A mum who almost lost her eyesight due to her permanent olive tan has warned others about the dangers of using sunbeds without safety goggles. Mum-of-four Cheryl Wilson was told by an optician in April that her 'foggy vision' was the result of a cataract-like growth in her right eye that would have left her partially blind if it went untreated.
The 40-year-old agency boss, who provides ring girls for boxing matches and frequents red carpet dos with the likes of Floyd Mayweather, would hit the sunbeds beds twice a week for 15 minutes. But just a month later, she was forced to have surgery due to prolonged exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light.
She has now vowed to never use sunbeds again. “Losing part of your sight is terrifying, I felt like I was in a different world,” Cheryl said. “I wish I’d realised the danger of using sunbeds without goggles.
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“Now I don’t want anyone else to go through what I’ve been through. I’m terrified of leaving the house and I’m filled with anxiety thinking about going out in the sun.”
Her warning on the importance of following safety procedures when using sunbeds comes as a University of Manchester study suggests a ban on sunbeds could save lives. The team of researchers has been working with scientists in Australia - where sunbeds are already banned - looking at the harm and costs linked to commercially available indoor tanning.
The research, published in the British Journal of Dermatology, suggests there could be 1,200 fewer cases, and 200 fewer deaths, of melanoma - skin cancer - in the lifetimes of the 18-year-olds they projected the model on. The researchers also suggested if the same model was applied to England, it could save the NHS £700,000.
However the Sunbed Association "utterly refutes" the claims made in the study. "A tanning session in a professional sunbed salon in England uses sunbeds that are designed to comply with a British Standard that dramatically reduces any risk of burning," chairman Gary Lipman said.
In other comments, Mr Lipman stressed the importance of wearing 'appropriate protective eyewear' when tanning, warning that UV light can penetrate the eyelids.
Always immaculately turned out and with a perfect tan, Cheryl, who has rubbed shoulders with champion boxers like Anthony Joshua, Frank Bruno and Joe Egan for years, says her life has dramatically changed since her vision was affected by UV exposure. “I’ve had to take a step back from my life," Cheryl, from Essex, said.
"I have been in this industry, in the glitz and glamour and regularly on the red carpet for years, but now I can’t leave the house. I can’t enjoy getting dolled up, putting a nice dress on, and nice shoes, as I’m not up to it since my surgery. It’s awful.
“I’m quite a glamorous woman, so it’s been quite hard for me, as I can’t even wear make-up for at least a month.” Fortunately, the 20-minute operation Cheryl had privately, at SpaMedica in Romford, to replace her right eye lens with an artificial one was successful.
But the surgery came at a far greater cost to her confidence. “If I hadn’t had the operation, I would have lost my sight in that eye completely within weeks as I could only see silhouettes by then. Thank God I went to the optician when I did.
“On the day of my surgery, I was really scared, as I was on my own and all I kept thinking was that I was going to be blind. It really scared me. I was petrified.”
She added: “But now I can’t wash my hair properly as I can’t get any water on my face for a month after the surgery. And I can’t wear make-up for another three weeks.
“I have a beauty regime, so it’s been tough. I feel like my confidence has been really hit.
“I love putting on makeup and using eyelash extensions. Now I can’t go to any events because I don’t want to go looking like this.”
Cheryl, who is mum to Callum, 22, Ashleigh, 19, Bailey, 14, and Frankie, 12, had occasionally used sunbeds throughout her entire adult life, but around March she ramped up her visits to twice a week, as she wanted to have the perfect glow in time for summer. She soon started noticing an issue with her vision, initially struggling to drive at night.
By the end of March, she found even going out during the day really unpleasant, as she became so sensitive to light. Thinking it was caused by the eyelash extensions she wore, she went to the optician thinking she would just need some eye drops.
She explained: “I wear eyelash extensions, so I thought it had irritated my eye. The blurry vision and sensitivity came and went, but then it came back after a couple of days.
"Then it kept getting worse and worse, to the point I couldn’t drive in the daytime or at night and I could barely even read, as the letters kept getting foggier.” She was then devastated when tests in April revealed she had suffered severe UV light damage to both eyes, with her right eye requiring immediate surgery.
She added: “I was just completely devastated. I couldn’t believe this could happen because of not wearing goggles when using sunbeds.
“I genuinely didn’t think it was a big deal.” The surgery was especially traumatic, despite the “brilliant care” from her doctors, as she was awake throughout.
Recalling the operation, she said: “The surgery was horrific, I was awake throughout. I ended up crying so much because I never imagined in my life that I’d be going through this.
“They clamped my eye open and I was just watching it all happen. I was panicking.” She added: “Emotionally and mentally it was really draining, and I just wish I’d realised what I was doing when I decided not to wear the goggles.”
While Cheryl is grateful that her vision was saved, she says she will have to face the consequences of not wearing goggles for the rest of her life. She said: “I’m never going on a sunbed again and I feel incredibly nervous to go anywhere hot where the sun’s out, because I don’t know how much more damage my eyes can take.”
Cheryl added: “I’ve become so anxious and worried all the time. Any plans to go to Spain or to a beach have been cancelled until I find out how my eyes are. I have to be careful.
“I feel nervous about going out in the sun, and I’m a sun worshipper. But that’s all changed now. This all makes me panic.”
Cheryl is hoping to raise awareness and encourage sunbed users to take eye health more seriously and for all tanning salons to hammer home the safety message to customers. “Please wear the goggles, because it can have a devastating effect on your life if you don’t," she pleaded. “What’s happened to me can happen to anyone.”
Gary Lipman, chairman of The Sunbed Association – the voice for the industry – stressed the importance of following safety guidelines when using tanning beds.
He said: “It is absolutely essential that all sunbed users wear appropriate protective eyewear when using a sunbed – and the same should apply when sunbathing. Simply closing your eyelids or covering the eyes is not sufficient to protect them from ultraviolet light, as it can penetrate the eyelid skin.
"It is a requirement of the British Standard that covers sunbeds that appropriate protective eyewear is worn throughout the tanning session.” He added: “Anyone seeking correct advice and information about using a sunbed responsibly should use a salon in membership of The Sunbed Association, where staff are properly trained to screen customers to check for any contra-indications to tanning and ensure they are informed about all aspects of responsible tanning, including the necessity of wearing appropriate protective eyewear.”
