Just like Peggy, 40-year-old Jennifer had a dangerous love affair with the sun. "I was a sun worshipper ever since I was a teen. I went to the beach every chance I got. I used baby oil instead of sunscreen. I loved when I got sunburned, because I knew I'd be tan in a few days. Being tan made me feel beautiful, confident and healthy."
All the fun in the sun caught up with Jennifer when melanoma was found on her cheek and had to be surgically removed. "You can see how disfiguring it can be, especially if it begins to invade through the skin," Dr. Oz says.
Jennifer has a few words of caution for Peggy. "I was just like you. I'm paying the price now. You have to respect yourself enough to stop—and your family and your friends. I was really lucky, my melanoma didn't spread. It doesn't mean that in two years it won't be everywhere. I have to live with that every single day—just because I wanted a tan. And it's just not worth it. You do not need to do this to yourself. You're beautiful. You do not need to be tan."
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