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Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mom's Melanoma Found in Unlikely Place: ‘Is This a Death Sentence?'
A mom of two from the UK says she first dismissed as a spot on her scalp as a mole Iit wasn't until her hairstylist told her it "looked bigger and darker" that she sought medical care The spot turned out to be melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, and now Michaela Peacock, 35, is awaiting the news of further biopsiesA mom of two credits her hairstylist with finding a deadly form of skin cancer on her scalp, after she'd dismissed the spot as a mole. Michaela Peacock, 35, says she was rubbing her head towards the end of 2024, when she felt a raised patch. When her husband looked at the spot, he told her it looked like a mole, and the pair dismissed it as something she's had and never noticed before. But when a friend alerted her that it might be something else, Peacock texted her hairstylist a photo of the spot. 'She said that it looked bigger and darker than when she last saw it, that's what made me go and get it checked,' Peacock said, according to the Daily Mail. 'The fact my hairdresser could say that looks bigger meant it was changing, so she helped save my life.' When she sought medical care this past January, Peacock says she was immediately referred to a specialist at her local hospital in the English town of Huntington. 'The mole was brown around the edges but really dark in the middle,' Peacock said, explaining, 'It was the pigment in it that made the doctors worry.' Doctors removed the mole, which was discovered to be melanoma. While skin cancer is the 'most common type of cancer' in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society and melanoma accounts for only about 1%, it 'causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths.' 'I was shocked when they said it was melanoma. My first thought was, 'Is this going to end up as a death sentence?' ' she said. 'When you hear the word 'cancer' you think of death.' She shared that when she was younger, she didn't wear sunscreen, admitting, 'I didn't like the feel of it.' 'I'm very fair-skinned and would never tan, so to get any hint of a tan I'd have to burn first and unfortunately in the past I've had some awful sunburn,' said Peacock, who is now awaiting results of biopsies on her lip and stomach and says she's 'terrified' to be in the sun. 'When you get a diagnosis of melanoma, you kind of feel you want to become a vampire,' she said. 'I wear SPF all the time now anyway, and on sunny days I wear factor 50, a hat, and sunglasses. I went to pick the kids up from school and even just walking across the playground to get to the shady bit, I could feel the sun on my arms, it makes you so paranoid.' 'I don't think people think of skin cancer as anything that serious,' she explained. 'I've even had people say, 'It's only skin cancer.' What a stupid thing to say. Melanoma is deadly. It kills people.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mom's Melanoma Found in Unlikely Place: ‘Is This a Death Sentence?'
A mom of two from the UK says she first dismissed as a spot on her scalp as a mole Iit wasn't until her hairstylist told her it "looked bigger and darker" that she sought medical care The spot turned out to be melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, and now Michaela Peacock, 35, is awaiting the news of further biopsiesA mom of two credits her hairstylist with finding a deadly form of skin cancer on her scalp, after she'd dismissed the spot as a mole. Michaela Peacock, 35, says she was rubbing her head towards the end of 2024, when she felt a raised patch. When her husband looked at the spot, he told her it looked like a mole, and the pair dismissed it as something she's had and never noticed before. But when a friend alerted her that it might be something else, Peacock texted her hairstylist a photo of the spot. 'She said that it looked bigger and darker than when she last saw it, that's what made me go and get it checked,' Peacock said, according to the Daily Mail. 'The fact my hairdresser could say that looks bigger meant it was changing, so she helped save my life.' When she sought medical care this past January, Peacock says she was immediately referred to a specialist at her local hospital in the English town of Huntington. 'The mole was brown around the edges but really dark in the middle,' Peacock said, explaining, 'It was the pigment in it that made the doctors worry.' Doctors removed the mole, which was discovered to be melanoma. While skin cancer is the 'most common type of cancer' in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society and melanoma accounts for only about 1%, it 'causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths.' 'I was shocked when they said it was melanoma. My first thought was, 'Is this going to end up as a death sentence?' ' she said. 'When you hear the word 'cancer' you think of death.' She shared that when she was younger, she didn't wear sunscreen, admitting, 'I didn't like the feel of it.' 'I'm very fair-skinned and would never tan, so to get any hint of a tan I'd have to burn first and unfortunately in the past I've had some awful sunburn,' said Peacock, who is now awaiting results of biopsies on her lip and stomach and says she's 'terrified' to be in the sun. 'When you get a diagnosis of melanoma, you kind of feel you want to become a vampire,' she said. 'I wear SPF all the time now anyway, and on sunny days I wear factor 50, a hat, and sunglasses. I went to pick the kids up from school and even just walking across the playground to get to the shady bit, I could feel the sun on my arms, it makes you so paranoid.' 'I don't think people think of skin cancer as anything that serious,' she explained. 'I've even had people say, 'It's only skin cancer.' What a stupid thing to say. Melanoma is deadly. It kills people.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mom's Melanoma Found in Unlikely Place: ‘Is This a Death Sentence?'
