Christie Brinkley reveals skin cancer diagnosis, 'lucky' to have caught it early

The supermodel had basal cell carcinoma removed from her face.

Not even the uptown girl is immune to skin cancer.

On Wednesday, former supermodel Christie Brinkley revealed that she was recovering from having skin cancer, specifically basal cell carcinoma, removed from her face. Brinkley shared a series of images on her Instagram page, including one of the bandaged wound, a more graphic shot of the wound itself, and a picture of her stitches.

"The good news for me is we caught the basal cell carcinoma early," she wrote in her caption. "And I had great doctors that removed the cancer and stitched me up to perfection like an haute couture Dior."

Brinkley then pivoted into using her experience to advocate for regular skin checks and protective measures. "The good news for you is that all of this can be avoided by being diligent with your sun protection!" she wrote. "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. And doing regular total body check ups..that is a MUST!"

Brinkley then explained that her cancer was actually discovered at her daughter's doctor's visit. "I was lucky to find mine, because I was accompanying one of my daughters to HER check up," she explained. "The Doctor was looking at each freckle with a magnifying glass. 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. 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!"

She concluded by thanking her doctors and the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York.

Brinkley has two daughters, Alexa Ray Joel and Sailor Lee Brinkley Cook, as well as a son, Jack Paris Brinkley.

Alexa Ray commented on her mother's post, writing, "Love you Mom. Let’s get Arnica Cream & Supplements, it’ll help your skin heal faster."

Brinkley rose to fame in the early 1980s for her appearances on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit addition. Lately, she's been a fixture on reality television, competing on both The Masked Singer and Dancing With the Stars. After an injury on the latter, her daughter, Sailor Lee, replaced her in the competition.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• An oral history of the original National Lampoon's Vacation ending you've never seen

• Olivia Munn reveals private battle with breast cancer: 'Surprisingly, I've only cried twice'

• Shannen Doherty remains hopeful as she reveals cancer has spread to her bones: 'I’m not done with living'
  

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.