Harpenden boys have legs waxed to raise funds and skin cancer awareness

BOYS AT a Harpenden school had a hair-raising experience last Friday. But it was all for a good cause as they submitted their hirsute legs to be waxed smooth to help raise awareness about skin cancer.

The four Year 11 pupils at Roundwood Park School showed their pluck while having hair plucked from their legs for the sponsored event organised by Nadia Faber, 16.

The Harpenden girl is a young ambassador for charity RAFT, which stands for the Restoration of Appearance and Function Trust. The organisation carries out pioneering research into practical and affordable ways to save and repair skin.

After completing a school project on the effects of sun on skin and UVA damage among sunbed users, Nadia decided to increase awareness among friends and fellow pupils about the risk of sunbathing, and raise funds for RAFT.

Boots in Harpenden donated wax strips for sensitive skin to be used on Ben Rickerty, Nick Mayo, Nick Drain and George Timmins.

Those in the audience who had paid to watch the boys’ leg hair being removed helpfully warned, “it’s going to hurt a lot.”

The four were quickly left with limbs looking like those of a plucked chicken. As they applied soothing lotion on to their red, bumpy skin, the boys admitted that waxing was “eight out of ten for pain.”

Nadia said she had also held two presentations at school to talk about the importance of protecting young skin from the sun’s rays. Melanoma is one of the few cancers to affect young adults, and is the second most common cancer among those aged between 15 and 34 years.

Most skin cancers are caused by too much sun, and can be prevented by taking care in strong sunshine and avoiding sunburn.