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A woman who has had more than 100 dangerous sun spots cut out of her skin is issuing a warning to Aussies about protecting their complexions under strong UV rays. 

Lana Kelly, from Brisbane, got her first skin cancer diagnosis when she was just 16 after growing up on the Sunshine Coast with a lax approach to sun protection. 

Since she had the cancer removed, the now-39-year-old has been hyper-vigilant when it comes to her skin and has regular checkups where almost every time something needs to be biopsied. 

Lana told FEMAIL she has had over 100 moles, spots, carcinomas and early-stage melanomas surgically removed despite staying out of the sun and always wearing sunscreen.

Her cautious attitude to the sun coupled with her desire for golden skin saw her become a fake tanning addict which sparked a business idea. Lana launched a line of haircare products, Auriche, specifically for self tanners in December. 

Lana Kelly, from Brisbane, got her first skin cancer diagnosis when she was just 16 after growing up on the Sunshine Coast with a lax approach to sun protection

 Lana Kelly, from Brisbane, got her first skin cancer diagnosis when she was just 16 after growing up on the Sunshine Coast with a lax approach to sun protection

Since her first skin cancer diagnosis, she has had more than 100 moles, spots carcinomas and early-stage melanomas surgically removed

Since her first skin cancer diagnosis, she has had more than 100 moles, spots carcinomas and early-stage melanomas surgically removed 

Lara has her first skin cancer scare when she was 16 after she got two spots that had changed in appearance on her face checked out by her GP. 

The spots were found to be cancerous and she had them removed leaving a ‘Harry Potter’ scar on her right cheek. 

‘When it’s cancerous they need to take quite a bit of tissue, it’s not just a simple cut,’ she said. 

‘That was a pretty scary experience being so young and having to have that kind of surgery. It was very sobering.’

Thankfully, skin cancers caught early enough can be removed surgically and there is no need for further treatment. 

Lana’s brush with skin cancer saw her become extra cautious when protecting herself from the sun but she wasn’t out of danger. 

‘Since that age, I’ve been going to the dermatologist definitely at least once a year but sometimes on three month cycle,’ she said. 

‘I don’t even know how many spots but I would have had probably a hundred cut off for biopsies and there were different types of cancer in (a number) of them.’

The now-39-year-old has been hyper vigilant when it comes to her skin and has regular check ups where almost every time something needs to be biopsied to check for cancer

The now-39-year-old has been hyper vigilant when it comes to her skin and has regular check ups where almost every time something needs to be biopsied to check for cancer 

Even though Lana has been to a dermatologist more times than she can count, she said waiting for biopsy results to determine if a suspicious spot was cancerous has never gotten easier. 

‘It’s nerve wracking each time. I think you don’t realise the stress until you get the text message saying it’s all fine or even to come back, at least you know,’ she said.

‘I’ve only had one very early stage melanoma but all of the other ones would have been problematic if I weren’t on top of them.’

Lana has become an expert in identifying when a freckle or mole has the potential to turn cancerous. 

She said it’s important to monitor moles and spots for any change in appearance or colour or if one becomes red, itchy or looks irregular.

‘Sometimes it’s just a weird feeling. Two weeks ago I had one cut off my collar bone. It looked stable, it hadn’t changed or anything but I kept finding myself drawn to and concerned about it,’ she said.  

Lana has become an expert in identifying is a spot has the potential to turn cancerous. She said to monitor any change in appearance or colour or if a spot becomes red or itchy

Lana has become an expert in identifying is a spot has the potential to turn cancerous. She said to monitor any change in appearance or colour or if a spot becomes red or itchy

Melanoma warning signs and symptoms: What to look out for 

  • New moles.
  • Moles that increases in size.
  • An outline of a mole that becomes notched.
  • A spot that changes colour from brown to black or is varied.
  • A spot that becomes raised or develops a lump within it.
  • The surface of a mole becoming rough, scaly or ulcerated.
  • Moles that itch or tingle.
  • Moles that bleed or weep.
  • Spots that look different from the others.

Source: Cancer Council

‘I went to see my dermatologist and in fact it was skin cancer. Over many years I’ve become very aware of where my spots are and really keep an eye on them and take notice when things might feel off.’

The risk of skin cancer has plagued Lana’s immediate family, not because of genetics, but a lack of education around sun protection when she was a child. 

Lana’s four sisters have had similar issues with two going through skin cancer treatments.  

Their dad has also undergone chemotherapy, radiation and had a portion of his skull removed when a dangerous melanoma spread. 

‘I’m always wearing hats and sunscreen and all of those sorts of things. Unfortunately for me though, the damage was done and locked in from a young age so it’s been years of seeing it manifest,’ Lana said. 

