SUPPORT given to the University of Southampton from the British Skin Foundation for research into skin conditions has now topped £620,000.

In Hampshire, 60 per cent of people currently suffer from, or have suffered with a skin condition like eczema, rosacea or skin cancer at some point during their lifetime.

And since 2000, the British Skin Foundation has given the University of Southampton £620,817 to help fund research into skin conditions.

More than half of the funding has come since 2010.

Mike Arden-Jones, consultant dermatologist and associate professor at the University of Southampton said: “Research organisations like the British Skin Foundation are vital to help secure funding for University of Southampton projects.

“Over the years we have received over £620,000 from the British Skin Foundation which has helped to tackle common diseases like skin cancer and eczema.

“Ultimately, their fundraising helps us to get closer to a goal of cures and treatments, to improve the lives of those with skin conditions.”

For a number of years, researchers at the University of Southampton have been developing new ways of finding out early and reliably if a patient has an allergic reaction medication taken.

This research is designed to spare patients from potentially life-threatening reactions to medication from conditions such as epilepsy.

Whilst some common skin conditions are manageable, others are severe enough to kill or severely impact quality of life, both physically and mentally.

The British Skin Foundation’s goal is to change this by funding vital research to help find cures and treatments from common skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis through to potential killers like malignant melanoma (skin cancer).

Since its foundation in 1996, the British Skin Foundation has supported 400 research projects and awarded £16million in funding in the process.

It is the only UK charity that raises money to fund research into all types of skin diseases.

To support the foundation, visit https://www.britishskinfoundation.org.uk/