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Students at Exeter College have seen at first-hand the effect of sun damage on their skin, as part of NHS Devon’s new skin cancer prevention strategy for 2011-2014.  

NHS Devon teamed up with the college to develop “Love Your Skin” sessions where beauty students use an ultra violet (UV) facial scanner to reveal signs of overexposure to UV rays from the sun or sunbeds.  

Beauty students offer a full consultation highlighting the sun damage, demonstrating how to apply fake tan and giving out free beauty products with Cancer Research leaflets explaining skin cancer and how to prevent skin damage.  

The scanner clearly shows brown spots, freckles and redness, which can occur as a result of UV exposure even from an early age.  

Overexposure to UV rays can lead to premature ageing, including wrinkles and coarse, leathery skin, or worse, skin cancer.  

Steve Brown, NHS Devon’s assistant director of public health, said:  

“We know that many teenagers think it’s worth burning to get a tan and that use of sun beds is not uncommon, so we have made them a priority target group.  

“Skin cancer is the fastest growing cancer in the UK and the second most common cancer among 15-34 year olds. Devon has the fourth highest incidence rates of malignant melanoma in the country, due partly to its high number of sunshine hours, an older population than the national average and a high percentage of the population of white ethnicity (people with fair skin are at higher risk of the disease).  

“However, skin cancer can be prevented, if simple sun safety messages are followed.  

“The top rule is to never burn. Burning can be avoided by seeking shade between 11am and 3pm, covering up with sunglasses and clothing, and using at least SPF 15 broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least a 4* rating, applied regularly and liberally.”  

Nick Bridge, health and wellbeing manager at Exeter College, said: “Our team of trained student beauty therapists are running lunchtime roadshows across the college.  

“It’s really important that we increase students’ knowledge of using sun protection and our ‘Love your Skin’ sessions have a really important message about staying safe.  

“With the summer on its way the work with NHS Devon couldn’t have come at a better time.”   

The new skin cancer strategy is a multi-agency partnership which also involves local authorities, environmental health, schools, colleges, acute hospital trusts, GPs and pharmacies.  

As well as teenagers, the strategy is also targeting over 50s, with the message to ‘check your skin regularly and see your GP if you notice any unusual changes’. Skin cancer can usually be treated easily if it is caught at an early stage, but can be deadly if left too long.