KEEPING an eye on the way your body looks is all part and parcel of being a model.
But when Alison Kay Bowles noticed a mole on her back, she knew it was cause for concern.
The 25-year-old had a friend who previously suffered with the skin cancer, melanoma and had told her to monitor moles that changed or grew bigger than a pencil eraser or rubber.
So when Alison, who lives in Florida, US, noticed a mole on her back had changed colour, she immediately scheduled an appointment to see a dermatologist.
“Sure enough, it was cancerous,” she said.
The model had a biopsy straight away and just a few weeks later, had surgery to remove the mole.
Read more on skin cancer
Alison said: “I had 12 stitches on the inside and outside.
“I remember walking into my surgery and the doctor warning me; ‘I am not going to sugarcoat this, I don’t know if we can get everything out, you may have to do radiation if not.
“But luckily we could fully remove everything with skin surgery.”
The model, who has been on the cover of publications such as Forbes, is now opening up about her ordeal, after trolls online criticised her remaining moles.
She has a few moles on her torso and chest, and one keyboard warrior questioned why she hadn’t also gotten rid of them.
The troll said: “I’m surprised you haven’t invested in removing all the moles with all the designer bags you’ve spent money on.”
Rather than retaliate, Alison has used the negative comments to try and educate her followers on the dangers of skin cancer.
She said that she had woken up to the nasty comment one morning and felt offended, she added that it was ‘strange’ for people to comment on her moles.
“I have never really noticed them or seen them as a flaw, however, I took note that it was May 1, the first day of Melanoma Awareness Month.
