Desperate Housewives Star Invites America to Participate in Skin Cancer Takes Friends Program

In recognition of Skin Cancer Awareness Month this May, Olay and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) are pleased to announce that for the second year in a row, “Desperate Housewives” star Marcia Cross will be the spokesperson for “Skin Cancer Takes Friends,” the annual awareness campaign that encourages skin cancer prevention and detection through a national offering of free screenings. Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated Cross will kick-off the nationwide free skin cancer screening initiative and education effort alerting Americans about the importance of early detection and prevention in the fight against skin cancer. Not only will Cross help spread the word with media outreach efforts, on the Web, and in-store, she also will be featured in the program’s highly anticipated print advertising campaign, which will debut in May books.

“Having had two family members stricken by melanoma, I’ve become very passionate about helping to educate the public about skin cancer,” explains actress Marcia Cross. “Thanks to early detection, both my cousin and grandfather survived the disease, but many people aren’t as lucky. Protect your friends and loved ones by scheduling a screening together. The few minutes it takes for a screening can save your life.”

“Skin Cancer Takes Friends” works to harness the power and influence of friendship by allowing men and women to schedule screenings for themselves and a friend, so they can go together, at no cost to either patient. Dermatologic surgeons nationwide, members of the ASDS, will volunteer to provide the screenings during May, June and July, 2008 at their offices.

“Many Americans don’t understand how deadly skin cancer can be. Whether or not you have a family history of skin cancer or any questionable markings on your body, it is vital to get screened annually. A dermasurgeon can recognize even the earliest stages of skin cancer, which will result in early treatment, greatly increasing the probability of curing the disease,” says Darrell S. Rigel, M.D., president of the ASDS.

The incidence of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is rising faster than that of any other cancer. In fact, one in five Americans will get skin cancer in their lifetime, and nearly every hour, someone in America dies of melanoma. While some are more at risk than others, anyone can develop skin cancer, regardless of skin color, ethnicity, age or geography. The good news is that, when detected and treated early, the disease is almost 100% curable.

“The influence of friendship plays a key role in educating people about skin cancer. Our goal is to help people understand the importance of daily protection, regular self-screenings and annual screenings with a dermatologic surgeon in the fight against skin cancer, and encouraging them to share that information with their friends and loved ones,” explains Jeff Jarrett, Olay Brand Manager. “We’re pleased to be partnering with the ASDS again to provide the free screenings, and to have Marcia Cross as our
spokesperson to spread the word.”

In its fifth year of a dedicated skin cancer awareness initiative, Olay is committed to increasing understanding of this potentially
life-threatening disease. Knowledge is power, and knowing the importance of preventative action and early detection can save lives.

Beginning April 1st, log onto skincancertakesfriends.org or asds.net to find a dermatologist offering free “Skin Cancer Takes Friends” screenings in your area.

About P&G Beauty

P&G Beauty products help make beauty dreams real and grooming enjoyable everyday for millions of women and men worldwide. With more than 100 brands available in nearly 130 countries, P&G Beauty delivered sales of more than $22 billion in fiscal year 2006/07, making it a leading global beauty company. P&G Beauty offers trusted brands with leading technology to meet the full complement of beauty and grooming needs, including Pantene(R), Olay(R), Head and Shoulders(R), Max Factor(R), Cover Girl(R), DDF(R), Sassoon Professional(R), Wellaflex(R), Rejoice(R), Sebastian Professional(R), Herbal Essences(R), Koleston(R), Clairol Professional(R), Nice ‘n Easy(R), Venus(R), Gillette(R), SK-II(R), Wella Professionals(R), Christina Aguilera fragrance, Escada(R), Hugo(R), Boss(R) and Lacoste(R) fragrances. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G (NYSE: PG) and its brands.

About ASDS

With more than 5,000 members, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, founded in 1970, is the largest specialty organization in the world exclusively representing dermasurgeons — board-certified physicians who are specifically trained to treat the health, function and appearance of the skin and soft tissue with both medically necessary and cosmetic procedures, using both surgical and non-surgical methods. For more information on medical or cosmetic skin procedures and referrals to ASDS
members, log on at http://www.asds.net.

Proctor & Gamble / PRNewswire