Melanoma Organizations Team Up to Educate Beauty Professionals for Melanoma Awareness Month

BOSTON, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Melanoma Action Coalition (MAC) has teamed up with The Melanoma Foundation of New England (MFNE) and salons across the country to educate beauty professionals on how to spot signs of skin cancer and melanoma on clients' scalps.

The Melanoma Foundation of New England began their signature Skinny On Skin program six years ago and has trained over 6,000 beauty industry professionals. As some of the only professionals to closely examine skin on a regular basis, stylists, estheticians, nail technicians, and other skin professionals are in a unique position to spot melanoma on a client long before anyone else.  The Skinny On Skin teaches beauty industry professionals how to screen for suspicious moles while performing common salon services.

The Melanoma Action Coalition is an organization of community-based melanoma foundations and individuals from across the United States working together to promote melanoma awareness, education, prevention, and research.  Learn more about MAC at www.melanomaactioncoalition.org

"We are thrilled to have partnered with melanoma awareness organizations across the country to spread education," said Deb Girard, Executive Director of the Melanoma Foundation of New England. "We've seen such success with this program on a regional level, that the idea of taking it to the next level is a natural fit."

"We at MAC are delighted to be partnering with the Melanoma Foundation of New England to introduce The Skinny On Skin to a wider audience," said Neil Spiegler, chair of the Melanoma Action Coalition Steering Committee. "Educating beauty industry professionals is an exciting addition to the many training and awareness activities in which our members already engage. We look forward to using the strength of our combined voices to promote this valuable program nationwide." 

MAC members include:
The Colette Coyne Melanoma Awareness Campaign
Defeat Melanoma
The Enright Melanoma Foundation
Larry's Legacy
The Live4Life Foundation
March4Meg
The Melanoma Foundation of New England
Melanoma Know More
The Mollie Biggane Melanoma Foundation
Moving for Melanoma of Delaware
The Peggy Spiegler Melanoma Research Foundation
Polka Dot Mama Melanoma Foundation
The Promise Foundation
Skin of Steel
SolSurvivors Oregon
Tara Miller Melanoma Foundation
The White Aisle Foundation
Meyer "Skip" Grinberg

MAC and MFNE have partnered with salons in communities across the country, including Supercuts, to distribute this free education to employees across the company nationwide. Trainings will take place through the month of May kicking off on Melanoma Monday, May 2^nd.

About MFNE:
MFNE is a non-profit organization that works to reduce the incidence of melanoma. As the largest non-profit in the New England region dedicated to skin cancer awareness and early detection, MFNE provides a variety of free education programs targeting the prevention of skin cancer for children, teens and adults. MFNE's Your Skin Is In program was recognized by the American Academy of Dermatology with a Gold Triangle award in 2009.  MFNE also assists patients and their caregivers struggling with melanoma by offering support groups and their "Billy's Buddies" program.  Learn more about MFNE at www.mfne.org.

SOURCE Melanoma Foundation of New England