Most women love to go to the beach and use tanning beds or tanning lotion to have an adorable skin. They don’t take proper precaution like putting on sunblock when going outside. Now, a mother in California wants to empower others after learning from her mistake.
Kari Cummins always loved going out into the California sun and using tanning beds to get the sun crisp color she always wanted. But when she noticed a “blackhead” on her chin, Kari didn’t give it a second thought. She thought it was a usual blockage of a pore and simply chose to ignore it.
“I have always had clear skin so I did think that the spot was slightly unusual,” she said. “I assumed it was a blackhead or a weird type of adult acne, as I hadn’t seen anything like that before.”
The 35-year-old mom decided to show it to a doctor when the blackhead didn’t disappear. After the dermatologists ran tests on it, the specialist revealed that Cummins actually had squamous cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer that can grow or spread to other parts of the body if left untreated. This particular type often results from prolonged exposure to sunlight or tanning beds, according to experts and Cummins had engaged in both.
“I did use tanning beds in my twenties and early thirties to get a base tan before going on holiday,” she said. “It doesn’t take much for the UV rays to accelerate the growth of the carcinoma, especially if you have fair skin.”
Kari revealed that she also grew up near a lake and she spent a lot of time in the sun without putting a sunblock on her skin.
Doctors removed two lumps, one on Cummins’s chin as well as her forehead. The former required 35 stitches and left almost a penny-sized hole on her face that took weeks to heal to a noticeable scar. Recent testing revealed, even more, spots that will require surgical removal.
Despite the suffering, Cummins is thankful that she didn’t develop any melanomas — the most serious form of skin cancer. Now, she wants to warn others about protecting the skin from sun damage. She always thought she was invincible from damage.
“At first I felt very self-conscious, but now I find it empowering as I can use my experiences to share my story in the hope of urging others that it is so important to look after your skin,” she said. “Unfortunately, I neglected my skin and now I am facing the consequences. ”
Article Sources: American Web Media, Good Housekeeping, American Web Media/Facebook Photo Credit: Good Housekeeping Video Credit: Inside Edition/YouTube
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