Tanning Beds Cause Skin Cancer; Graphic Selfie Shows Disturbing Effects of Tanning on Face & Body

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A woman from Kentucky posted a very shocking selfie on Facebook, revealing the dangerous effects of tanning beds if used too much. Since the post, the picture has gone viral.  

Tawny Willoughby, a registered nurse in Alabama, posted a picture of herself on Facebook to warn people against the overuse of tanning beds and tell the public to take care of their skin, reports CNN.  

She captions the picture, "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." 

According to Fox News, the picture shows Tawny after receiving treatment for skin cancer. In the picture, she has bloody scabs and blisters all over her face.  

The 27-year-old decided to make her first dermatology appointment after one of her classmates was diagnosed with melanoma, a type of skin cancer that can be deadly, states CBS News. The results came out positive and she was diagnosed with skin cancer at the age of 21, reports CNN.  

Tawny told CNN that tanning was a regular habit for teenagers when she was growing up. "I had my own personal tanning bed in my home, and so did a lot of my friends growing up. Everybody tanned," she shares. 

She adds, "I didn't really even think about the future or skin cancer at the time." Tawny said that she used her tanning bed four to five times a week back then. As a result, she had basal cell carcinoma five times and squamous cell carcinoma once.  

According to CBS News, both forms of skin cancer that Tawny developed are "treatable but disfiguring." Tawny has to go to the dermatologist every six to 12 months to remove a cancerous piece of skin, reports CNN.  

CBS states that millions of teenagers, like Tawny, do not know about the risk of tanning, while others ignore the dangers completely. 

Tawny advises people to be careful with their skin. "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," she writes along with the pictures.  

She goes on to say, "Don't let tanning prevent you from seeing your child grow up. That's my biggest fear now that I have a two year old little boy of my own."