Woman who battled skin cancer twice due to sunbed use launches safe tan product
A woman who battled skin cancer twice due to excessive sunbed use has launched her own safe tanning product.
Lisa Costello, 42, is championing "safe tanning" after learning the hard way and being diagnosed with skin cancer twice before hitting 40. From her mid-teens to her early thirties, Lisa was an avid sun worshipper, even describing herself as an "aggressive sunbed user". However, her relentless pursuit of a tan came back to haunt her in 2018 when she was diagnosed with melanoma, and again in 2021.
Following her diagnoses, Lisa made it her life's mission to protect her own skin and others'. She launched a tanning product that she claims is "100%" safe for everyone to use. Lisa shared: "After I was diagnosed, I felt this urge to just keep pushing safe tanning, and no one was pushing it with my message." Her tanning obsession began at the tender age of 15, using UV tanning beds twice a week. As she grew older, she reduced her usage to twice a month.
Lisa has battled cancer twice (Lisa Costello / SWNS)
Lisa had been using sunbeds since she was 15 (Lisa Costello / SWNS)The driving instructor from Colchester, Essex, received her first melanoma diagnosis in December 2018. She recalled: "I found a mole I didn't like so went to GP. They referred me to a dermatologist and two weeks later it was taken off. I waited six weeks for the results... It was melanoma (stage 1)."
After undergoing a wide local excision surgery - a procedure that removes an area of diseased tissue - she was given the all-clear in January 2019. In 2021, Lisa became hyper-vigilant about the moles on her body, checking them "religiously". In February, she noticed an alarming change on her skin and promptly sought medical advice from her GP.
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Lisa recounted: "They referred me again within two days I was back in my dermatologist's office and then two days after it was taken off. I waited one week for the results and then got the dreaded 'no caller' ID on my phone. It was the hospital asking me to go in and talk about my results. The next day I was there and received the news it was another melanoma! This time stage 0 (in-situ) I had got it even earlier now!"
Since this scare, she has had six more moles removed, all of which have thankfully been benign. Adding to her personal battle with skin cancer, Lisa lost her father to the same condition in 2011, further fuelling her determination. Lisa shared: "In 2011, my dad found a mole that his doctor didn't like the look of so he had it taken off, it came back as melanoma.
"He was checked for three years every three months but unfortunately in June 2015 he fell really ill. He went to A&E and they found a 3.5cm brain tumour on the right side of his brain... it was melanoma! He died five months later November 18th 2015." With her new business venture, Lisa aims to shift public perception on tanning and raise awareness about the dangers of melanoma.
She concluded: "It took me nearly a year from the idea to the launch to get it all done." In the early stages of a potentially game-changing campaign, the advocate passionately declared, "At the moment, it's still very small but it's very early days and I will continue to push the tan along with the message." With a determined spirit, they shared their mission: "My aim is to change people's view on tanning and just to appreciate how dangerous melanoma is!"
* This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up The Mirror's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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