![\"Lisa](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_306675008-976a.jpg\")
\n\t\tLisa was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (Picture: Kennedy News & Media)<\/p>\n
\t\t
\n\t\tLisa was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (Picture: Kennedy News & Media)<\/p>\n
Growing up, Lisa Christian often felt self-conscious of her pale skin. Standing next to her olive-skinned sisters<\/a>, the teenager would be embarrassed about her porcelain complexion in comparison.<\/p>\n \u2018If we went to prom and everyone put their dresses on, they\u2019d all look like Barbie dolls, and I\u2019d look like a ghost,\u2019 the mum-of-one remembers.<\/p>\n Eventually, Lisa became convinced that a deep tan would ease her insecurities and help her \u2018feel pretty<\/a>.\u2019<\/p>\n The teenager\u2019s desire to get a \u2018healthy tan\u2019 sparked a decades-long habit of applying SPF and lying out in the sun so she could get a good colour. <\/p>\n For years, Lisa had no apparent issues \u2014 until last December, when the 61-year-old noticed a pin-sized dot on the right side<\/a> of her nose begin to bleed in the shower.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tAsk Metro<\/p>\n Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about \u2013 powered by Metro and trusted publications.<\/p>\n After getting the mark checked out and having a biopsy in March this year, the former florist received a devastating diagnosis: she had squamous cell carcinoma; a type of slow-growing form of skin cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t However, Lisa\u2019s cancer<\/a> had spread inside her face, and she needed urgent, extreme surgery to have it removed. Not treated quickly, the cancer could kill her.<\/p>\n \u2018Just because the dot is little on the outside doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s the same on the inside,\u2019 she says. \u2018That dot, the cancer, had gone to the cartilage of my nose, so it was all under the skin.\u2019<\/p>\n Lisa, who lives in Tennessee, had to endure an operation that involved cutting a flap of skin from her forehead, which was dragged down and placed over her nose to reconstruct her face.<\/p>\n WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES<\/p>\n \u2018They basically scalp you and pull the skin forward, so that when it goes onto your nose it keeps the blood flow,\u2019 the mum explains.<\/p>\n The procedure, in April 2026, not only left Lisa with a large scar down her face but also huge psychological trauma. <\/p>\n Although life-saving, she admits that the surgery left her feeling like she was wearing a mask, making her reluctant to leave the house for fear of \u2018scaring children\u2019. <\/p>\n \t\t It was three days before Lisa saw her reflection in the mirror. <\/p>\n \u2018It was actually by accident that I saw myself. I had gone to the bathroom, and I went to brush my teeth and looked up; it was there,\u2019 she remembers.<\/p>\n \u2018I cried. The hardest thing is, I\u2019m not a vain person, but the isolation I feel\u2026 I\u2019ve been in this house for months and not gone anywhere.\u2019<\/p>\n Lisa also feels that her fears are justified, adding: \u2018I order my groceries, and when they [delivery drivers] bring them, I walk out on my porch, and I don\u2019t really think. But they look at me in shock.<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018I feel like I can\u2019t leave the house at the moment as I don\u2019t want to scare some little kids, but then, on the other hand, if it scares a teenager and they don\u2019t go in the sun, that\u2019s good.\u2019<\/p>\n Alongside the dot on her nose, Lisa also had a \u2018dry spot\u2019 above her lip removed, which also turned out to be squamous cell carcinoma. She\u2019s now had three surgeries in total to help reconstruct her face and may need to undergo one more procedure.<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019m not worried about the scar tissue, but the emotional scars, knowing how they had cut up my face and feeling like I did it to myself \u2014 that\u2019s a big one,\u2019 she admits.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tSquamous cell carcinoma\t\t\t<\/p>\n Symptoms can include:<\/p>\n A firm bump on the skin, called a nodule. The nodule might be the same color as the skin, or it might look different. It can look pink, red, black or brown, depending on skin color. Since her skin cancer diagnosis, Lisa is now urging others to think twice about sitting out in the sun<\/a> and urges them to protect their skin<\/a> from a young age.<\/p>\n She says: \u2018When you\u2019re 18 or 19 years old, you just say \u201cI\u2019ll just take care of my skin when I\u2019m older.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t \u2018No, you need to [take care of your skin then], or you\u2019re going to have problems when you\u2019re older.\u2019<\/p>\n Lisa goes on to say that her photos may be \u2018graphic,\u2019 but \u2018believes people need to see them, especially young women and girls.<\/p>\n \u2018A lot of the time they don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to happen to them. If it\u2019s graphic enough, they may lie in the sun and think, \u201cwait a minute, I remember what that girl\u2019s nose looked like.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Be happy with who you are and be happy with the complexion you [have]. Don\u2019t feel the need to go out and tan in order to feel pretty.\u2019<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tHow to stay safe in the sun\t\t\t<\/p>\n The UK has seen unprecedented and record-breaking heatwaves <\/a>this year. The NHS has shared sun safety tips<\/a>, and stressed that you can still burn in the UK, even when it is cloudy. <\/p>\n Spend time in\u00a0the shade between 11am\u00a0and 3pm Cancer Research UK advises<\/a> against people using sunbeds or sunlamps, as they can cause skin cancer, premature skin ageing, sunburnt skin, and eye irritation<\/p>\n Do you have a story you\u2019d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Picture](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_306656727-d4e0-e1785253883696.jpg\")
\n\t\tLisa grew up feeling self-conscious about her skin (Picture: Kennedy News & Media)<\/p>\n![\"Picture](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_306656707-9c5c-e1785236348925.jpg\")
\n\t\t\u2018I feel like I can\u2019t leave the house\u2019 (Picture: Kennedy News & Media)<\/p>\n![\"Picture](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_306656550-100d-e1785236222589.jpg\")
\n\t\t\u2018Be happy with who you are and be happy with the complexion you have\u2019 (Picture: Kennedy News & Media)<\/p>\n
\nA flat sore with a scaly crust.
\nA new sore or raised area on an old scar or sore.
\nA rough, scaly patch on the lip that may become an open sore.
\nA sore or rough patch inside the mouth.
\nA raised patch or wartlike sore on or in the anus or on the genitals.<\/p>\n![\"Picture](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_306656569-3591-e1785236381906.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe aftermath of the surgery had harrowing psychological effects (Picture: Kennedy News & Media)<\/p>\n
\nNever burn
\nCover up with suitable clothing and sunglasses, such as a wide-brimmed hat to cover the face, neck and ears
\nTake extra care with children
\nKeep babies under 6 months out of direct sunlight
\nUse at least factor 30 sunscreen \u2013 make sure to use enough and re-apply frequently. When buying sunscreen,\u00a0the\u00a0label should have a\u00a0sun protection factor (SPF)<\/a> of at least 30\u00a0to protect against UVB and at least 4-star UVA protection
\nIf you plan to be out in the sun long enough to risk burning, sunscreen needs to be applied twice: 30 minutes before going out, and just before going out
\nPeople with pale skin, freckles, many moles, red or fair hair, skin problems and a family history of skin cancer should be particularly careful<\/p>\n
\nMORE: \u2018I spent \u00a310,000 to build a mini Greece in my backyard\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: I was just 8 when I found out I had hepatitis B \u2014 I assumed I was going to die young<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: I hid my drinking from my police colleagues and family for years due to a secret shame<\/a><\/p>\n