A young tanning bed junkie who has spent five days a week under UV rays from the age of 16 wants to warn other fans who feel as “invincible” as he, after suffering major skin cancer.
“I never knew how dangerous tanning beds could be. I thought I was indomitable as a teenager,” said Jack Howell, 23, reportedly. The Independent. The first place I attended didn’t even have a receptionist. You just had to pay for the device, like a parking meter.”
The youngster from Swansea, South Wales, started going to tanning salons at the age of 16 to follow his group of friends, he told English media.
In that time, he can spend up to five days a week under UV rays, for 18 minutes at a time.
Her diagnosis came at the age of 21, after a bleeding mole was discovered on her skin. The result: He suffered from melanoma, a type of skin cancer caused by the sun.
Between May and September, he underwent two sessions of radiotherapy, to no avail. But during that time the cancer had spread from his back to his groin area, forcing him to have surgery to remove his lymph nodes.
Finally, it was immunotherapy treatments every six weeks between Christmas 2021 and 2022 that got him into recovery.
Today, the young man is sharing his experience on TikTok, to raise awareness among young people who may feel invincible like him.
“I hope my story will be a warning to others. He is now involved in several organizations fighting cancer,” added the man.
“I haven’t gone back to tanning beds since my diagnosis. I only use fake tan now.”
