Skin cancer: a selfie to denounce the dangers of UV rays

The selfies are not just a fad used to stage our lives on social networks. In the case of Tawny Willoughby, a young nurse of 27, these pictures will mainly serve as a prevention against the dangers of tanning salons. Because of the UV rays present in these cabins where she used to go, Tawny suffered from skin cancer. The young woman has decided to publish a photo of her face, swollen and mutilated by the different stages of her treatment.

Skin cancer from UV rays

“If anyone needs a good reason to never go to tanning salons again, here’s one, this is what skin cancer treatment looks like,” she captioned her selfie. After consulting for burns to the face, the doctors actually diagnosed five basal cell carcinomas as well as one squamous cell carcinoma in the young woman. These can, if not treated in time, lead to metastases. Since then, Tawny has had to go to the dermatologist every six months to get some of her cancer removed. A heavy treatment that leaves significant marks on the skin.

Even though she feels happy she didn’t have melanoma, Tawny now wants to raise awareness among those who use tanning salons. “Learn from the mistakes of others,” she says, inviting her subscribers to protect themselves effectively from the sun with strong enough sunscreen to avoid any problems. Very touching, the young woman says she is afraid of not being able to see her young child grow up.

The photo, quite striking, has been reported nearly 11,000 times by shocked Internet users. The social network, however, decided not to remove the cliché.

Tanning salons in turmoil

It is not uncommon to point fingers at tanning salons. WHO itself had advised against their use in several reports. Indeed, people using tanning beds before their 30s are 70% more likely to develop melanoma later in life. They are also 2.5 times more likely to get squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to get basal cell carcinoma. UV cabins were definitively banned last year in Australia.