Allee Jourdan has some experience with tanning beds. She used one regularly throughout her four years in high school.
She said, “I actually went tanning almost every day before prom in high school. I was also a volleyball player and had my legs shown a lot and I wanted to be tan like all the other girls."
In November 2010, at 19 years old, she decided to get a lifelong mole removed from her leg.
At Sunflower Dermatology, the body scanner also picked up a spot on her right breast. Both were biopsied. Both came back positive for melanoma.
“You kinda just already knew once you get the phone call that something's wrong, and I was a hysterical mess," Jourdan said.
Dr. Brian Matthys at Sunflower scheduled her for urgency surgery.
"When you find something that's bad, currently, the best treatment is to cut it out and remove it, then educate her on what to look for moving forward," Matthys said.
Jourdan put life on hold to recover. She had to stop school and work. She said she learned the hard way and wants to warn especially teens that it’s not worth risking your future.
"All girls are beautiful no matter what color their skin is. And you don't need to tan to be pretty," she said.
Luckily, her melanoma was discovered in stage zero. Now 24, Jourdan wants to help people and is applying to nursing school.
Matthys offers this acronym for watching the moles on your body: A-B-C-D-E
Look for:
- Asymmetry
- Irregular Borders
- Irregular Color
- Diameter greater than an eraser
- Evolution (or change)
Prevention is also key.
Matthys said, "Purposeful tanning is what we call it, so no laying out by the pool to get a tan and no using tanning beds to get a tan. Just nothing to change the natural color of your skin."
Matthys feels so passionate about embracing one’s skin color, he and his wife founded the nonprofit Fair & Fashionable.
The group wants to educate girls and women ages 15 to 30 about the dangers of suntanned skin. You are encouraged to take the tan-free pledge on their website and share why you've chosen life without a suntan.
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Jane Monreal can be reached at jane.monreal@kshb.com.
