Tawny Willoughby : Woman’s Skin Cancer Selfie Goes Viral

Tawny Willoughby used a tanning bed several times a week during her teenage years – now she’s warning others of their dangers after dealing with skin cancer.

“If anyone needs a little motivation to not lay in the tanning bed and sun here you go! This is what skin cancer treatment can look like,” Willoughby, who works as a nurse, shared in a message along with the image.

Willoughby, 27, was a frequent customer at tanning salons as a teenager and at age 21 she was diagnosed with skin cancer. The mother of one son has had basal cell carcinoma five times and squamous cell carcinoma once and now goes to the dermatologist every six to 12 months and usually has a skin cancer spot removed at each checkup. She’s thankful to have never had melanoma.

“Get any suspicious, new and growing spot checked out,” Willoughby warns on Facebook. “Anything that doesn’t heal, possibly bleeds on and off and crusts. The sooner you find it the less likely it will leave a disfiguring scar or grow deep enough to metastasize. Melanoma kills, non melanoma disfigures (and can also kill). Don’t be a statistic!”

Agencies/Canadajournal