MUM was left with a gap in her head due to her sunbed obsession that almost nearly killed her.
Nickie Murtagh is 37 years old and has been fighting skin cancer. She now wants to warn others about this deadly disease.
9
9
9
Londoner began to use sunbeds in her early 20s when a friend who was a sunbed entrepreneur started her own sunbed shop.
She steadily increased her use until she was hooked – jumping on the sunbed up to twice a week for 8-12 minutes.
Nickie noticed a small bald spot in 2016 along her exposed blonde hairline.
Nickie previously told Central Recorder: “I booked an appointment with my GP, and was told I had a small cyst that was nothing to worry about, and could safely remain untreated.
“But it continued to grow slowly over the next 2 years. Eventually it was the size of a one pence coin.”
Although her family and friends urged her to have the odd lump checked again, her GP believed that the problem was still present. “cosmetic”.
She spoke to NeedToKnow.online “The doctor said she would refer me due to the size, but not to expect an appointment as she thought it was fine. “
Nickie finally went to her appointment 3 months later. She was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma in May 2018.
BCC is the most common form of non-melanoma, skin cancer.
Nickie, mother to Sophie, Ruby, 15, Ryan, 13 and Ruby, 19, said that she works at The Royal Marsden Hospital, so has seen a lot of cancer. But, that word still sends chills.
“We didn’t want to even tell the kids as we knew they wouldn’t be able to see the past that word.”
Nickie was awake during the two-hour operation in December 2018 when doctors removed the tumorous lump and skin surrounding it.
To cover her hole in her forehead, a skin graft was performed on her thigh.
“Afterwards, I was left with felt like a sizeable crater on my head,” Nickie said.
“I was stunned at how much my scalp had been removed when I took a photo with my phone.
“Then the hole was packed with the tissue from my leg and a dressing was applied while it healed.
“But thankfully it was good news was, when the tissue was examined, it was clear of cancer.”
9
9
9
9
The mother-of-three, however, said that she felt better after the surgery. “felt depressed”She feared that she would be a “ticking timebomb”.
She said: “I’m always worried about a return as skin cancer is usually recurrent. It is a real fear that never goes away.
“I now have regular checks of my skin and moles, I am left with huge scars and awful skin on my face due to sun damage, especially melasma.”
Melasma, a skin condition characterized by brown or blue-grey spots or freckles-like spots that appear on Nickie’s skin every time the sun shines, is known as Melasma.
Nickie commented, “I’ve tried so many things to get rid of it but nothing works. This is what I did to it.”
“I don’t like how I look now – but that’s my battle scars and forever reminder that I have my life so will do everything I can to help push this horrid cancer awareness.”
Nickie now dedicates her time to spreading awareness about the dangers of sun exposure, sunbeds, and other sun-related issues.
According to the Mayo Clinic her skin-coloured cancer, BCC (Blood Colored Cancer), can often appear as a shiny and pearly-looking bump.
The bump can look brownish or glossy black on skin that is brown or black.
The most severe form of skin cancer is melanoma.
The simple approach is recommended by most experts. “ABCDE” rule to look for symptoms of melanoma skin cancer.
Nickie stated that she frequently “forgot to wear sun cream”Was “too vain to wear hats”.
She said in 2019: “I knew all about being safe from the sun. My failure to apply that knowledge has left me with a gap in my head, and a scar on my leg.
“At first I kept thinking, I am not the ‘typical’Patient with skin cancer who has been on a lot of vacations abroad and been a sun-worshipper.
“But now I realise, there is no typical skin cancer patient.”
Nickie posts regularly on TikTok about her efforts to improve her skin. She also warns others not too.
You can find out more at Recent videoShe shocked viewers when she turned the camera on the hole in her skull just after giving warnings “stay off the sunbeds and use SPF”.
Nickie showed the damage to her face and said: “while we are at it, let’s check out the skin cancer”Before she tilts her scalp towards camera.
9
9
Looking for a Tan?
Fabulous’ Dying For A Tan campaign raises awareness of the dangers associated with sunbeds. Sunbeds can increase your risk for skin cancer and cause premature death.
There are approximately 7,000 tanning shops in Britain. Some even offer treatments starting from 50p per minute.
Children as young as eight are sunbathing on sunbeds. With little to no understanding, they seem to be playing Russian Roulette with the health of their bodies.
Cancer Research UK says that the risk of developing skin cancer from melanoma is 16-25 percent higher for people who have ever used a sunbed than those who have not used one.
Sunbeds can cause skin cancer by exposing it to strong UV rays.
Just 20 minutes on one is comparable to four hours in the sun – with many stronger than Mediterranean rays at midday.
In many cases the damage is invisible until it’s too late, as it can take up to 20 years to become apparent.
Each year, around 16,000 cases of melanoma skin carcinoma are diagnosed in the UK. That’s 44 per day.
Around 2,300 people die from melanoma every year – that’s more then six per day.
It’s part of the reason the World Health Organisation has deemed sunbeds are as dangerous as smoking.
Fabulous is urging you to quit Dying For A Tan.