The skin cancer prevention practices of barbers for their customers: a pilot study

Background: Most skin cancers develop in the head-and-neck area due to sun-related UV damage to unprotected skin and are preventable. Currently 1 in 4 UK men will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. Those with short hair have increased risk of UV damage. Barbers who cut men’s hair could help influence their customers head-and-neck skin cancer prevention behaviours.

Objectives: To investigate a sample of UK barbers’ current personal, and customer, skin cancer prevention practices, and future considered customer skin cancer protection practices, and explore influences on customer skin cancer prevention practices.

Methods: Stratified random sampling using Google Maps was used to select a sample of barbers from a UK city who were visited face-to-face and invited to complete a paper survey collected 1-2 weeks later.

Results: Twenty-three of 31 invited participants completed the survey, giving a 74% response rate. Fifty-seven percent (n=13) reported regularly or always wearing sunscreen themselves, 17% (n=4) reported regularly or always discussing sunscreen with customers, 9% (n=2) reported applying sunscreen to customers, and 0% sold sunscreen. Fifty-five percent (n=12) indicated they would consider talking to customers about sunscreen, 26% (n=6) would consider applying sunscreen to customers and 35% (n=8) would consider selling sunscreen. Participants’ self-application of sunscreen protection and believing sunscreen protection was important had a statistically significant association with talking to customers about sunscreen, considering talking to customers about sunscreen, and considering selling sunscreen.

Conclusions: Most participants reported they would consider talking to customers about sunscreen protection, over a quarter would consider applying sunscreen protection, and over a third selling sunscreen protection. Barbers could help customers adopt healthier skin cancer prevention behaviours lowering their risk of developing head-and-neck skin cancers.