How One Woman's Bikini Selfies Saved Her Life

With warm spring and summer months beckoning ever closer, one woman's precautionary tale comes at [...]

By Libby Birk

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(Photo: Cosmopolitan)

With warm spring and summer months beckoning ever closer, one woman's precautionary tale comes at the perfect time to remind us to take care of our skin.

Cloe Jordan, a 21-year-old from Wolverhampton, U.K., says that her love of selfies saved her life. Jordan was born with a mole on her stomach, but always resented it for being an eyesore in selfies.

Last summer, Jordan says she "didn't take much notice" when the mole began changing in size and shape. Eventually the mole began to make her feel insecure about the way she looked, so the selfie-lover visited her doctor to find out if she could get it removed.

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"I had hated it for some time, and every time I wore a bikini or nice underwear and took a selfie, I felt it was getting in the way," the 21-year-old said to Caters News. "I never imagined [getting] something so serious while being young, but I'm so thankful it was getting in the way of my bikini selfies now, as it has definitely saved my life."

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(Photo: Cosmopolitan)

She was shocked to discover her doctor's concern over the mole, especially since it had been changing in size and color — something she took as normal (these signs are not normal).

After a biopsy, Jordan was devastated to learn it was melanoma. She has since undergone surgery to have the mole removed, and it left a scar much larger than the mole because doctors say the cancer had spread beneath her skin.

Jordan decided to share a photo of the scar, hoping to help anyone else who might dismiss a cancerous mole as simply unsightly.

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(Photo: Cosmopolitan)

Jordan is now awaiting further treatment and tests to determine if she is actually cancer-free.

"I knew that if by sharing my experiences, it stopped one person [from indoor tanning], it would be worthwhile. I will never lay in the sun again and would much rather stick to a bottle of fake tan or have a spray tan than damage my skin," said the survivor, who added that she used to love being tan and once used indoor tanning beds up to twice a month.

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