How a haircut could have saved the life of a senior politician after her hairdresser discovered a dark blemish on her scalp
- Barber may save minister’s life after discovering melanoma
- Tahnee Hudson spotted the dark spot on the Qld Health Secretary’s scalp
- Yvette D’Ath underwent surgery on Wednesday to remove the melanoma
- Ms D’Ath said she had 12 benign skin cancers removed and urged others to check
Queensland Minister of Health Yvette D’Ath underwent surgery to remove a melanoma on her scalp after her hairdresser noticed a blemish on her scalp while cutting the Minister’s hair.
Ms D’Ath was getting her hair done for her birthday when Tahnee Hudson, owner of The Mandala Room hair salon, found the bump on her scalp.
She said the barber saved her life when she brought the spot to her attention and asked if her skin had been recently checked.
Queensland Health Secretary Yvette D’Ath (pictured) has had surgery to remove a melanoma on her scalp and has her hairstylist Tahnee Hudson to thank after Ms Hudson recently discovered the cancer while she was cutting the politician’s hair cut
“I said I would but she asked me to give her my phone so she could take a picture of something and then she showed it to me,” Ms D’Ath told The Courier-Mail .
“I told Tahnee that hairdressers are our new frontline health workers saving lives.”
Ms D’Ath said that if she had not spoken up, she could be facing a very different situation today.
The minister had the melanoma removed at Brisbane Hospital on Wednesday.
Ms D’Ath had her hair done for her birthday when Tahnee Hudson, owner of hair salon The Mandala Room, found the bump on her scalp and took a picture of it (left). The Minister had the melanoma removed at Brisbane Hospital on Wednesday (right)
When she consulted doctors about the lump, she was told the melanoma was “in situ,” meaning it was discovered at the earliest possible stage.
Ms D’Ath said she knew when she saw the spot it was not good as she was well informed about what to look for.
“I knew what a bad patch of skin looked like, it was abnormal around the edges, it had dark spots, so I called the dermatologist the next day and came in for a biopsy the following week and the results confirmed what I thought at the time I saw it,’ said Mrs. D’Ath.
This wasn’t the first time the “hero” hairstylist had spotted melanoma on a client’s scalp, but it was far from a regular occurrence.
Ms Hudson said she had found two others in her 20 years as a hairstylist, but that it was often difficult to see them as the anomaly was often fully or partially covered by hair.
Tahnee Hudson (right) spotted the blemish on the Minister’s scalp while clipping her hair to insert foils and asked Ms D’Ath when was the last time she examined her skin before snapping a photo of the growth to show her
However, Ms D’Ath was different as she sectioned her hair to insert foils and saw it straight away.
As soon as she saw it, Ms Hudson said she knew it wasn’t benign as its edges were uneven – but didn’t want to alarm the politician.
As Health Secretary, Ms D’Ath said she wanted to share her story to remind the public of the importance of sun protection and regular skin checks.
“We live in the skin cancer capital of the world, our UV levels are among the highest in the world, and like many other Queenslanders, I grew up going to the beach in the morning, putting on sunscreen and then spending the whole day at the beach without myself.” reapply and burn yourself,” she said.
Ms D’Ath had her first spot treated more than a decade ago and since then 12 benign skin cancers have been removed.