancer diagnoses each year is 95% higher than England's. Recent statistics from the Guernsey and Alderney Wellbeing Survey show that people are being sunburned more now than they were ten years ago.

"This paints a very concerning picture and reinforces why spotting skin changes early is such a crucial step in preventing serious disease.

"The A-E rule is a simple but effective way to identify possible signs of melanoma:

• A - Asymmetry: One half of a mole or spot does not match the other
• B - Border: Edges may be ragged, irregular or blurred
• C - Colour: The mole or spot contains multiple colours
• D - Diameter: Larger than the eraser on the end of a pencil
• E - Evolving: Any change in size, shape, colour, or elevation should be checked by a doctor The most important thing is to know your skin. If you notice anything unusual, or if something has changed compared to your other moles or markings, you should book an appointment with the clinician at your GP surgery who specialises in skin.