A mom of two from the UK says she first dismissed as a spot on her scalp as a mole Iit wasn't until her hairstylist told her it "looked bigger and darker" that she sought medical care The spot turned out to be melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, and now Michaela Peacock, 35, is awaiting the news of further biopsiesA mom of two credits her hairstylist with finding a deadly form of skin cancer on her scalp, after she'd dismissed the spot as a mole. Michaela Peacock, 35, says she was rubbing her head towards the end of 2024, when she felt a raised patch. When her husband looked at the spot, he told her it looked like a mole, and the pair dismissed it as something she's had and never noticed before. But when a friend alerted her that it might be something else, Peacock texted her hairstylist a photo of the spot. 'She said that it looked bigger and darker than when she last saw it, that's what made me go and get it checked,' Peacock said, according to the Daily Mail. 'The fact my hairdresser could say that looks bigger meant it was changing, so she helped save my life.' When she sought medical care this past January, Peacock says she was immediately referred to a specialist at her local hospital in the English town of Huntington. 'The mole was brown around the edges but really dark in the middle,' Peacock said, explaining, 'It was the pigment in it that made the doctors worry.' Doctors removed the mole, which was discovered to be melanoma. While skin cancer is the 'most common type of cancer' in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society and melanoma accounts for only about 1%, it 'causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths.' 'I was shocked when they said it was melanoma. My first thought was, 'Is this going to end up as a death sentence?' ' she said. 'When you hear the word 'cancer' you think of death.' She shared that when she was younger, she didn't wear sunscreen, admitting, 'I didn't like the feel of it.' 'I'm very fair-skinned and would never tan, so to get any hint of a tan I'd have to burn first and unfortunately in the past I've had some awful sunburn,' said Peacock, who is now awaiting results of biopsies on her lip and stomach and says she's 'terrified' to be in the sun. 'When you get a diagnosis of melanoma, you kind of feel you want to become a vampire,' she said. 'I wear SPF all the time now anyway, and on sunny days I wear factor 50, a hat, and sunglasses. I went to pick the kids up from school and even just walking across the playground to get to the shady bit, I could feel the sun on my arms, it makes you so paranoid.' 'I don't think people think of skin cancer as anything that serious,' she explained. 'I've even had people say, 'It's only skin cancer.' What a stupid thing to say. Melanoma is deadly. It kills people.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
I ignored an easily-missed sign of deadly skin cancer - until my hairdresser flagged it...everyone should perform vital check
A mother-of-two has saluted her hairdresser for saving her life—after the stylist spotted a hidden sign of deadly melanoma skin cancer that would otherwise have been missed. Michaela Peacock, 35, noticed a 10p-sized growth on her scalp while absent-mindedly rubbing her head while watching TV one evening late last year. She asked her husband to take a look underneath her hair, and he confirmed it looked like a raised mole, which the pair assumed she developed in childhood. But after a friend flagged the importance of keeping tabs on any changes, the aesthetics clinic owner texted her hairdresser a picture of the lesion, to ask if she'd noticed it. 'She said that it looked bigger and darker than when she last saw it, that's what made me go and get it checked,' said Ms Peacock. 'The fact my hairdresser could say that looks bigger meant it was changing, so she helped save my life.' In early January, Ms Peacock visited her GP to get the mole checked, and the doctor immediately referred her to North West Anglia hospital in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, for specialist investigation. 'The mole was brown around the edges but really dark in the middle,' she said. 'It was the pigment in it that made the doctors worry.' Michaela Peacock has credited her hairdresser for highlighting the change in a mole which triggered her diagnosis of deadly skin cancer At the hospital, the mole was removed, biopsied and six weeks later identified as melanoma—the deadliest form of skin cancer. If spotted at the earliest stages, almost 100 per cent of patients will survive for five years or more. However if diagnosed at later stages, when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, only around half of patients live for six years, according to Cancer Research UK. 'I was shocked when they said it was melanoma,' said Ms Peacock. 'My first thought was, "is this going to end up as a death sentence?"'. 'Melanoma caught early is very treatable and curable, but when you hear the word cancer you think of death.' Ms Peacock has reflected on her teenage sunbathing habits in the aftermath of her diagnosis. 'When I was a teenager and young adult I never used to wear sun cream because I didn't like the feel of it,' she admitted. 'I'm very fair skinned and would never tan, so to get any hint of a tan I'd have to burn first and unfortunately in the past I've had some awful sunburn. 'The consultant said it only takes one time to have a blistering sunburn and melanoma can present itself 20 years later, so I think it's from years of not looking after my skin.' Ms Peacock has since had subsequent biopsies taken of other moles on her stomach and inside her lip, which doctors suspect could be signs of further cancer. While doctors removed the initial growth during the biopsy, she may need further procedures and treatment if the other lesions are determined to be cancerous. 'I don't think people think of skin cancer as anything that serious,' she said. 'I've even had people say 'it's only skin cancer'. 'What a stupid thing to say. Melanoma is deadly, it kills people.' Ms Peacock said she's now 'terrified' to go outside in the sunshine. 'When you get a diagnosis of melanoma, you kind of feel you want to become a vampire,' she said. 'I wear SPF all the time now anyway and on sunny days I wear factor 50, a hat and sunglasses. 'I went to pick the kids up from school and even just walking across the playground to get to the shady bit I could feel the sun on my arms, it makes you so paranoid. 'I bang on to people all the time about wearing their SPF and not laying out in the sun. 'But how do you hit home with that message? I don't know how to do that unless you scare people, which is what my tactic is.' Last year, data revealed that rates of the cancer in the UK have increased by almost a third in the space of a decade. While the majority of the rise has been seen in older people, there has been a seven per cent increase in cases in people aged 25 to 49, according to the Cancer Research UK figures.
