To Melanoma Focus, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty and Wellbeing, and those shaping national health messaging in the UK:

Each year brings more inquiries, more reports, more awareness campaigns. And still, nearly 9 in 10 cases of melanoma remain preventable.

What if the issue isn’t just awareness, but structure? What if the public doesn't need more facts, but more signals?

We already warn people when air quality is poor. We tell them when to stay indoors during heatwaves. We track pollen, UV, humidity, and water quality. But these systems are fragmented, under-communicated, and rarely framed as part of everyday public health.

And most notably: skin, the body’s largest and most visible organ, is missing from that messaging.

The Skin Well™ quietly asks: When real-time environmental alerts are developed and rolled out - as the UK government is currently exploring with air quality - will they speak to our skin? And if not, why not?

Skin is often the first to show signs that something in the environment isn't right. Redness, sensitivity, inflammation, flare-ups - these aren’t just cosmetic inconveniences. They’re early warnings. And for millions living with eczema, rosacea, photosensitive conditions, or inflammation linked to heat or pollution, these signs can mark the difference between stability and distress.

Yet there is no national alert system to help people understand, anticipate, or respond to daily environmental changes that directly affect their skin.

The infrastructure already exists:

• The Met Office tracks UV forecasts.

• DEFRA and UKHSA monitor air quality.

• The Environment Agency tracks bathing water quality.

• Local systems like airTEXT offer real-time alerts in select areas.

But these tools are disconnected, underused, and largely invisible to the public. Those who do benefit from them are often the few who already know to look.

The Skin Well™ believes this is an opportunity.

The NHS App is already a trusted national platform, with growing uptake. Rather than reinventing the wheel, why not integrate daily environmental and skin-relevant alerts into that system?

• UV index

• Air pollution

• Humidity and dryness

• Temperature extremes

• Pollen count

These small nudges—delivered through a platform the public already uses - could become a quiet but powerful public health tool. They would support national messaging on melanoma prevention, barrier health, and self-care, while also increasing engagement with the app itself.

This isn’t a new technology ask. It’s a call to connect the systems we already have - and give the public the insight to act on everyday skin-relevant risks.

We do not need to invent new science. We do not need to build new platforms. We simply need to integrate what we already know into public messaging - clearly, accessibly, and nationally.

Because real-time alerts can support everyone, not just those with pre-existing conditions. And they can offer especially meaningful protection for people at risk of environmental skin reactions and preventable long-term damage, such as melanoma.

Quiet prevention, with real potential.

“Today’s UV index is 5. SPF 30+ recommended.”
“Pollution levels are moderate. If you’re prone to skin sensitivity, consider avoiding prolonged outdoor activity.”

No panic. No overload. Just clear, quiet guidance before harm is done.

The Skin Well™ welcomes the UV Safety Inquiry. But also asks: when the system is built, will it include the skin?

And if not - can we really call it public health?

Respectfully,
The Skin Well™

📚 Connected Scenario(s):

• Scenario Three: Policy at Every Level
  
  

May 2025