Q. Chloe, tell us a little about yourself…
A: Hey, I'm Chloe. I’m 29 years old and I’m a wife and mum of 4 kiddies 10, 8,6 and 4. I was born in Adelaide, Australia, and I am still raising my babies here in our hometown.
Q. Can you share why raising awareness about skin cancer is so important to you?
A: Apart from it being one of the most diagnosed cancers in Australia, I myself was diagnosed with skin cancer at 28 years old. Something you just don’t expect when you still feel so young and invincible. What I realise now is that outside of the doctor’s office, we rarely hear any information about skin cancer or have conversations in general with our families until it’s too late. After being so open and vulnerable with my own cancer journey, and as a mum of young children I find nothing more important than sharing and guiding our peers on how important sun safety is no matter your age.
Q. What was your approach to sun safety/skin safety growing up and then in your teens/early twenties?
A: Living in Australia we've all had our parents nag at us at some point in our childhood the importance of using sunscreen and not getting sunburnt. Unfortunately, my priority was having nice olive skin and laying in the sun until I was red raw. I would spend countless hours using oils and lying down on the beach through our summer school holidays hoping to leave the beach burnt. Not so surprisingly, I had two non-cancerous moles removed at the age of 10-12 and even after the doctor warned me "You should cover up when going down the beach and protect your skin," as a teenager, his words didn't mean much to me. Regretfully, I didn't listen.
Q. How did you discover you had cancer on your eyelid?
A: I had an almost scab-looking dot on my eyelid that would often become itchy and red, I would pick it off and it would bleed and then come back and be a continuous cycle. I remember thinking that something didn’t seem right.
Q. Can you share what steps you took when you had initial concerns?
A: Looking back on photos, I noticed the dot appeared at the end of 2022, but it really only started to become an issue in April 2023. Around this time, my eye would often become irritated to the point I couldn't see out of it, which led me to visiting the emergency department two times. It wasn't until September 2023 I booked myself in for a yearly skin check (I hadn't had it for about 10 years). I have quite a few moles all over my body that I’ve been told to be careful of but as he got to my face he asked: "How long have you had this dot?" I told him it had been almost two years. His next words were, "I don't mean to scare you but it doesn't look good".
Two weeks later I was sitting in one of Adelaide's top plastic surgeon's offices diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma.
Q. What was running through your head when you received the diagnosis?
A: Honestly…
‘This can't be real I'm too young.’
It actually wasn't until I met with the third surgeon that I really understood the damage that the sun had done to my body and how important sun safety is.
So, as you can imagine, I cried and sat in disbelief. I was quite numb and felt like I had no emotions at all as I couldn't believe this was happening at 28 years old.
Q. What changes have you made to your lifestyle after hearing your diagnosis?
A: Since my cancer diagnosis I've been more mindful of what my children and I wear when going out in the sun. I know I don't need to be scared of the sun but it’s more about knowing the ways to protect myself and my family. I’d say I'm more aware of ways we protect ourselves when doing life outdoors. The huge change I’ve made is ensuring we all wear sunscreen and a hat every single day, regardless of the weather.
Q. How has it impacted those around you? Like your friends and family?
A: It has been a blessing in disguise, and a great conversation starter for my children and wider family. My eye was sewn shut for 5 weeks which meant my children had so many questions. I also became quite open and vulnerable and shared my story online, and I was incredibly thankful that it encouraged my dad and grandpa to get their own skin checked as this led to them finding two BCC's as well. Overall it has saved a handful of lives just in my immediate circle, so the impact is significant.
Q. Are you in the all-clear? How have things been for you since?
A: Honestly, it’s been tough. I recently went back to my surgeon to check on my skin graft, and during the appointment, they also checked my bloods. They believe there might be a spot that was missed. Instead of taking a biopsy, because of my history and the location of the spot, they’ve recommended I go back in for surgery at the end of the month to have it removed.
As you can imagine, I’m feeling all kinds of emotions. On one hand, I’m just like, “Do whatever you need to do, get rid of it, get it out of my body.” But on the other hand, I’m anxious—wondering what this all means. Will this finally be over?
I do feel a small sense of relief knowing they haven’t rushed me into surgery. It gives me some hope that once it’s removed, this will be behind me. But at the same time, it’s a sharp reminder that things don’t always resolve as quickly or simply as you’d like.
Health is so important, and we can’t afford to take it for granted.
Q. How do you hope to positively impact others by sharing your story?
A: If there is a ripple effect I could make by sharing my story, it would be raising awareness of the importance of getting your yearly skin checks, and educating people about the precautions you can use to prevent skin cancer. I hope to help both those young and old to really understand that you don't have to be a certain age to get these checks done, and most of all, to help be a part of a conversation that discusses how we can look after our skin to avoid these heartbreaking diagnoses.
Q. If you could share one piece of advice to those reading this, what would you say?
A: You don't need to lay in the sun for hours to look good, cancer doesn't discriminate it'll come for you any time in your life. So please, educate yourself on sun safety.
Feeling inspired by Chloe’s story and eager to start implementing a more sun-safe lifestyle? The good news is, that you can still achieve a healthy-looking summer glow without compromising your skin’s safety. Our Sontse Golden Hour Self-Tanning Mousse—is your UV-free alternative to sun-kissed skin.
Alternatively, you can catch up on all the Undress 2024 Q&As with just a few clicks. Read Melanoma Survivor stories including Raylene’s and Michelle’s or get the raw account of Skin Cancer Nurse and TikTok Tan Tester, Maddy.
Written By Liana Pantalone – Beauty & Skincare Copywriter at Climbing Vine Co.
