What a New York woman thought was a pimple on her face turned out to be cancer. Now, she's working to educate others on protecting their skin.
Gibson Miller, 24, noticed a small pink spot she believed was a pimple under her left eye about a year ago. The blemish never went away, so Miller decided to follow a gut instinct and get it checked out by a doctor.
A biopsy revealed that the spot was stage 1 basal cell carcinoma -- a type of skin cancer.
Miller told KTVU-TV that after her diagnosis, she was "really lost because I didn't know anything about this, I didn't know anyone who had this."
Miller underwent surgery to remove the cancer on June 20, and underwent reconstructive story the next day. Her scar began healing weeks later.
Skin cancers are increasing at a rapid rate in women ages 18 to 39, TODAY reported. Melanoma rates increased 800 percent for this group from 1970 to 2009, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Other types of skin cancers, like basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, have increased by 145 percent and 263 percent.
Miller has made it her mission to encourage sunscreen usage among her peers. As a child, Miller was very active and spent a lot of time outdoors playing tennis. Her sunscreen use, however, wasn't always consistent.
“My new tagline: sunscreen is sexy. Everyone needs to wear it no matter what you do in the sun,” she said.
Dr. James Chelnis, who treated Miller, said people often overlook the eye area as a place to apply sunscreen.
“Around the eyes, you are not typically putting a heavy dose of sunblock and it is exposed,” he said. “It is true that a hat and sunglasses do help. But, it is important to pick the right sunblock.”
People should look for sunscreens with zinc oxide and titanium, as they provide better protection, Chelnis said. "Chemical sunscreens," or sunscreens containing ingredients that start with "oxy-," aren't as effective, Miller said.
Miller also recommended getting a full-body skin cancer check.
"Since I am more at risk, I will get a full-body skin cancer check twice a year. Everyone should get a full-body skin test once a year," she said. "You absolutely need to."
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