Australia has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world.
On average, one Australian will die every five hours from melanoma, a form of cancer that develops in the skin’s pigment cells, that is directly linked to overexposure to sunlight.
Today, Thursday, December 10, La Roche-Posay officially opened its doors to its first-ever 365+ Summer Skin Lab By La Roche-Posay.
It is an education hub designed to encourage beach goers to discover more on the importance of protecting their skin from the sun every day, book in for one-on-one skin check screenings, and sample complementary products from the brand’s Anthelios sunscreen range.
Sun safe ambassador for the brand and Skin Cancer Foundation ambassador Deborah Hutton spoke at the media launch about the importance of education when it came to skin cancer.
The television celebrity and former cover girl said following her infiltrating BCC [Basal cell carcinoma] cancer scare nine years ago, she had routinely had her skin checked every 12 months.
These routine skin checks led to the early detection of her most recent facial skin cancer that was caught just in time, a reminder of the importance of getting your skin checked early and regularly.
“We need to educate and raise aware about skin checks and we need to be proactive about that,” she said.
Deborah said she began collaborating with La Roche Posay around 10 years ago.
“The collaboration between myself and La Roche Posay began when I had my first skin cancer,” she said.
“I’ve been using their products for 10 years and I swear by them – they are the best in the biz. La Roche-Posay has always partnered with dermatologists, GPs and other healthcare professionals to educate on the importance of sun safety and skin checks and is now extending its commitment by supporting a charity organisation that not only promotes the importance of sun protection and early detection but inspires Australians to go and get their skin checked.”
The brand has partnered with Skin Check Champions, formerly known as Beard Season, a non-profit focused on the early detection of melanoma, for the program.
Skin Check Champions founder Jimmy Niggles lost a close friend, Wes Bonny, to the disease, which is what prompted him to start the charity.
Jimmy Niggles said for the past seven years the charity had been running, free, educational pop-up skin check clinics, providing access to skin cancer doctors to those who need them most.
“Every time we set up a skin screening, we save lives, and our goal is to be able to provide this service all around the country, showcasing Australia’s best technology and medical talent to do so,” he said.
Dr Cara McDonald from Complete Skin Specialists, also at the media launch, recommended that all young adults should try to see an experienced skin doctor or dermatologist for a thorough full-skin examination in their 20s or 30s at the latest.
“A baseline skin examination should include education on sun protection, self-skin monitoring, skin cancer risk and prevention,” she said.
“It has been estimated that 90% of skin cancer can be attributed to the sun. UV light causes direct DNA damage to skin cells that results in cancerous cell mutations and it also harms our body’s defense systems against cancer. Any form of sun protection will reduce the risk of skin cancer, particularly sunscreen which can provide global whole-body protection all day long.”
The 365+ Summer Skin Lab By La Roche-Posay is open to the public Thursday – Sunday each week from Thursday, December 10 until Sunday, January 31, 2021, at Bondi.