A Young Mother Uses Tanning Beds for Three Months and Immediately Gets Melanoma; How To Spot a Suspicious Mole

Related: One Tanning Bed Session Can Increase Your Risk of Melanoma by 20%

A surgeon had to go deeper into her leg and Hartland then needed a skin graft to help with the damage left to her skin. Although the surgery went well, Hartland was left with an infection in her leg, and some scarring.

“I was always in and out of the hospital, and I was on antibiotics for a couple of weeks to get rid of the infection,” she said. “Now it’s healed but it doesn’t look the best. It’s left a crater in my leg that’s very deep and there’s a big scar. At the top of my leg I’ve also got a scar from the skin graft site, so I won’t be wearing any skirts or dresses.”

Related: From Finding a Small 'Blood Blister' to an Advanced Stage Melanoma; Fitness Instructor, 46, Says 'No More Tanning Beds'

Now, she is thankfully clear of cancer and wants to educate other people who go to tanning beds about the dangers. “I just wanted to get a lush tan,” she told the Daily Mail. “I didn’t have a clue about the risks, I was so naive.”

Hartland has been using sunscreen and is back to her fake-tanning products.

Related: 'Tan Mom' Patricia Krentcil Says She Never Put 5-Year-old In Tanning Bed: 'I've Changed. Now I Wear Sun Protection'

“I didn’t think of the risks,” she said. “I didn’t care if I got burned and I would never ever think to use sun cream. Now I put factor 50 on my legs once a day.”

Tanning and Melanoma Risk

In general, not only should you be protecting yourself from the sun, but you should also definitely stay away from tanning beds. Instead, opt for sunless tanning products or organic spray tans if you're in need of a healthy glow like Hartland.

Related: Gay Men Get More Skin Cancer The Perils of Tanning Bed Culture

"We know there is a direct correlation with [melanoma] patients who go to indoor tanning salons," Dr. Anna Pavlick from NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center tells SurvivorNet, who notes that the exposure "is about 6 inches from your body."

On a beach, the sun is millions of miles away, "so you have to think of the intensity that you're exposing your skin to when you go to a tanning salon," she says.

Bottom line, tanning beds increase your chances of melanoma "exponentially."

 

Tanning Salons Pose a Big Risk of Melanoma, Says Leading Expert

Identifying Suspicious Moles

It is always a good idea to get regular checks at the dermatologist who can provide more personal guidance on the required frequency of screenings for your skin. In between appointments, it's important to do self-checks because moles can often change or grow quickly and seem to pop up out of nowhere, like in Hartland’s case.

Dr. Cecilia Larocca from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute gives SurvivorNet an overview on things to look out for with moles using the ABCDE self-screening method.

• Asymmetrical moles: "If you drew a line straight down the center of the mole, would the sides match?"
• Borders that are "irregular, jagged, not smooth." It can also stand for bleeding.
• Colors: "Multiple distinct colors in the mole."
• Diameter: "Larger than 6mm, about the size of a pencil head eraser."
• Evolution: "This may be the most important," she says. "Anything that is changing over time such as gaining color, losing color, painful, itching, hurting, changing shape, etc."

Examining Your Skin for Melanoma Remember ABCDE

The Sun is Not Your Friend Most Melanomas are Caused by Sun Exposure

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