A FORMER skin cancer sufferer today warned people in South Tyneside about the dangers of sunbeds.
Mother-of-two Michelle Grimmer learned first-hand the shocking consequences of tanning after she was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in 2007.
The 37-year-old was a regular user of sunbeds from the age of 17, and says she simply wasn't aware of t
he damage she was doing to her skin throughout her late teens and 20s.
Mrs Grimmer, from Jarrow, said: "My worry is that the advertising tends to be aimed at young girls now and, for the first time, at young boys.
"It is clear that young people don't think about the future. I never did and look what happened to me. I really want to get the message out that sunbeds really are dangerous and I think people should avoid them. Instead, people can use fake tan or spray tanning. There really are some fantastic products on offer now."
Mrs Grimmer's ordeal began when she noticed a mole on her side had changed colour.
She made an appointment to see her GP, who immediately referred her to a dermatologist at South Tyneside District Hospital. A biopsy of the mole was taken and she was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma.
She had an operation at the University Hospital of North Durham and, more than two years later, still receives 12-week check-ups with the cancer care team at South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust
.
She also attends Cancer Connections in South Shields, to help others by sharing her experiences.
