The former Girls Aloud star, 32, revealed that when she discovered a dark spot on her leg a few years back, she immediately thought the worst.
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“We were on a shoot in Tuscany and one of my management noticed it,” she told a UK magazine.
“I had this dark pot on my leg that was really annoying me and she said I should get it looked at. I went to a skin specialist and she it was better to be safe than sorry, so it was removed.
“It was daunting at the time because you build up all sorts of things in your head about it and you’re like: “Oh my God.”
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But one good thing to come out of the experience is that Sarah is now a lot more aware of protecting herself.
She continued: “I’d say it definitely made me more wary about sun exposure and protecting myself. Plus, the sun’s very aging. “
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Sarah avoids the sun’s harsh UV rays but keeps a healthy-looking glow with the help of fake tan now, and always uses a high-factor sun protection on her face.
She added: “I tend to put more fake tan on my face than the rest of my body – I don’t have the patience to lie out in the sun on holiday anyway. I’d much rather sit in the pool on a step or in the shade and read a book.”