SKIN DEEP
NHS worker who ‘burnt bright red to tan’ and topped up with sunbeds ‘can’t go out in daylight’ after deadly diagnosis
Could you tell the difference between a cancerous mole and a harmless one?
AN NHS worker recalls how she would burn her skin bright red to tan after skin cancer diagnosis.
Rachael Smith, 35, spent her teenage years "burning to tan", sizzling in the scorching sun, using sunbeds three times a week and not using suncream for protection.
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The mum-of-one explained how from a young age she would burn her skin to tan, turning bright pink in order to achieve the bronzed-skin glow she was addicted to.
Dramatic photos show Rachael at 23 on a girls trip, with her flesh turning red in a top that says 'made in UK, destroyed in Magaluf' .
More summer snaps show her painful sunburn after long periods of time spent cooking in the sun.
Speaking of this tanning regime, Rachael said: "From 12 years onwards I would go to the beach on my own and I would think in order to tan you would have to burn.
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"This sounds naive but I don't think I was ever properly schooled around sun cream at the time.
"I was very fair skinned and I burnt often. I thought it was a good thing to burn [as I thought this meant it would turn to tan].
"As I grew up I learnt that you don't need to burn to get a tan so I started to use sun cream but I'd still be using a very low factor because seeing a bit of burn would make me feel like my skin was tanning.
The now 35-year-old said she carried on using tanning machines for years until she began to notice new freckles.
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"At 27 I started using the sunbeds too. I used to put tan-accelerators on before I went on them and used to go on these three times a week religiously.
Sun Health Explainer: Skin cancer and moles
"This went on for about two years. I started noticing a lot more moles and freckles coming up and decided it was best then to stop using them and start applying a higher factor sun cream."
It was only when a friend spotted an irregular 'raised' mole on her shoulder two months ago, that Rachael decided to get it checked out.
She said "[Two months ago], I saw a mole come up on my shoulder, which was new. Looking back through my photos I think it looks about two years old but what I didn't notice is that it had changed."
After having the mole removed Rachael says she was diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer, which the hospital said was due to sun exposure.
Rachael, from Bournemouth in Dorset, says luckily the diagnosis was caught in the early stages.
She is now waiting for her final scan result to make sure the cancer hasn't spread.
The mum continued "The hospital told me it was melanoma and was in the really early stages.
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"Although this was not good news it was good to know it hadn't gone anywhere else. I felt sick hearing I had cancer.
I have a 19-year-old son I need to be alive for and just the reality of it and the questions they asked me made me revisit how I applied suncream in the past and how often I let myself burn.
Rachael Smith
However, now between 11am and 3pm she has been warned by doctors not to venture into the sun for fear of further damaging her skin throughout the day.
Following her cancer diagnosis, Rachael is using her experience to warn others of the risks of tanning and sunbeds.
She emphasises the importance of wearing suncream, saying the risk is not worth it for the tan.
The NHS worker continued:
Could I have done more for myself? The answer was yes. I felt like I had no one to blame but myself. The reality of it came crashing in.
Rachael Smith
"All the development of the freckles and moles coming up after using the sunbeds made me realise it's [all the sun exposure] is probably not good for you."
Most skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, which can come from artificial sources like tanning beds and sunlamps.
When Rachael discovered new moles growing on her skin aged 29, she says she began to apply high factored suncream when exposed to the sun.
But after years of sun exposure and repeated burning without wearing lotion she claims it was too late. Rachael says she had already caused the damage to her skin which resulted in her melanoma diagnosis.
Now Rachael has now been told by doctors to keep her time in the sun to a minimum and conduct monthly check-ups on her body for new moles or skin changes.
Rachael said: "The main thing that has upset me is how I now have to adjust sun exposure now.
"I'm an outdoor girl and now I don't know how I'm going to do all this while protecting myself [from the sun]. It's been a bit of a learning curve.
"They [the doctors] have told me to stay out in the sun between 11am and 3pm and if I am out in the sun I now need to make sure I'm applying sun cream which is a certain five star UV standard and factor 30 and above.
"I need to wear tight knit woven cotton clothes and have to stay under parasols.
"I think there needs to be more education on the topic of sun exposure from a younger age.
"It's a very common cancer but it's not talked about enough. I regret going on the sunbeds too.
You want to see your kids grow up and going on a sunbed is not worth it for a little tan to feel good about yourself. You can get the same tan by using fake tan.
Rachael Smith
"If you notice any new moles or skin changes, I'd advise you to go and get these checked out.
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"My melanoma has been caused by childhood sun exposure so we're talking about getting cancer 20 years down the line [because of this].
"My mole had all the characteristics. It was abnormal and raised at the back. Any changes on your body, you should get these checked out."
How to spot a cancerous mole from a harmless one?
How to spot symptoms of melanoma skin cancer in moles
- A new mole or a change in an existing mole may be signs of melanoma.
- Normal moles are usually round with smooth edges while melanomas are often an uneven shape.
- Normal moles are usually only 1 colour and so a mix of two or more colours could be dangerous.
- Normal moles tend not to change over time, so any signs of swelling, bleeding, itchy or crusty could be a cancerous mole.
- Check with your GP if you are concerned about any of these signs.
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