'I blame myself for skin cancer diagnosis' says Kent mum
Levi-Mariah Verrall, from Rochester, first went on a sunbed at 16-years-old
A mum of two from Kent has told us she only 'blames herself' for her skin cancer diagnosis.
Levi-Mariah Verrall, from Rochester, first went on a sunbed at 16-years-old, using them for 45 minutes a week for the next 13 years.
She said: "It was such a social thing, meeting up with my friends to go and have a sunbed but they are so so dangerous.
"I wouldn't advice anyone to go to a sunbed, you just always think it will never happen to you until it does.
In 2022, she found a tiny, white patch amongst the freckles below her eye, she thought nothing of it but a biopsy Levi underwent a biopsy which revealed she had basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common form of skin cancer.
For most people, this type of cancer does not spread and can be removed by surgery and no further treatment is required. However, Levi needed a deep and lengthy incision to remove all traces of it., leaving a 7.5cm scar which is now barley noticeable.
She said: "As a mum of two at the age of 30 it was terrifying, it was an awful feeling and at the same time I did blame myself because I did expose myself to the sun.
"I always used to lay in the sun with oil on, I never put sun cream on, and I used sunbeds every week for 45 minutes since I was 16."
Around 3,100 people diagnosed with the disease every year in the South East and Levi now wants to make more people aware of the dangers of using sun beds, encouraging more people to get checked for skin cancer.
She does this on her TikTok channel, where some of her followers have even had their unusual skin changes checked out and found they had early-stage skin cancer.
The 33 year old said: “I think it’s especially important to get the message out to girls and young women who are still burning their skin and don’t know the danger.
“You can still enjoy the sun, but do it safely, like I do now with my boys. They don’t go out without SPF 50 sunscreen on. And it’s important the whole family do it too – set a good example to your kids.
“These days, if I want a tan - I fake it. The products are so good now, you can get that sun-glow without the dangers of UV lamps or sunburn."
Cancer Research UK Health Information Manager, Beth Vincent, said: “Getting sunburnt just once every two years can triple the risk of developing skin cancer, compared to never being burnt.
"Even on a cloudy day, the sun can be strong enough in Kent - and across the UK - to burn between mid-March and mid-October so it’s important people remember to use a combination of shade, clothing and sunscreen, with at least SPF 30 and 4 or 5 stars, to help protect their skin.”