Professional Collaboration with Melanoma UK August 2019

Melanoma UK, Britain’s largest melanoma patient support and advocacy charity and Skin Camouflage Services, the UK’s highly respected independent provider of skin camouflage practice are delighted to announce their professional collaboration.

Melanoma UK CEO Gillian Nuttall was so moved by the plight of family friend Jon Herron after he was diagnosed with melanoma, she rallied support to create the organisation which was to become today’s Melanoma UK. Sadly, Jon died in 2008 but his legacy lives on in the mission of the charity: to raise awareness of sun safety and the risks of melanoma; 86% of melanoma skin cancer cases in the UK are preventable 1 and to provide patients diagnosed with melanoma and their families much needed information and support during difficult times. Patients, families, carers, and clinicians are at the heart of their work.

Skin Camouflage Services has been providing world class expertise in clinical skin camouflage since 2007. Led by founder Vanessa Jane Davies with 25 years in the profession, Vanessa is arguably the UK’s most experienced Skin Camouflage Consultant and Expert Witness in her field. Skin Camouflage Services provides practical skin camouflage assessment, tuition, support and where required ongoing rehabilitation to individuals affected by a huge variety of visible skin differences, including many who are living with or are recovering from melanoma. 

Skin camouflage is the skilled application of highly pigmented creams and liquids to areas of skin discolouration or scaring to even out skin tones and improve the aesthetic appearance of a person’s skin. Treatment for melanoma​ inevitably means surgery and depending on the depth or ‘Breslow thickness’ and staging of the melanoma, surgery can be minor to very major, including wide excisions requiring skin grafts which can leave significant skin discolouration and scaring. Effective treatment is of course the most important thing, but how you feel about the way you look is also an important part of one’s recovery. By skillfully concealing skin colour differences that surgery and treatment leave, skin camouflage can help, men or women of any ethnicity, even children when they are old enough to understand.

Once the best colour match and technique has been agreed, learning how to apply skin camouflage at home enables individuals to take control and manage their own appearance. To be able to go swimming, play sport, wear short sleeve tops and shorts with confidence is an important part of recovery or just living for the moment.

Vanessa is delighted to support the work of Melanoma UK; in her practice she is acutely aware of the risks of sun exposure to already damaged skin and advocates the use of high factor sun protection to every patient she sees.

If you would like to know more about Melanoma UK you can go to their website at www.melanomauk.org.uk  email [email protected] or call the help line on 0808 171 2455

If you would like to know more about Skin Camouflage Services or would like to make an appointment please go to www.skincamouflageservices.co.uk, email [email protected], call us 0844 504 5533