WARNING: THE FOLLOWING IMAGES MAY BE DISTURBING IN NATURE
After a “diehard” tanner who used tanning beds almost everyday of the week was left with a huge hole in her nose after developing skin cancer.
Rebekah Rupp from Morrison, Oklahoma, had been tanning since her teens to get a healthy glow despite the dangers.
Back in August of 2018, Rebekah noticed a dark spot had appeared on her cheek so she promptly went to a dermatologist in December to get it looked at. It was then that the dermatologist noticed a white spot on the tip of Rebekah’s nose which he quickly removed and sent off for testing.
The 41-year-old now admits how she barely did not take her face and used wipes or pads to cleanse her skin.
She went on to share:
“I had a dark spot appear on my cheek, so I made an appointment with my dermatologist to have it looked at. I was a diehard tanning bed tanner. In my earlier years, I tanned at least five to six times a week. I was told by others it was bad for me, but until it happened to me – I never listened. I loved the way tanning made me feel. It relaxed me, it made me feel pretty, and it gave me a glow that I loved.”
The teacher was then informed she had basal cell carcinoma skin cancer and went through Mohs surgery in June this year to remove the affected layers of skin.
Rebekah was left with a hole in her nose which doctors repaired with a flap of forehead skin — which attached a vein from the forehead to the nose. She wore the flap for four weeks prior to her having her final reconstructive surgery in July.
Rebekah is currently sharing her experience to encourage everyone to use sun protection.
She shared:
“Protect your skin while you have it. Don’t tan in tanning beds or expose your skin to sun exposure without using sunscreen and wearing protection on your head. I now use Rodan + Fields every day, twice a day. I apply sunscreen in the mornings no matter what. When I go out in the sun, I apply sunscreen all over any skin showing. I also wear a hat when out in the sun. My bag contains every sunscreen you can imagine from sprays to lotions. I lather my kids in sunscreen because they have a light complexion like myself. Both now carry sunscreens in their sport bags and are very consistent in putting it on.”
