ghosttruck
Level 57 Taco Wizard
A self-described “diehard” tanner is speaking out about the dangers of forming such a habit after she was left with a hole in her nose and staples in her face when she developed skin cancer.
Rebekah Rupp, of Oklahoma, said she would visit the tanning booth up to six times a week at the height of her tanning obsession, but in 2018 she noticed a spot on her cheek, according to MDW Features.
The spot on her cheek wasn’t as concerning to her dermatologist as a white spot on her nose, which 41-year-old Rupp hadn’t thought anything of.
“As soon as I went in for the dark spot, the dermatologist spotted a white-looking mole on the tip of my nose,” Rupp, a teacher, told MDW Features. “He asked me how long I had it; it had only been there for about two months or so, I thought it was just a pimple that wouldn’t go away.”
Rupp said her dermatologist removed it and sent it for a biopsy, which revealed that it was cancerous. She was then sent for Mohs surgery and left with a gaping hole in her nose, which required taking a flap of skin from her forehead to repair.
Mohs surgery is performed while the patient is awake and alert, but numbed in the affected area, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. A certified surgeon cuts out the visible skin cancer, and removes a thin layer of surrounding skin, repeating the procedure until no more cancer cells are found in the removed skin. While some wounds heal without stitches, others, like Rupp, will require a skin graft.
'Diehard' tanner left with hole in face after skin cancer diagnosis
She said she would tan up to six times per week.
www.foxnews.com