Mum gives up sunbeds after finding cancerous freckle on her leg

In a world where the default is to be active, it takes courage for someone to give up something that has been part of their life. In this article we look at why these brave decisions are made and what they mean for health and society as a whole.

“a place in the sun benidorm” is a blog post about a woman who has given up her sunbeds after finding a cancerous freckle on her leg. The woman’s story is very touching and should be read by all.

Melanoma is a “silent killer,” according to Paris, the proprietor of a massage treatment firm. (Image courtesy of Kennedy News and Media)

After surviving a brush with skin cancer, a former tanning addict has warning others against using sunbeds.

Last year, Paris Tippett, 25, increased her tanning treatments to three 14-minute sessions each week since she didn’t want to lose her radiance while under lockdown.

‘I was using sunbeds more in between lockdowns since I didn’t sure when I’d be allowed to go again,’ the mother of one said.

‘I increased it to two [sessions] a week, sometimes three, for 12-14 minutes at a time over the course of four months starting last summer, and that’s when a small freckle on my shin appeared that winter.’

‘I was moisturising my leg and I thought “oh that looks different, there’s a new one,”‘ Paris remarked, expanding on what she noticed. At the front, it was all by itself.

‘I kept an eye on it and continued to use the sunbed with a plaster over it for a few weeks, but then I realized I needed to see a doctor.’

In June, the proprietor of PYT Massage in Crowthorne, Berkshire, went to the doctor and was referred to hospital experts.

Paris got a biopsy there and learned she had melanoma skin cancer, which was devastating.

She had two operations at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey (Picture: Kennedy News and Media)

On July 20, surgeons removed the freckle, and she had to wait a ‘hellish’ fortnight for the findings, which arrived on August 3.

She returned three weeks later for further therapy and had lymph nodes in her groin removed.

They operated down to the bone on her shin to remove an even larger portion of tissue to verify it hadn’t spread.

She claims there are ‘wonderful’ fake tan bottles out there that she will use instead. (Image courtesy of Kennedy News and Media)

Paris discovered a little malignant freckle while moisturizing (Picture: Kennedy News and Media)

When Paris, who has a three-year-old daughter named Saskia, received the all-clear on September 23, she described it as “winning the lotto.”

She said that sunbed sessions helped her get over ‘dark patches’ while she was suffering from seasonal affective disorder (sad).

‘From now on, it’ll be artificial tan exclusively,’ Paris added.

Paris Tippett, 25, is in the hospital recuperating from surgery. (Image courtesy of Kennedy News and Media)

Additional Information: Cancer

‘I couldn’t believe sunbeds could do this,’ she said. It’s not worth it for me to go on another one.

‘The problem with melanoma is that you don’t realize you have it until it’s too late; it’s a quiet killer.’ It isn’t always visible as a mole; it may instead appear as an uneven area of skin.

‘I would advise anybody considering using sunbeds to invest in a fantastic tan — there are some fantastic tans available.’

MORE: A former employee at a sunbed salon who was sacked because she had skin cancer has been compensated.

Sunbeds are “death machines that induce cancer and should be prohibited,” according to a new report.

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