She and her sisters spent hours at the beach and in the sun as kids as their dad was a professional surfer but preventing sun burns was always an after thought.  

‘My parents were not super vigilant when it came to sun protection. They were quite young and the education around sun protection was not what it is today,’ she said. 

‘We would be fairly regularly sunburnt before the age of seven. The damage done before the age of seven is really critical. It really sticks with you.’

Lana's four sisters (pictured L-R: Lana, Nicolette Maxwell, Danika Maxwell and Talia O’Sullivan) have had similar issues with two going through skin cancer treatments

Lana’s four sisters (pictured L-R: Lana, Nicolette Maxwell, Danika Maxwell and Talia O’Sullivan) have had similar issues with two going through skin cancer treatments

Lana and her sisters spent hours at the beach and in the sun as kids as their dad was a professional surfer but preventing sun burns was always an after thought

Lana and her sisters spent hours at the beach and in the sun as kids as their dad was a professional surfer but preventing sun burns was always an after thought

UV damage that happens during childhood has been strongly linked to an increased risk of skin cancer later in life according to Better Health. 

As a result, Lana is always covered in sunscreen regardless of the weather and makes sure not to expose her skin to the sun if she can help it. 

Her favourite go-to sunscreen is La Roche-Posay SPF 50 which she reapplies every two hours.

‘It’s super light. I use that everywhere because it’s the kind of sunscreen where you don’t feel like you’re wearing anything. It’s in your handbag and it’s really easy to reapply,’ she said. 

Lana makes sure she gets up early before the UV levels peak to exercise or go to the beach where she uses invisible zinc as well as sun cream. 

She also always wears a hat and clothes that cover her up as much as possible during the day and swears by linen for when the weather is hot.

Despite her efforts to stay away from the sun, Lana always wanted a glowing bronze complexion which lead to her ‘addiction’ to fake tanning. 

Despite her efforts to stay away from the sun, Lana always wanted a glowing bronze complexion which lead to her 'addiction' to fake tanning

Despite her efforts to stay away from the sun, Lana always wanted a glowing bronze complexion which lead to her ‘addiction’ to fake tanning

‘Tanning is a religion for me,’ she joked. 

‘It’s a really nice way to feel better about my skin…My husband bought me a machine to do it for me at home which is so kind.’

Lana’s tanning obsession even saw her buy and ship a spray tan machine out to Italy for her destination wedding so she and some of her guests could have olive skin for her big day. 

She started to notice the damage fake tanning products was doing to her dyed-blonde hair. 

‘I was experiencing this awful yellow banding through my hairline. It took me a little while to figure out the reason was the tan,’ she said. 

‘I went online to see if there was a solution and there wasn’t which is just crazy to me.’

Lana started looking into the issue further and discovered tanning products not only cause discolouration to lighter hair but also damage and breakage. 

‘Discoloration is only a very small part of the problem. Even virgin hair is really badly damaged by fake tan,’ she explained. 

‘The (hair) cuticles can become entirely cracked making the hair dry and rough. As soon as the cuticle is damaged everything can penetrate the hair and it becomes more porous.’ 

Before and after: Lana discovered tanning products can be as 'damaging to hair as bleach' causing discolouration as well as breakage and dryness

Before and after: Lana discovered tanning products can be as ‘damaging to hair as bleach’ causing discolouration as well as breakage and dryness 

In December Lana launched Auriche offering products that treat and protect hair from self-tan mousse, spray tan, or gradual tanning lotion

In December Lana launched Auriche offering products that treat and protect hair from self-tan mousse, spray tan, or gradual tanning lotion

Tanning products come into contact with the hair around the back of the neck and on the mid-lengths and ends that touch the back and shoulders which is where the most damage is seen. 

Lana said many self tanners think the wispy hairs on the back of their neck are ‘baby hairs’ but they’re actually broken strands weakened by chemicals in tanning products.

The revelation of how bad tanning was for the hair set Lana on a path to create her own shampoo and conditioner specifically for those who love to use fake tan. 

She spent months experimenting with different solutions on her kitchen bench while she had lot of free time during COVID lockdown before enlisting the help of a chemist to come up with an effective formula. 

On December 1, after 18 months of researching and formulating, Lana launched Auriche offering products that treat and protect hair from self-tan mousse, spray tan, or gradual tanning lotion. 

She created a range of products suited to tanners who either need to repair existing damage, prevent breakage from occurring and protect locks from chemicals in fake tanning products Lana said can be as harmful to the hair as bleach. 

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This post first appeared on Daily mail