I Was the Pale Girl in High School—Now I'm a Four-Time Melanoma Survivor
My AccountFIND A DOCTORFaceAdult AcneAnti-AgingAntioxidantsCelebrityChronic Skin ConditionsEyeHydrationHyperpigmentationMakeupMale Skin CarePeelsPre-Event PrepRetinoidsSensitive SkinSkin CareSkin HealthSmileSun CareTreatmentsFillersMicroneedlingNeurotoxinsPost-Procedure Skin CareRegenerative AestheticsSkin Lifting and TighteningBodyBody SculptingBreastsButtsCelluliteFind a DoctorHair RemovalHands + NailsLegsPregnancyHairBond RepairCelebrity HairDry HairFrizzy HairGray HairHair ColorHair GrowthHair RepairScalp HealthTips + TutorialsAwardsNB100 Awards16th Annual Beauty Awards2025 NewBeauty Readers’ Choice AwardsShoppingBeautyReportGift GuidesNewBeauty StorefrontProduct ReviewsWellnessFitnessGLP-1sHealthMenopauseAbout UsTESTTUBEFaceView All FaceAdult AcneAnti-AgingAntioxidantsCelebrityChronic Skin ConditionsEyeHydrationHyperpigmentationMakeupMale Skin CarePeelsPre-Event PrepRetinoidsSensitive SkinSkin CareSkin HealthSmileSun CareTreatmentsView All TreatmentsFillersMicroneedlingNeurotoxinsPost-Procedure Skin CareRegenerative AestheticsSkin Lifting and TighteningBodyView All BodyBody SculptingBreastsButtsCelluliteFind a DoctorHair RemovalHands + NailsLegsPregnancyHairView All HairBond RepairCelebrity HairDry HairFrizzy HairGray HairHair ColorHair GrowthHair RepairScalp HealthTips + TutorialsAwardsView All AwardsNB100 Awards16th Annual Beauty Awards2025 NewBeauty Readers’ Choice AwardsShoppingView All ShoppingBeautyReportGift GuidesNewBeauty StorefrontProduct ReviewsWellnessView All WellnessFitnessGLP-1sHealthMenopauseAbout UsLoading…FIND A DOCTORTESTTUBE Advertisement Home›Skin Care›SPF I Was the Pale Girl in High School—Now I'm a Four-Time Melanoma Survivor A client's offhand comment led to my first diagnosis. A doctor who dismissed my concerns led to my second and third. Here's what happened next. Growing up, I was the pale girl. In high school, I was teased for it—called "Casper" or told people needed sunglasses around my fair skin. I grew up in California, surrounded by the "sun-kissed" beauty standard, and I always felt like I didn't quite fit it. Like many teens trying to fit in, I pushed against my own skin. That meant baby oil, hours in the sun, never once thinking about SPF. I just wanted to look like everyone else. I didn't care what it cost me.