Most vigilant under the sun

“The Orange clinic actually does extremely well regardless of whether there is advertising [about sun safety] or not,” Ms Hanger said.

“It is so busy there we can’t keep up with bookings.

“I wish it was the same here in Windsor.”

The clinic, which opened in 2003, sees almost 30,000 patients a year, helping people catch skin cancer in its earlier stages or simply offering peace of mind.

The encouraging news comes in the third summer of the government’s $5 million Dark Side of Tanning campaign, which aims to make people more aware about changes in their skin and the danger of prolonged exposure to UV rays.

While Ms Hanger applauds Orange’s efforts she reminds all people to be vigilant, as the clinic mainly sees older people despite melanoma being the cause of one third of cancer cases in 15 to 30 year olds in NSW.

“The young people are who we want,” she said.

“They can get great advice and doctors can be more encouraging than mum or dad.”

As a result of the campaign solariums have seen a major decrease in young customers.

“People are looking for different alternatives now such as spray tanning and self-moussing,” Sheeradiance Orange owner Ellie Brown said.

“Spray tans are excellent now and create really natural shades.

“And it’s a time thing. People don’t have time to be laying around in the sun and they are more aware about the sun.”

Peer pressure is also a major factor in encouraging children to be sun smart, as doctors have found many males prefer not to cover up when spending time outside and are 1.7 times more likely to develop melanoma.

While the recent shock skin cancer campaigns have increased people’s awareness, doctors are now concerned that people are not getting enough exposure to sunlight, which is resulting in a growing vitamin D deficiency in people.

“It is a bit mixed at the moment and there are a lot of mixed views,” Ms Hanger said.

“Around 15 minutes or so in the sun is enough [to get sufficient vitamin D].”