A woman who used sunbeds almost daily for years and was diagnosed with “a very aggressive form of skin cancer” leaving her with “a large horseshoe-shaped scar” on her forehead has urged people to wear sun cream and has even organised for her employees to undergo skin cancer safety training at work.
Despite being sun safety conscious for the last 15 years, Anna McCartney, 43, says the damage had already been done to her skin after spending seven years regularly tanning using sunbeds.
Noticing a lump on her forehead after taking a selfie in May 2021, Anna, the chief executive of Elan Laser Clinics, sought medical advice and was diagnosed with skin cancer.
Now left with a visible scar on her face, Anna, who lives in Liverpool with her daughter Ariana, nine, hopes to warn others about the negative effects of UV exposure.
She said: “The education on sun safety was not there when I was younger, especially as I was not only a sun worshipper, but I am embarrassed to say, addicted to sunbeds.
“When I think back, I used a sunbed almost every day from the ages of 15 to at least 22 years – shocking, I know. Roll forward 20 years and I paid the price.”
“I still love the sun, but now I protect my skin with SPF and wear a hat. The damage I have caused to my skin was not worth the tan, you can buy a bottle of fake tan for £3 and avoid the ordeal that I have had to go through.”
It was in May 2021, nearly 20 years after she stopped using sunbeds, that Anna took a selfie for an online skin questionnaire to purchase skincare products and noticed an unusual spot on her forehead.
Unsure of what it could be, she decided to keep an eye on it.
“Some people would have just written it off but, having suffered with severe acne in my early 20s, I knew this was not a normal spot,” she said.
“It was like it had suddenly appeared overnight, so I kept an eye over it the next few days.”
Taking a new photo each morning, Anna realised that the lump was growing.
Concerned, she contacted a plastic surgeon and cancer specialist who immediately booked her in for a biopsy.
The following week Anna received a call from the doctor who broke the news that the lump was cancerous. She was diagnosed with a form of skin cancer known as squamous cell carcinoma.
Anna said: “I was really shocked because after the biopsy, my skin had healed so quickly, so I assumed everything would be fine.”
“To hear the word cancer was terrifying but I knew I was in safe hands. Luckily, everything had been caught very early and was treatable.”
The then-41-year-old was told she would need a skin graft to remove the cancer.
Awake under local anaesthetic, Anna underwent the 30-minute procedure in June 2021.
She said: “When I first saw the scar after the surgery, I was mortified. For such a small lump, they had to remove quite a lot of the skin around it and I’ve been left with a large horseshoe-shaped scar on my forehead.
“When I first peeked at it under the gauze, I was just stunned. Getting into my friend’s car when she picked me up from the hospital, I burst into tears.
“I was just so angry with myself for the damage I’d caused to my skin for the sake of a tan. This scar will be with me for life and it could have been so easily prevented.”
“It was a really scary time and I’d found the healing process difficult.
“The skin was stretched and tight, so I was suffering with severe headaches during the healing period.”
Despite the tough recovery, Anna says her post-op results were ‘a relief’.
Five weeks after the procedure, she was given the all-clear from cancer.
She said: “It’s a very aggressive form of skin cancer so I was really lucky that it was caught early and acted on quickly.
“To get the all-clear was such a relief.”
Anna is now very vigilant on sun safety and has even organised for her employees to undergo skin cancer safety training at work.
“I’ve been very conscious about sun safety for the past 15 years, but the damage was already done way back when I was younger and naive,” she said.
“Since my diagnosis, I’ve become even more aware of the sun and protecting my skin. I wear SPF every day, even on a cloudy day.”
“I’ve organised for the practitioners at my business to take skin cancer awareness training so they can be educated and more aware when with our customers.
“I’m a huge advocate for sun safety and skin cancer awareness, it’s become something that I’m very passionate about.”
Now, Anna continues to wear sun cream daily and hopes to warn others about the negative effects of UV exposure.
She added: “The scar on my head is still there and reminds me every day what an idiot I was when I was younger. Not only could I have prevented this, but I could have saved a lot of money reversing the ageing the sunbeds and sun exposure have caused too.
“I probably have three varying forms of sun factor in my skin regime daily now. It’s in my skin care, my make up primer as well as an actual SPF50.
“I still love the sun, but I enjoy it while protecting my skin and wearing a hat. And for those of you who think you can’t tan with a high factor, you can!
“Sunbeds should be banned as far as I am concerned, they have no place in the world of beauty and cause more damage than a tan is worth.”
