"The good news for me is we caught the basal cell Carcinoma early."
Christie Brinkley just revealed that she's been diagnosed with skin cancer.
On Wednesday, the 70-year-old model shared the news with fans with a trio of selfies from the hospital on Instagram, announcing that she successfully underwent surgery to remove the cancer. "The good news for me is we caught the basal cell Carcinoma early. And I had great Doctors that removed the cancer and stitched me up to perfection like an haute couture Dior," Brinkley wrote alongside a slideshow of photos — including one that showed an open excision on her forehead, as well as another of her stitches following the procedure.
Brinkley then reminded fans about the importance of sun protection. "The good news for you is that all of this can be avoided by being diligent with your sun protection! I got serious a bit late so now for this ole mermaid/gardener, I’ll be slathering on my SPF 30, reapplying as needed, wearing long sleeves and a wide brim hat," she continued in her caption, adding: "And doing regular total body check ups..that is a MUST!"
Yes, You're Supposed to Wear Sunscreen Year-Round
She noted that she was accompanying one of her daughters at her checkup when she found out she needed a biopsy for one of her moles. "It wasn’t my appointment so I wasn’t going to say anything but at the VERY end I asked if he could just look at a little tiny dot I could feel as I applied my foundation," Brinkley explained. "He took a look and knew immediately it needed a biopsy! He did it then and there! So make your own good luck by making that check up appointment today. And slather up my friends!"
Back in 2017, Brinkley, an avid sunbather, opened up about going as far as wearing a bikini to avoid tan lines while gardening. “I always put a bikini on and say, ‘Oh, it is just to wear around the house. I am not going to go anywhere in it. I just want to get a little color while I am gardening,’” Brinkley previously told People. She added, “I run around trimming my begonias to even everything out so I don’t have any tan lines.”