Victorians are being urged to get their skin checked after data reveals less than 20 per cent of adults use sunscreen

Almost half of Victorian parents urge their kids to wear sunscreen, but alarmingly less than 20 per cent follow their own advice. A spot checker will be set-up at a popular Melbourne beach to encourage adults to get checked.

Steph Griffiths and her son Will, 2, at Chelsea Beach. Picture: Jason Edwards

Parents have become so focused on keeping their kids safe from the sun they are neglecting to look after their own skin, a new study has revealed.

Almost 40 per cent of Victorian parents said they would always urge their children to wear sunscreen, but less than 20 per cent admitted they took their own advice.

The research, from life insurance specialist TAL, comes as two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before turning 70.

Steph Griffiths and her son Will, 2, at Chelsea Beach. Picture: Jason Edwards

Mum Steph Griffiths (pictured) said with son Will, 2, on the go it was hard to remember to look after her own skin.

“I normally put sunscreen on him just before we leave home – with his skin he has really bad eczema,” Ms Griffiths said.

“He wears his hat all the time and I always make sure he has a T-shirt on even with sunscreen.

“I often might put a bit on my face when I’m at the beach.

“[But] I just think it’s more time consuming to put it all over my body while he’s trying to run off.”

The study found eight in every 10 Victorians admitted they could do more to protect themselves against the sun’s rays.

And while 70 per cent of Victorians would recommend a loved one to get a skin check — only 11 per cent had gone for a check up in the last year.

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Hawthorn local Paul Ryan, 59, considers himself lucky.

The father of three was at the beach one day 10 years ago when his wife noticed a spot on his chest had changed colour

She forced him to go for a check-up which ultimately unearthed a 2mm deep malignant melanoma.

“I went back to the dermatologist and he took one look at it and said you need to come back tomorrow,” Mr Ryan said.

Mr Ryan stressed the importance of regular check ups and “getting to know your mole”.

“I’ve got fair skin and spent most of my summers by the beach boxes at Brighton.

“Sunscreen wasn’t a thing … getting sunburnt was just part of summer.”

“Without my wife noticing it I probably would have gone on another 6 or 12 months without a check up.

“I think it’s a case of just being diligent with the regular check ups.

“It was caught early which was really good – that’s the important bit.”

General Manager of Health Services at TAL, Dr Sally Phillips, said many Australians still had a it-won’t-happen-to-me attitude.

“It’s clear from our research that although Australians have a natural tendency to be looking out for our loved ones when it comes to engaging in skin safety, this is not the case when it comes to our own skin cancer prevention,” Dr Phillips said.

The TAL SpotChecker will be at South Beach Reserve in St Kilda from December 7 to 8 for community check ups.

Visit www.tal.com.au/tal-spotchecker for more information.