Tanning bed addicted mom admits she never thought about skin cancer risk

A mother addicted to tanning beds admitted that she had never thought about the risk of skin cancer because she believed that beauty salons were a safe place to go.

Nickie Murtagh, from London, told This Morning that she was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2018 and used tanning beds twice a week for eight years.

She noticed she had a large lump on her scalp that turned out to be cancerous and she believes it was caused by her regular use of the tanning bed.

But it was revealed on the show that more people than ever are using tanning beds.

Nickie then underwent a 45-minute surgery to remove the lump that left a golf ball-sized hole on her head and a skin graft.

The Sunbed Association says you shouldn’t have more than 60 sessions a year, but Nickie had at least 104 treatments.

When asked about her tanning bed use, Nickie said, “I started slowly, I quickly became addicted to the feel and look of tanned skin. It has really gained momentum.’

She said she focused on protecting her children from the sun and neglected herself.

Nickie said she never worried about cancer, explaining, “It was in a professional setting and everyone is doing it. And I only did it for half the time I was allowed to use them in my tanning shop.’

Speaking of the lump, she said, “I just had a little growth on my head that was just kind of ugly, I never thought about cancer, it never crossed my mind.”

‘I actually only went to the doctor because it was ugly and I wanted it gone.

“It wasn’t until I was seen by a dermatologist that he threw out the word cancer and it dawned on me what had happened.”

She said she felt safe because tanning salons have been around for a long time.

Nickie said, “It was a professional environment. Almost (like a) doctor’s surgery, dentist’s surgery, uniforms. For me, I didn’t have to think twice.’

She noticed she had a large lump on her scalp that turned out to be cancer and she believes it was caused by her regular use of the tanning bed

She added that she will definitely think twice about using tanning beds after her ordeal.

Dr. Amiee Vyas, a skin care specialist from London, said: ‘It is well known that UV radiation is a carcinogen, meaning it can contribute to causing cancer.

‘What we need to realize is that the tanning beds have a much higher intensity of these UV rays and some of them can be almost 12 times higher than in the tropical sun.

“We can’t say for sure that tanning bed use alone has caused this cancer, but what we can say is that it is this intense exposure that causes the damage to our skin cells.”

She said tanning beds are illegal for anyone under 18 to use and those under 25 who choose to use tanning beds increase their risk of skin cancer.

The Sunbed Association has said: ‘Today’s professional tanning beds are regulated to omit a maximum UV dose equivalent to the Mediterranean summer sun.

‘Responsible tanning on a professional tanning bed does not cause melanoma. Employees of salons that are members of the tanning association screen customers for any reason not to use a tanning bed.

Dr. Amiee Vyas said she won’t even touch someone in her practice who doesn’t use sunscreen every day

‘They also register the number of sessions taken to comply with the regulation of a maximum of 60 sessions per year.’

Dr. Vyas said she won’t touch people in her clinic who don’t use sunscreen or use tanning beds every day.

She also added that skin aging is mainly due to sun damage and said the most important thing is to wear sunscreen every day.

When asked if Nickie has any advice for people considering using tanning beds, she said: ‘It’s a proven risk, it’s entirely your risk to take, but do your research. Read your wavy shape and be honest with your skin type.

“Because there are certain skin types that shouldn’t use a tanning bed and be honest with what skin type you actually are.”