Beth Brown, a 30-year-old flight attendant from Weymouth, Dorset, developed a 'hole in her face' after a six-year habit of weekly sunbed use and refusing to wear sunscreen. She was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common form of skin cancer, which affects 75,000 people annually in the UK.
From red patch to cancer diagnosis
In 2024, Brown noticed a small red patch on her face that she dismissed as eczema. Despite applying creams like E45 and Sudocrem, the patch grew flaky and crusty. By October 2025, makeup could no longer conceal it. After her boyfriend's mother, a GP, suggested it could be BCC, Brown sought medical advice and was diagnosed.
'I was so shocked, I hadn't realised the extent of what could happen from not wearing sun cream and using sun beds,' Brown said.
Six-month wait and surgery
Following her diagnosis, Brown waited six months for tumour removal surgery, fearing it would spread. The procedure on May 17 left her with an open wound rather than a skin graft. 'I walked out with a hole in my face,' she said. She took a month off work and attended weekly hospital visits for wound care. Her skin is now healed but sensitive.
Regret and raising awareness
Brown has since stopped using sunbeds and now wears factor 50 sunscreen daily. 'I was very naïve, I thought it would never happen to me,' she admitted. 'On social media, being tanned is portrayed as cool, but it's damaging your skin.' Her mother was also diagnosed with BCC after Brown's diagnosis.
