Learning Her Lesson After Skin Cancer
- Tanning addict Jackie Hall, 41, noticed a tiny freckle on her jawline in 2020, and it kept getting bigger and darker. Thankfully, the mom-of-three went to a dermatologist, who diagnosed the mark as stage 1 melanoma—an aggressive cancer caught early.
- Jackie, who used to sunbathe from “sunrise to sunset” on excursions as a former travel consultant, has now learned her lesson of just how dangerous sun exposure is.\
- Ninety percent of melanomas are caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun. That means you’re at risk if you spent excessive amounts of time in the sun–even as a child. If you ever got scalding sunburns, or were a fan of tanning salons, it’s important to get your skin checked.
Tanning addict Jackie Hall, 41, noticed a tiny freckle on her jawline in 2020, and it kept getting bigger and darker. Thankfully, the mom-of-three went to a dermatologist, who diagnosed the mark as stage 1 melanoma.
Jackie, who used to sunbathe from “sunrise to sunset” on excursions that she would take advantage of as a former travel consultant, has now learned her lesson of how dangerous sun exposure is.
Having the mole removed left a little dent in the side of her face, and she will have to undergo another surgery to make sure they got all the cancer, which will leave her with a stitched hole double the size.
Related: Melanoma Survivor and Leading Actress Michelle Monaghan Urges Fans to Protect Their Skin: ‘I’d Rather Be Safe Than Sorry’
“I didn’t like looking at anybody face on because you could see that it looked like I’d had a big chunk taken out of one side of my jaw,” Jackie told GrimsbyLive, “which is punishment enough for her past irresponsible tanning rituals.
“It’s almost the size of a baby’s mouth, to me it just looks as if a baby’s bitten me or a mini shark or just something, it just looks like a bite mark. I’d prefer to be left with a large scar rather than the alternative of what it could have been, so I class myself as very lucky,” Jackie says.
“To be honest, I wasn’t thinking about me in the whole process, I was immediately just thinking of my children. I suffer with anxiety anyway, so each night I’ve been sitting there thinking the worst about it spreading to other parts of my body, because I was warned that it could go into lymph nodes and if it does, there’s a possibility that it can spread anywhere.”
All in all, she can live with the scar on her face as long as she can continue to be here for her children.
Related: Mom, 29, ‘Only Used Tanning Beds Twice A Week’ Before Summers And Vacations: Then Her Leg ‘Went Numb’ And She Was Diagnosed With Cancer
“They told me that it could have been sun damage and when I was younger – I used to work for a travel agency firm, so I was off on four holidays a year. When I was younger, a tan was the only thing I’d want so I used to use the lowest factors that I could. I was a bit of a tan addict,” Jackie confessed.
Related: 24-Year-Old Woman Tried to Treat Her Eczema with Tanning Beds and Was Eventually Diagnosed with Melanoma: ‘I’m Definitely a Reformed Sunbed Addict’
Now, she never wants to take risks ever again, vowing to stay out of the sun during high-peak times and wearing a substantial amount of higher SPF.
“I’d tell people not to be afraid of the sunshine but to make sure they’re wearing the highest factor possible and to not allow themselves to burn.”
Understanding Melanoma
Ninety percent of melanomas are caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
That means you’re at risk if you spent excessive amounts of time in the sun–even as a child. If you ever got scalding sunburns, or were a fan of tanning salons, it’s important to get your skin checked.
Related: ‘Tan Mom’ In Headlines: Her Story Reminds Mothers to Teach Their Teens About Tanning Cancer-Risk
Dr. Anna Pavlick, an oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, says melanomas are the deadliest type of skin cancer because they have a tendency to spread to other parts of the body.
Most of her patients are those “who have had scalding sunburns as children, patients who have had excessive sun exposure, patients who go to tanning salons because they thought that having a tan was the healthy thing to do.”
Related: ‘I Would Rather Die Hot Than Be Ugly’: Young TikTok Star Warns of Tanning Beds After Skin Cancer Scare
Melanomas can occur, however, in areas that are not sun exposed, such as the sinuses, the back of the eye, the anal/rectal area, and also in areas of your body that were just not exposed to sun.
The Sun is Not Your Friend Most Melanomas are Caused by Sun Exposure
Protecting Yourself From the Sun
In addition to shading yourself from the sun and doing your best to cover up, getting regular skin checks are a must.
Dr. Dendy Engelman, an NYC dermatologist, tells SurvivorNet the top ways to protect your skin from skin cancer.
- Avoid sun during peak hours – This means from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It doesn’t mean you should never go outside during the middle of the day, but make sure you’re protected when you do venture outdoors.
- Cover your skin and eyes – A wide brim hat and sun glasses will protect your face, the top of your head, your ears, and the delicate skin around your eyes.
- Wear an SPF of 30 or higher – Plenty of facial moisturizers have SPF built into them. Dr. Engelman also recommends reapplying every few hours, or after excessive sweating or swimming
- Get an annual skin check – You can check your own skin for anything that looks out of the ordinary, but you should still get a yearly check to make sure you didn’t miss anything. If you do happen to notice anything out of the ordinary in between checks, schedule an appointment to talk to your doctor about it ASAP — it is always worth it to make sure.
- Avoid tanning beds – This one is obvious … but just a reminder, tanning beds can significantly increase your risk of developing melanoma. If you feel like you’re just too pale, Dr. Engelman recommends a sunless tanner. “There’s absolutely no benefit to going to a tanning bed,” she said.
Even if you live in an area with cold winters, you still need to protect your skin. Some experts argue that people living in cold-weather states need to protect themselves even more because their skin isn’t as used to those summer months and they may burn more easily.
