Beth Brown spent years chasing the perfect tan, convinced it was just part of her lifestyle. When a small red patch on her face refused to disappear, she assumed it was eczema – until a diagnosis changed her life and left her with a permanent reminder of the risks she never thought would affect her.
Keep reading to know more.
For years, 30-year-old Beth Brown regularly used tanning beds while working as a flight attendant, often pairing indoor tanning with long hours in the sun during her travels.
Like many young people, she believed a bronzed complexion was worth maintaining and rarely thought twice about the long-term consequences.
That mindset, she now says, was shaped by more than just beauty trends.
“My mom never used sunscreen. Her generation was always frying in the sun, [so] I never really used it either, as it’s what I’d grown up with,” Brown said, per People.
Chasing a deeper tan, Brown said she started using tanning beds when she was 22, gradually increasing both the frequency and length of her sessions over the next six years. At times she tanned weekly, eventually spending up to 20 minutes in a bed.
Though patch was eczema
Everything changed when she noticed a small red patch on the side of her face that wouldn’t heal.
“About three years ago I noticed a little red patch, and I thought it was eczema,” Brown recalled in an interview with SWNS. “I was putting E45 and Sudocrem on it – obviously it didn’t go away.”
The area would occasionally bleed or form a scab, but she still didn’t suspect skin cancer.
It wasn’t until she mentioned it to her boyfriend that things took a different turn.
“He sent a photo to his mum, who is a doctor, and she suggested to go to the doctor,” she explained.
Looking back, Brown believes that conversation may have changed everything.
“If it wasn’t for her, I might never have gone to the doctors,” she said.
A diagnosis she never expected
Doctors diagnosed Brown with basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common form of skin cancer that’s mostly caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Although BCC rarely spreads to other parts of the body, it can continue growing if left untreated, making early diagnosis important.
Brown said she waited six months for surgery after being placed on a waiting list.
“I was so scared that it would grow while I was waiting for the appointment,” she recalled.
When the procedure finally took place, she decided against a skin graft and allowed the wound to heal naturally.
“I hadn’t [realized] how intense the healing process would be,” she said. “I’d told my work I’d be back the next day as I thought I’d just have a little stitch, but I walked out with a hole in my face.”
Her skin has since healed, but the experience permanently changed the way she thinks about sun exposure.
Tanning beds and skin cancer
Health organizations have warned for years that tanning beds expose users to ultraviolet radiation, which increases the risk of skin cancer.
According to the Skin Cancer Organization, “more than 419,000 cases of skin cancer in the U.S. each year are linked to indoor tanning, including about 245,000 basal cell carcinomas, 168,000 squamous cell carcinomas and 6,200 melanomas.”
In addition, the risk of developing skin cancer “because of indoor tanning” is higher than a smoker getting lung cancer.
Brown said she felt ‘really stupid’
Brown now says she wears sunscreen every day and avoids spending long periods in direct sunlight.
“I’m a sunshine baby at heart, but I make sure to look after my skin. I wear SPF every day now. I can’t imagine going outside without putting it on my face,” she said. “Being outside and getting vitamin D is so important but just make sure you don’t fry. Sit in the shade, wear sun cream, wear a hat.”
“I was very naive. I thought it would never happen to me. I definitely regret using sun beds now. When I was diagnosed with BCC, I felt so freaked out and also really stupid. I thought, ‘What have I done this to myself?’ I just want to help other girls and raise awareness that it is more common than you think, and it could happen to you,” she warned.
And, her message hit especially close to home.
After Brown’s diagnosis, her mother decided to get checked as well and was also diagnosed with BCC, reinforcing the warning Brown now hopes others will hear before ignoring a suspicious spot on their own skin.
If Brown‘s story resonated with you, please share it with your family and friends. Raising awareness about the risks of tanning beds and the importance of daily sunscreen could help someone catch skin cancer before it’s too late.
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