I Paid for My Lifelong Love of Tanning with a Melanoma Diagnosis — at Age 26
Young and invincible, I believed melanoma only affected older people. I was wrong.
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Skin Cancer
Real Women, Real Stories
I Thought I Was Too Young to Get Melanoma
I was 26 when I found the first spot. Then it came back.
I Grew Up Thinking I Was Immune to Skin Cancer Based on My Ethnicity. I Was Wrong.
As a young melanoma survivor of color, I advocate for awareness and sun protection for everyone
My Melanoma Was Dismissed as an Inflamed Hair Follicle
As a young woman of color, I was seemingly the last person who would be struck by the potentially lethal skin cancer
Articles
Immunotherapy for Melanoma, Explained
The aggressive nature of melanoma makes it a difficult cancer to treat, but newer immunotherapy options harness the body's immune system to better recognize and destroy cancerous cells.
Types of Melanoma
Melanoma doesn’t only develop in the skin. Learn how to spot the different types.
Metastatic Melanoma 101
Learn how to protect yourself from this aggressive skin cancer and what it means when it spreads
Comic: Monica and the Melanoma Check
Black women can get melanoma, too. And they often have different symptoms than their fair-skinned counterparts.
How to Conduct a Skin Cancer Self-Exam If You Have a Darker Skin Tone
Skin cancer looks different in people of color. Learn what to look for and how to protect yourself.
Melanoma Rates Are Rising. How Can You Protect Yourself?
Learn what you can do to protect yourself and your family from the deadliest form of skin cancer
Dermatology Tips for Women of Color
Your skin tone can affect how you care for it. Learn more about common dermatology concerns for women with darker skin.
The ABCDEs of Spotting Melanoma
A few simple tricks can help you check for this deadly skin cancer
Melanoma 101
Rates of melanoma — the deadliest form of skin cancer — have been on the rise for women. Learn the signs of this serious skin cancer.
Why Are People of Color More Likely to Die from Skin Cancer?
Melanoma isn’t a common cancer diagnosis for people with darker skin, but those who develop it are less likely to survive
Fast Facts: What You Need to Know About Skin Cancer
Skin cancer affects 3 million people a year. Here's how to do your best to avoid being one of them.
Videos
What Is Melanoma? A Reel by Dr. Obioha
HealthyWomen partnered with dermatologist Onyeka Obioha, M.D., to teach you how to best protect your skin from harmful UV exposure. Watch our reel.
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Pagué por mi pasión de broncearme con un diagnóstico de melanoma cuando tenía 26 años
Joven y, según yo, invencible, creía que el melanoma solo afectaba a personas mayores. Estaba equivocada.
Explicación de la inmunoterapia para el melanoma
La naturaleza agresiva del melanoma lo hace un cáncer difícil de tratar, pero opciones de inmunoterapias más nuevas aprovechan el sistema inmunológico del cuerpo para reconocer y destruir de mejor forma las células cancerosas.
Tipos de melanoma
El melanoma no solo se desarrolla en la piel. Aprende cómo identificar los varios tipos.
Introducción al melanoma metastásico
Entérate de cómo protegerte de este cáncer agresivo de la piel y las implicaciones de su propagación