Tea Cooley, 23, says it was her ‘biggest regret’
Social media sometimes gets a bad reputation, but Téa Cooley can credit browsing through content for saving her life. “Last year, I saw people on TikTok checking their moles, and I thought, ‘I best check too’,” says the 23-year-old from Dover.
“I was on holiday in Miami at the time and did notice one mole had turned a bit darker, but I thought, ‘I’ll get that sorted when I get home,’ and thought nothing more of it.”
Following a visit to her GP in June last year, Téa had a dermascope examination and was subsequently referred to a dermatologist who didn’t believe the mole was cause for alarm but suggested seeking a second opinion.
The second dermatologist was equally uncertain, reports Kent Live. A third expert recommended removing the mole, ‘to be on the safe side.
“Even though the removal was scheduled as a suspected cancer referral, I was not concerned,” says Téa. “I had felt relief that it was being done to be ‘on the safe side’ so I didn’t overthink it. I got it removed and they said I’d hear back within six weeks, but I had not heard anything in that time. Everyone around me said, ‘No news is good news. So don’t worry.’ But it was on my mind.
“I did try to call, but couldn’t get through. On the seventh week, after I’d decided to leave it, I got a letter to say that it was melanoma.”
Melanoma is the most lethal type of skin cancer and is chiefly triggered by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. The charity Melanoma Focus highlights that warning signs of the illness, which remains increasingly common across the UK, include the emergence of a fresh mole or mark on your skin, or alterations to an existing mole or mark.
Whilst melanoma is severe, it can be straightforwardly treated – with prompt detection regarded as crucial for eliminating the cancer.
“Three weeks later I had a second surgery,” says Téa, describing a procedure last September to extract a broader section around the initial location on the right side of her torso.
After being left worried by how she received her melanoma diagnosis through post, which landed on a weekend with no experts available to address her concerns, her surgeon provided comfort that the operation was to eliminate any remaining cancer cells that might be present.
Test results returned negative, indicating the melanoma hadn’t metastasised. Nevertheless, Téa’s surgeon spotted two additional moles on her back that he believed might be concerning, which she’s now booked to have extracted.
“There is quite a large scar where the excision was made,” she says. “I have another mole on my back, which had developed a redness around it, that is also being removed to be on the safe side. My doctor warned this could also leave a large scar, but I’d rather live with a scar than risk what could have happened if I didn’t get them removed.”
Looking back at her previous sun care habits, Téa confesses she failed to grasp the dangers that UV rays could present. “I’d say I was one of those people who would say I need to burn to then get a tan,” she says.
“I’m quite fair, and I’ve never really been one to catch a tan straight away. Before going on holiday, I would plan to get a base tan on sun beds. My thinking was that I’d then be fine on holiday as I’d have that tan to top up from.”
Research published by Melanoma Focus this May revealed that using sunbeds before the age of 35 raises melanoma risk by 59 per cent.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has meanwhile classified UV radiation from commercial sunbeds as a Type 1 carcinogen – placing it in the same deadly category as smoking and asbestos when it comes to causing cancer in humans.
“I used to work at a sunbed shop, and I got free minutes as part of the job. It is my biggest regret ever,” says Téa.
“The maximum I would get was 12 minutes, and I wouldn’t use them that frequently. I was serving people who wanted 20 minutes, and others who would come in every day. I was in an environment where my usage didn’t seem so bad in comparison. I thought, ‘I’ll be fine’ and was normalising it. You truly believe it won’t happen to you.
“I still have some close friends who use some beds, and I really hope they can learn from my experience,” she continues. “If they want to continue getting them then that’s up to them, but I do warn to at least keep an eye on their moles.”
Téa’s ordeal has transformed her approach to skincare and enjoying sunny weather. “I’ve always worn SPF on my face, but now I wear SPF all over my body,” she says.
“I check the UV index every day and I’m always the one to offer sun cream to everyone else. I had a holiday booked to Egypt before all of this, but I also went to Centre Parcs and I was more excited to go to Centre Parcs than I was for Egypt, because of the weather. But I went there and I was wearing SPF 50. You can’t live life avoiding the sun, which is what I kind of had to learn.”
She is now campaigning for others to examine their skin and not to hesitate in being persistent with their GPs regarding worries. “I have posted about my story on TikTok. It felt right,” she says.
“The fact that I checked my mole because I saw someone else on TikTok encouraged me to put it out there. I’ve had so many messages from people that have reached out to me with their story. My dad, mum, sister, my partner, and my friends, I’ve told them all to go and get checked. A positive thing that can come out of this is making other people aware and educating them.”