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'Hairdresser saved my life after I took huge risk with my teen suntan obsession'
The fair-skinned mum-of-two - who also works as a cancer nurse - says she is now 'paranoid' about going out in daylight - making her 'feel she wants to become a vampire' A pale mum claims her hairdresser 'saved her life' after discovering a hidden giant cancerous mole on her scalp - caused by 'burning' for a tan as a youngster. Michaela Peacock, 35, first noticed the 10p-sized growth on her scalp when absent-mindedly rubbing her head while watching TV. Unsure whether she'd always had it, she checked with her mum and then her hairdresser who said the mole was larger and darker than her last appointment, urging her to get it checked. After a trip to her GP and nearby hospital, the aesthetics clinic owner was diagnosed with stage 1a melanoma - something doctors believe was caused by sunburn while tanning as a youngster. The fair-skinned mum-of-two, who also works as a cancer nurse, says she now feels 'paranoid' about going out in daylight - making her 'feel she wants to become a vampire'. Now facing an anxious wait about whether her other moles are cancerous, Michaela is urging people to slap on the SPF to avoid the same thing happening to them. Michaela, from Market Deeping, Lincolnshire, said: "I found a mole on my scalp, on the left side just above my ear. It was the size of a 10p piece, so quite big. "I think that's why it was quite alarming because if you'd have had that anywhere else on your body you would have been like 'oh my God' but you're not looking at your scalp. "One night we were just sat watching the telly, I rubbed the side of my head underneath my hair with my fingers, it wasn't itchy, and I felt the tiniest lump. "I said to my husband Oliver 'what's that on my head?' and moved my hair. He said 'you've got a mole on your head'. I messaged my mum because I thought 'if she says that's been there ever since I was a child I won't worry too much about it'. "But Mum said she didn't remember me having a mole. A friend said 'why don't you message your hairdresser? She looks at your scalp every eight to 12 weeks'. "I sent her a picture of it and she said that it looked bigger and darker than when she last saw it, that's what made me go and get it checked. The fact my hairdresser could say 'that looks bigger' meant it was changing, so she helped save my life." After spotting the mole on December 1st, Michaela used a mole-mapping app on December 2nd and was told by a dermatologist to 'err on the side of caution' and get it checked by her GP. On January 2 she had a doctor's appointment and was given an urgent referral to North West Anglia hospital in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on January 8. There, the mole was removed, biopsied and six weeks later identified as melanoma. Michaela said: "The mole was brown around the edges but really dark in the middle - it was the pigment in it that made the doctors worry. "I was shocked when they said it was melanoma. My first thought was 'is this going to end up as a death sentence?' Melanoma caught early is very treatable and curable, but when you hear the word 'cancer' you think of death. "I've never used sunbeds in my life, but when I was a teenager and young adult I never used to wear sun cream because I didn't like the feel of it. "I'm very fair skinned and would never tan, so to get any hint of a tan I'd have to burn first and unfortunately in the past I've had some awful sunburn. "The consultant said it only takes one time to have a blistering sunburn and melanoma can present itself 20 years later, so I think it's from years of not looking after my skin." Now waiting on biopsy results from other moles on her stomach and inside her lip, Michaela is now sharing her story to 'scare' people into being responsible in the sun. Michaela said: "I wear SPF all the time now anyway and on sunny days I wear factor 50, a hat and sunglasses. When you get a diagnosis of melanoma it almost terrifies you to go out, you kind of feel you want to become a vampire. "I went to pick the kids up from school and even just walking across the playground to get to the shady bit I could feel the sun on my arms, it makes you so paranoid. I just don't think people think of skin cancer as anything that serious. I've even had people say 'it's only skin cancer'. "What a stupid thing to say. Melanoma is deadly, it kills people. I can bang onto people all the time, 'wear your SPF', don't lay out in the sun'. How do you hit home to people not to do it? I don't know how to do that unless you scare people, which is what my tactic is." Information on melanoma from the NHS Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that can spread to other areas of the body. The main cause of melanoma is ultraviolet light, which comes from the sun and is used in sunbeds. Things that increase your chances of getting melanoma include your age and having pale skin, a large number of moles and a family history of skin cancer. It's often possible to prevent skin cancer by being careful in the sun – for example, by using sunscreen and reapplying it regularly.
