Two sisters, ages 24 and 19, warned people against using sunbeds after they were both diagnosed with skin cancer at the same time.
The sisters, Sarah Burnside and Rhianne Smith, use sunbeds often both before and after their annual summer holidays.
However, the two sisters from Darlington in County Durham, said that they did not realize just how dangerous using sunbeds can be even if you do it once.
Deadly skin cancer
Sarah, a mother of two, said that after she found two suspicious-looking moles on her foot and leg, she went to her GP and was told that she had a deadly form of skin cancer.
After learning of her sister's diagnosis, Rhianne decided to get the mole on her face checked too, and unfortunately, she was diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer., as reported by The Sun.
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Sarah said that she was scared when she heard that she has cancer. She felt relieved and lucky that she found out about it early because if she had not, she would not know what would have happened.
The mother of two was diagnosed with skin cancer on her foot in June after insisting that the doctors also remove a chunk from her leg to get rid of another mole. In July, she was diagnosed with skin cancer for a second time.
Sarah said that if she had not been diagnosed with skin cancer twice, her sister would never have gone to the doctor and have the mole on her face checked, as reported by Mirror.Co.
Rhianne rushed to see a doctor after hearing about her sister's diagnosis. She was worried because she uses the sunbed more than her sister. In August, she was diagnosed with skin cancer on her face.
Psychology and counseling student Rhianne said that when she heard the news, she tried to distract herself, but days after, it hit her that she's only 19, and she already has cancer.
Rhianne added that their mother blames herself even though it is not her fault, as their mother is devastated that both her daughters have cancer.
Sarah would have 40 minutes' worth of sunbed sessions over the space of two weeks before a summer holiday because she believed that it would protect her skin from the heat when shew as abroad. She also had two 9-minute sessions a week when she got back to top up her tan.
Rhianne, on the other hand, uses the sunbed twice a week a few weeks before a holiday. They said that they learned since that even just one sunbed session can increase the risk of skin cancer.
Dangers of sunbeds
Sunbeds give out ultraviolet rays or UV rays that increase your risk of developing skin cancer, both melanoma, and non-melanoma. Many sunbeds give out greater doses of UV rays than the midday tropical sun.
According to the NHS, evidence shows that the risks are greater for young people and people who are frequently exposed to UV rays before the age of 25 are at greater risk of developing skin cancer later in life.
Sunburn in childhood can also increase the risk of developing skin cancer later in life.
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