Tawny Willoughby, a 27-year-old from Alabama and mother of a 2-year-old, posted a selfie with her skin cancer treatment to Facebook as a warning against the dangers of tanning. First diagnosed at 21, she says she has had basal cell carcinoma five times and squamous cell carcinoma once. Now, Willoughby goes to the dermatologist every 6-12 months, and usually has skin cancer removed each checkup.
She writes on Facebook, “I probably laid an average of 4-5 times a week,” but "I never laid in the tanning bed and in the sun in the same day. I never laid in the tanning bed twice in one day."
"If anyone needs a little motivation to not lay in the tanning bed and sun..."
"...here ya go! This is what skin cancer treatment can look like"
"I never thought about the future when I was in high school - I just tanned because it was normal to me"
"Wear sunscreen and get a spray tan. You only get one skin and you should take care of it"
"Learn from other people's mistakes. Don't let tanning prevent you from seeing your children grow up"
"That's my biggest fear now that I have a two-year-old little boy of my own"
