A woman who developed skin cancer after using sunbeds for just a year has warned that a tan is short-lived but the damage is lifelong, as a charity reveals diagnoses have reached an all-time high.
Cancer Research UK announced today that the number of new melanoma skin cancer cases diagnosed annually has exceeded 20,000 for the first time in the UK. Stacey Galifskiy, 39, first used sunbeds at 19 to achieve a summer glow and continued with eight-minute sessions weekly for approximately a year.
Two decades later, the tattoo artist from Fife, Scotland, identified a cancerous discoloured mole on her forehead. Over three years, Stacey has undergone 13 operations to remove eight moles and now receives annual mole mapping to monitor for changes. Stacey is convinced she contracted skin cancer from using sunbeds 20 years previously.
Cancer Research UK attributes excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun or sunbeds as contributing to the surge in figures. The charity's examination of the latest complete data, for 2022, revealed 20,980 new melanoma cases in the UK, the highest on record.
Stacey's Warning
Stacey commented: "It's quite shocking that skin cancer is going up despite the fact we have known for a long time that sunbeds and exposure cause cancer. Having a summer tan is short lived, but the damage is lifelong. Nobody will remember in five years how dark your skin was that one summer for that one night out. The skin is the largest organ of your body. People don't think about melanoma the way they do about other cancers. But it's such a serious condition, and it can spread to other areas too."
Stacey started using sunbeds as a teenager despite warnings against it. After a year, she chose to quit and returned to being incredibly sun-aware, ensuring she applied factor 50 sunscreen and remained in the shade whenever feasible.
The Diagnosis and Treatment
In 2021, Stacey encountered a friend she hadn't seen for seven months, who noticed that the mole on her forehead had changed colour and appeared "angry". Stacey underwent four procedures to remove it and to draw her skin forward to conceal the scar. She explained: "The first two operations were OK, but the last two were really painful. I had a lot of tingling and pain across my scalp for months afterward."
Stacey found the ordeal deeply frightening and revealed she became profoundly distrustful of her body subsequently. "I was suspicious of every mole on my body," she stated. Stacey had additional procedures to eliminate two moles from her forehead, two from her cheek, one from her ear, one from her stomach, two on her leg, and one on her bum. Three of the moles were early-stage skin cancer, while the others were actively developing moles, indicating they could turn cancerous if left untreated.
Ongoing Monitoring and Health Anxiety
Stacey's cancer scare left her profoundly anxious, and she started monitoring her remaining 73 moles to track any alterations. She recalled: "My body became the enemy. I counted my moles limb by limb and took photos of them all to refer back to. I got diagnosed with health anxiety; it was debilitating." Stacey now attends an annual mole mapping appointment, which costs £185 per session, something she describes as "worth every penny".
A Message to Others
Looking back on her experience, she revealed her desire to highlight the significance of sun safety and avoiding sunbeds altogether. She said: "Sunbeds, don't bother. There are lovely moisturisers out there that have a gradual tan in them, moisture and a lovely glow with no potential of sun damage. Or just embrace your natural skin tone and be happy in the skin you're in."
