Bad Beds

http://www.buzzfeed.com/carolynkylstra/skin-cancer-treatment

“If anyone needs a little motivation to not lay in the tanning bed and sun here ya go! This is what skin cancer treatment can look like. Wear sunscreen and get a spray tan. You only get one skin and you should take care of it. Learn from other people’s mistakes. Don’t let tanning prevent you from seeing your children grow up. That’s my biggest fear now that I have a two year old little boy of my own.”

Those are the words of Tawny Willoughby, a 27-year-old woman facing skin cancer treatments after using tanning beds regularly as a teenager.

I actually used tanning beds a few times, back when I was just starting out in the TV news business. I thought it would make me look better on-air. Maybe it did…but I regret doing it, even those half-dozen times or so. I’ve been trying to embrace my paleness a lot more these days. 🙂

Reading Tawny’s story and seeing the Facebook photo she posted after her treatment (warning: it’s not for the faint of heart) made me want to share this post today. I’ve had numerous moles removed from my skin the past 3-4 years. Not exactly enjoyable.

Two of the moles were found to be dysplastic nevi, which aren’t cancerous, but are ones that could have become that way in time. Who knows if the tanning beds contributed to that, but I’m sure they didn’t help.

Basically, I just want to echo Tawny’s advice. Please, don’t take any chances with your skin…and definitely don’t use tanning beds.

Have a great day.

Melanoma Monday

Yes, that’s right. Today is Melanoma Monday and that means it’s time for a reminder to check yourself for moles and schedule an appointment if you notice anything that doesn’t look right.

I had moles that turned out to be dysplastic nevi removed a couple of years ago after going in for a checkup. Since then I’ve been back several times, and each time have had moles removed. Fortunately no more of the bad ones since then. Thank you God for that!

So how do you check yourself and what should you be looking for? Click here for tips on how to perform a self exam, and you can also download a body mole map to document the occasion.

Skin cancer is preventable. The first line of defense starts with you!

Get Checked

This one comes from experience. Get your moles checked – regularly.

What might not look like much to you could be something significant through a doctor’s eyes. Getting it taken care of sooner instead of later will be to your benefit.

Learn more about the importance of early detection by visiting the Melanoma Research Foundation’s website.

Have a good day.