Katie McVeigh, a 24-year-old mother from Belfast, never imagined her love for tanning would lead to a life-threatening diagnosis. After years of using sunbeds, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer. 'But I don't even use sunbeds that often!' she told the nurse. The nurse compared her habit to binge drinking, calling it a form of sunbed abuse.
Katie started using sunbeds at age 16, unaware of the dangers. 'I honestly had no idea they were dangerous,' she said. 'You see warnings on cigarette packets, but never a picture of a person with skin cancer in a tanning shop.' Despite UK laws banning under-18s from using sunbeds, no one ever asked her age.
A Social Norm Turns Deadly
Growing up in Belfast, a sunbed hotspot, tanning was a social activity. 'Everyone I knew did it – my mum, aunts, cousins, and friends,' Katie recalled. She used sunbeds two to three times a week before holidays or nights out, then stopped for months. After giving birth to her daughter Connie, she returned to tanning as a quick treat.
In summer 2022, Katie noticed a black mole on her right cheek that scabbed, dropped off, and regrew. Her GP referred her to a dermatologist, and in September 2022, the mole was removed and biopsied. Six weeks later, she was diagnosed with Stage 2 melanoma, later upgraded to Stage 3 after cancer spread to her lymph nodes.
Treatment and Recovery
Katie underwent surgery in February 2023 to remove more tissue from her face and a lymph node. After a year of targeted immunotherapy, she is now cancer-free but faces five years of monitoring scans every six months. 'My biggest fear is not being around to see Connie grow up,' she said.
Katie's family and many friends have stopped using sunbeds, but some still take the risk. 'People think it won't happen to them. That's what I thought until it happened to me,' she warned.
The Dangers of Misinformation
A BBC investigation found tanning companies spreading dangerous misinformation on social media, falsely claiming sunbeds can treat seasonal depression and skin disorders. Katie urges others to ignore such claims. 'This is highly damaging misinformation, and it's terrifying,' she said.
Katie also recalled severe sunburns as a child, including a blistering incident in Egypt at age 10. 'We never consider the long-term effects,' she noted. Now, she advises everyone to value their health over a tan. 'If I could travel back in time, I'd tell my younger self that having a tan is just not worth it.'
