Woman, 24, who felt horrible without a tan & used sunbeds 5 times a week tells of ‘shock’ stage 3 skin cancer diagnosis
A WOMAN who used to use sunbeds five times a week has been diagnosed with skin cancer after doctors failed to treat a mole.
Katie Davidson, 24, says she asked medics to cut off the spot from her leg last year because it made her feel insecure.
But Katie, from Stevenston, Scotland, said they talked her out of it as it would leave her with a scar.
And after she finally persuaded them to do it in February, a biopsy showed she had stage two malignant melanoma - a skin cancer often appearing as a new mole or a change in the appearance of an existing mole.
It can be treated by surgery if spotted early, but if it has spread treatment can involve radiotherapy.
Katie was devastated to learn that her cancer has progressed to stage three after spreading into her lymph nodes.
And she wants to warn others to act quicker on any unusual marks on their skin.
She is still waiting for her own prognosis. Katie told the : "I had a small spot appear on my leg and it grew bigger so I asked to get it removed.
"The dermatologist I showed it to at the time said removing it would leave a big scar, but I went back again because it was annoying me and they eventually removed it.
"It wasn’t painful on my skin, I just didn’t like how it looked and I picked at it a lot, so I was shocked to find out it was cancerous.
"I wish I’d pushed more earlier, because it could have been caught at an earlier stage.
"I’ve got an appointment to meet with a doctor now and I've had CT scan, but I need to wait on the results of that to see if it’s spread further."
She also wants to send a message to other sunbed users as she wishes she had not been 'careless' by using them so much.
She added: "I always felt horrible if I didn't have a tan. It made me feel skinnier and helped my skin clear up too.
"I was careless in the sun on holiday too and I used to use tanning oil instead of a high SPF.
Know the facts about skin cancer
Dr Arora, in collaboration with FOREO said sun lotion and wearing sunglasses is a great way to protect yourself.
Speaking to The Sun Dr Arora said: "To reduce your risk of developing skin cancer it is important to protect yourself from sunburn using a high spf (50) sunscreen with a UV rating of 4/5.
"Wear your sunscreen indoors also as UV rays can penetrate through windows. Always remember to reapply sunscreen every few hours. It’s also imperative to limit the time you are spending in the sun.
"Try to avoid prolonged exposure to sun during the hottest time of the day – usually between the hours of 10am-3pm. If you are out in the sunshine - try to seek shade where possible!"
She also added that shades are essential to protect your eyes and the delicate skin around them.
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"I started using sun beds when I was 18. Everyone knows the risks, but you think it will never happen to you.
"I would never wish this on anyone. Having a glow is not worth this and I wish I listened to everyone when they warned me about sun beds.
"Fake tan does the exact same job and you are not playing with your life."
We shared how there is a skin cancer warning as UK faces highest ever UV levels due to drop in pollution from coronavirus crisis.
And a mum-of-two, 26, died of skin cancer after GP ‘told her mole was nothing to worry about’.