Donate For AAD Members Search

Go to AAD Home
Welcome!
Advertisement
Advertisement

Misty’s personal story


Spot Logo
I was 18 when tanning beds became well known for giving a person a beautiful bronze in 20 minutes! I knew that the first time I laid down in the tanning bed that something just wasn't OK with this! My desire for dark skin surpassed any warnings from my soul. I didn't tab every day. Maybe one to three times per week. Every now and then, I would tan outside. I only did this for a total of one-and-a-half summers.

One summer I had a freckle appear on my chest/neck area. Over time, it turned black and the edges became rough. Often it would bleed but I didn't think anything of it. Several months later, I was at my OB/GYN appointment and my doctor told me he was concerned about it. After I had my little boy, I had the dermatologist remove the freckle. A week later I get a call saying that I needed to meet with a surgeon ASAP. I had melanoma and it was spreading. Thankfully, the surgery went well and I'm still living and able to care for my two beautiful children! If I would have gone one month longer, the doctor said I wouldn't have made it.  This changed my life. I made it my mission to tell others about protection and skin cancer prevention. I went back to school and graduated from Esthiology two years later. I work at a local medical spa educating my clients on prevention! Love and protect the skin you're in!

Advertisement