A mum was left with a 'hole in her head' after needing a chunk of skin on her scalp removed.
Mary Bentley, 34, from Texas, is sharing her story as a warning to others over using sunbeds after she faced a 90-minute procedure to remove cancerous skin tissue.
Mary was having her skin checked over in July when her dermatologist noticed a 'discoloured', flat mark in the centre of her scalp, underneath her hair.
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A biopsy revealed the mark was melanoma, and surgeons got to work straight away cutting away the cancerous skin and tissue - while Mary was awake.
The cancer had not spread and the mum was sent home once the wound had been stapled together.
As a former 'sunworshipper', she hopes to raise awareness of the importance of protecting your skin.
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"This summer I went to the dermatologist for a check up and she looked me over head to toe," says Mary.
"She says 'let me have a look at your scalp because I haven't checked your scalp' and she looks and sees that spot - it was just a weird discoloration that was flat.
"I wouldn't have even noticed that, I was paying more attention to my moles and seeing if they were evolving and changing.
"She biopsied it and about a week later the results came back that it was melanoma.
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"They numbed it and cut it out - that was disgusting because as they're working on your scalp while you're awake, you can hear the scissors snipping and them cutting your scalp."
Mary's melanoma was larger than a two pound coin and she was then transferred to UT Southwestern Medical Centre on 21 July, during which doctors removed an even bigger area.
It took doctors two rounds of surgery until the borders of the incision came back clear from melanoma.
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Mary was then put under general anaesthesia for almost two hours while a plastic surgeon closed the large hole on the top of her head with 13 staples.
Over the years, Mary has had more than 25 biopsies of moles, out of which five were precancerous, as well as the most recent and most serious melanoma on her scalp.
"I grew up here in Texas in the pool and on the lake because it's so hot here. Everyone knows about skin cancer but you don't think it'll happen to you," she says.
"When I got into high school I did use a tanning bed, that's what all the girls were doing - everyone was always bronzed and brown and now I'm paying for it.
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"I've always had a lot of moles and when I was 19 my husband said 'you might want to go and get those checked out' so I went to the dermatologist.
"They did some biopsies and one of them came back that it wasn't skin cancer but it was a precancerous spot so they had to do a larger biopsy.
"That's where it all started and I did start being more precautious but the damage was already done.
"I've stayed on top of it and I would go to the dermatologist every three to six months and I have several scars [from removals].
After her numerous cancer scares, the mum is passionate about teaching her children - as well as others - about the importance of looking after their skin.
"With my own children I've always driven them crazy because I lather them in sunblock and put long sleeves on them but now this has happened they're more aware and realise how important it is," she says.
"The beautiful bronze skin is not worth it, baking in the sun and tanning beds is not worth it because it could be lethal.
"You don't think of that when you're tanning but it could cost you your life. I just hope people learn to take care of their skin.
"Nowadays they have all these fake tanners if you want to be bronze for the weekend - just go buy one of them, it's way safer."
Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News and Media