Embracing My Snow White Skin

Being born and raised in California, I have always loved soaking up the sun and having that "California glow" that so many of us are known for. I am also guilty of using tanning beds, but I never tanned all year round, unless I had a pageant or a photo shoot to do.  I always knew the dangers of using tanning beds, however you never think that you will be affected by the harmful rays you receive from indoor tanning. From a very young age, my Mom constantly stressed the importance of wearing sunscreen and shielding your face from the sun, as she was a skincare specialist and make-up artist for years. Since I am of Italian heritage, I never considered myself to be in the high-risk category for developing skin cancer. As I have now found out, there is no so-called "category," as anyone can be at risk for developing skin cancer.  I have a family history of skin cancer, as my Uncle had a basal cell carcinoma removed from his nose last December. My Dad has also had numerous suspicious spots removed, with the concern that they could eventually turn into basal cell carcinoma. Even though I have a family history of skin cancer, I still never thought that I would be at risk of developing abnormal lesions. I have always had a lot of freckles, however I was always under the impression that my "darker" freckles were just beauty marks. In May of this year, I went to see my dermatologist for a routine check-up.  Knowing my family history of skin cancer, and observing how many freckles I have, he decided to do a complete skin screening.  I had no problem with this, as I was sure that I would be clear of any suspicious spots or lesions. I couldn't have been more wrong.  My dermatologist found two spots, one on each leg that he considered to be abnormal. All of the "beauty marks" I thought I had were actually MOLES.  I was in complete shock, as he said that they would have to be sent to a lab to be biopsied to make sure all of the cells were removed. A couple of weeks went by, and after not hearing a response, I was sure that my biopsies came back as normal.  However, this was not the case. The mole taken off my right leg came back as being normal, however the one removed from my left leg came back as having abnormal cell growth, and is considered to be an abnormal nevus.An abnormal nevus, also known as a dysplastic nevi, are benign moles, however having a lot of them (which I do) increases your risk for developing single or multiple melanomas. The more dysplastic nevi you have, the higher your melanoma risk increases. Once again, I was in complete shock. All of these questions flooded my head, I'm only 24 years old, how can I already have abnormal spots? My doctor informed me that I would have to have surgery on my left leg to ensure that all of the abnormal cells were gone. I have undergone surgery, and am currently in the healing process, waiting to hear the results of my biopsy. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason, and that God gave me the task to spread the word about the importance of protecting your skin and raising awareness for skin cancer.  According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States today. I have chosen to write this blog in order to spread awareness for the disease, as well as offer my insight. I have learned to embrace my Snow White skin, and am completely content not being tan!