Top 5 Things to Protect Yourself from the Sun
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Learning Her Lesson After Skin Cancer
- Tanning addict Jackie Hall, 41, noticed a tiny freckle on her jawline in 2020, and it kept getting bigger and darker. Thankfully, the mom-of-three went to a dermatologist, who diagnosed the mark as stage 1 melanoma—an aggressive cancer caught early.
- Jackie, who used to sunbathe from “sunrise to sunset” on excursions as a former travel consultant, has now learned her lesson of just how dangerous sun exposure is.\
- Ninety percent of melanomas are caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun. That means you’re at risk if you spent excessive amounts of time in the sun–even as a child. If you ever got scalding sunburns, or were a fan of tanning salons, it’s important to get your skin checked.
Tanning addict Jackie Hall, 41, noticed a tiny freckle on her jawline in 2020, and it kept getting bigger and darker. Thankfully, the mom-of-three went to a dermatologist, who diagnosed the mark as stage 1 melanoma.
Jackie, who used to sunbathe from “sunrise to sunset” on excursions that she would take advantage of as a former travel consultant, has now learned her lesson of how dangerous sun exposure is.
Read More Having the mole removed left a little dent in the side of her face, and she will have to undergo another surgery to make sure they got all the cancer, which will leave her with a stitched hole double the size.
Related: Melanoma Survivor and Leading Actress Michelle Monaghan Urges Fans to Protect Their Skin: ‘I’d Rather Be Safe Than Sorry’
“I didn’t like looking at anybody face on because you could see that it looked like I’d had a big chunk taken out of one side of my jaw,” Jackie told GrimsbyLive, “which is punishment enough for her past irresponsible tanning rituals.
“It’s almost the size of a baby’s mouth, to me it just looks as if a baby’s bitten me or a mini shark or just something, it just looks like a bite mark. I’d prefer to be left with a large scar rather than the alternative of what it could have been, so I class myself as very lucky,” Jackie says.
“To be honest, I wasn’t thinking about me in the whole process, I was immediately just thinking of my children. I suffer with anxiety anyway, so each night I’ve been sitting there thinking the worst about it spreading to other parts of my body, because I was warned that it could go into lymph nodes and if it does, there’s a possibility that it can spread anywhere.”
All in all, she can live with the scar on her face as long as she can continue to be here for her children.
Related: Mom, 29, ‘Only Used Tanning Beds Twice A Week’ Before Summers And Vacations: Then Her Leg ‘Went Numb’ And She Was Diagnosed With Cancer
“They told me that it could have been sun damage and when I was younger – I used to work for a travel agency firm, so I was off on four holidays a year. When I was younger, a tan was the only thing I’d want so I used to use the lowest factors that I could. I was a bit of a tan addict,” Jackie confessed.
Related: 24-Year-Old Woman Tried to Treat Her Eczema with Tanning Beds and Was Eventually Diagnosed with Melanoma: ‘I’m Definitely a Reformed Sunbed Addict’
Now, she never wants to take risks ever again, vowing to stay out of the sun during high-peak times and wearing a substantial amount of higher SPF.
“I’d tell people not to be afraid of the sunshine but to make sure they’re wearing the highest factor possible and to not allow themselves to burn.”
Understanding Melanoma
Ninety percent of melanomas are caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
That means you’re at risk if you spent excessive amounts of time in the sun–even as a child. If you ever got scalding sunburns, or were a fan of tanning salons, it’s important to get your skin checked.
Related: ‘Tan Mom’ In Headlines: Her Story Reminds Mothers to Teach Their Teens About Tanning Cancer-Risk
Dr. Anna Pavlick, an oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, says melanomas are the deadliest type of skin cancer because they have a tendency to spread to other parts of the body.
Most of her patients are those “who have had scalding sunburns as children, patients who have had excessive sun exposure, patients who go to tanning salons because they thought that having a tan was the healthy thing to do.”
Related: ‘I Would Rather Die Hot Than Be Ugly’: Young TikTok Star Warns of Tanning Beds After Skin Cancer Scare
Melanomas can occur, however, in areas that are not sun exposed, such as the sinuses, the back of the eye, the anal/rectal area, and also in areas of your body that were just not exposed to sun.
The Sun is Not Your Friend Most Melanomas are Caused by Sun Exposure
Protecting Yourself From the Sun
In addition to shading yourself from the sun and doing your best to cover up, getting regular skin checks are a must.
Dr. Dendy Engelman, an NYC dermatologist, tells SurvivorNet the top ways to protect your skin from skin cancer.
- Avoid sun during peak hours – This means from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It doesn’t mean you should never go outside during the middle of the day, but make sure you’re protected when you do venture outdoors.
- Cover your skin and eyes – A wide brim hat and sun glasses will protect your face, the top of your head, your ears, and the delicate skin around your eyes.
- Wear an SPF of 30 or higher – Plenty of facial moisturizers have SPF built into them. Dr. Engelman also recommends reapplying every few hours, or after excessive sweating or swimming
- Get an annual skin check – You can check your own skin for anything that looks out of the ordinary, but you should still get a yearly check to make sure you didn’t miss anything. If you do happen to notice anything out of the ordinary in between checks, schedule an appointment to talk to your doctor about it ASAP — it is always worth it to make sure.
- Avoid tanning beds – This one is obvious … but just a reminder, tanning beds can significantly increase your risk of developing melanoma. If you feel like you’re just too pale, Dr. Engelman recommends a sunless tanner. “There’s absolutely no benefit to going to a tanning bed,” she said.
Even if you live in an area with cold winters, you still need to protect your skin. Some experts argue that people living in cold-weather states need to protect themselves even more because their skin isn’t as used to those summer months and they may burn more easily.
Top 5 Things to Protect Yourself from the Sun
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
