Woman 'freaked out' when doctors told her what 'eczema' really was

Woman 'freaked out' when doctors told her what 'eczema' really was Beth Brown said she regrets using sun beds and not wearing sun cream A flight attendant who thought the red patch on her face was eczema felt 'freaked out and also really stupid' when she was told it was much more serious. Beth Brown, now 30, said she never wore SPF and would use sun beds for 20 minutes at a time since she was 22. But she initially dismissed the red patch on her face as eczema, until it continued to grow and decided to go to the doctors. She was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) - the most common type of skin cancer - but faced a six-month wait to have the cancer removed. In May she had the tumour removed and is now raising awareness about the importance of wearing sun cream and of staying away from sun beds. Beth, from Weymouth, Dorset, said: “I was very naive, I thought it would never happen to me. I definitely regret using sun beds now. “When I was diagnosed with BCC, I felt so freaked out and also really stupid. I thought, ‘have I done this to myself?’. I just want to help other girls and raise awareness that it is more common than you think and it could happen to you.” Beth has always loved getting a tan and as she is constantly jetting off to sunny destinations in her job as a flight attendant, she spends plenty of time soaking up rays on the beach or by the pool. “My mum never used sun cream, her generation were always frying in the sun," she said. “I never really used it either, as it’s what I’d grown up with." Since 2018 Beth has been a regular sun bed user and would switch between using them either twice a month, or once a week. She started by going on sun beds for six minutes, then eight minutes and built up to 20 minutes. “It scares me now, but it was just the norm," she said. “On social media, being tanned is portrayed as being cool, but it’s quite sad really, as actually you are damaging your skin." Around two years ago, Beth noticed a small red patch on the side of her head that would go flaky and scab over. As she had eczema as a child, Beth assumed this was the same thing, but the patch started to get bigger and would sometimes bleed. By October 2025 Beth was no longer able to cover up the patch with make-up. Concerned, she spoke to her boyfriend’s mum, who is a doctor and was told that she could have basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common type of skin cancer. “If it wasn’t for her, I might never have gone to the doctors," she said. Beth booked an appointment and, after tests, was diagnosed with BCC. “I was so shocked, I hadn’t realised the extent of what could happen from not wearing sun cream and using sun beds," she said. She was put on a waiting list to have the BCC removed and waited six months for her appointment. “I was so scared that it would grow while I was waiting for the appointment," she said. After her diagnosis, Beth’s mum decided to go for a check-up as well and was also diagnosed with BCC. On May 17, 2026, Beth had a procedure to remove the BCC and chose to leave her wound open, rather than having a skin graft. “I hadn’t known how intense the healing process would be," she said. “I’d told my work I’d be back the next day as I thought I'd just have a little stitch, but I walked out with a hole in my face," she said. Following the procedure, Beth took a month off work to heal and went for weekly hospital appointments so her wound could be redressed. Her skin is now fully healed, but remains sensitive. Since her diagnosis, Beth has stopped using sun beds and now prioritises going in the shade and wearing factor 50. “I’m a sunshine baby at heart, but I make sure to look after my skin," she said. “I wear SPF every day now, I can’t imagine going outside without putting it on my face. “I don’t think girls realise you can still get a tan while wearing sun cream. It just protects your skin. “Being outside and getting vitamin D is so important, but just make sure you don’t fry. Sit in the shade, wear sun cream, wear a hat.”