Christie Brinkley reveals skin cancer diagnosis was caught during daughter’s routine checkup

Former supermodel Christie Brinkley revealed Wednesday she’s been diagnosed with skin cancer while she tagged along for one of her daughter’s routine checkups.

The 70-year-old, recognized as one of the most successful models of the ’80s, announced the news in an Instagram post, sharing an image of herself with bandages on her forehead.

Brinkley also shared graphic photos of the excision, as well as her stitches after the procedure.

“The good news for me is we caught the basal cell Carcinoma early,” Brinkley captioned her post. “And I had great Doctors that removed the cancer and stitched me up to perfection like an haute couture Dior.”

Basal cell carcinoma is “the most common form of skin cancer and the most frequently occurring form of all cancers,” according to the Skin Cancer Foundation,

Brinkley said she was “lucky” to have caught the cancer early, explaining that she went along with her daughter to her appointment when the doctor noticed the mark near her eye.

“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,” she shared.

“He took a look and knew immediately it needed a biopsy! He did it then and there!”

Brinkley, who was previously married to rocker Billy Joel from 1985 to 1994, urged fans to get regular check-ups and use SPF protection against the sun.

“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,” she added.

The post came weeks after Brinkley celebrated her 70th birthday in February.

The model marked the occasion by showing off her toned abs in a series of pics taken at home.

“Looking in the mirror on my 70th Birthday and what do I see, I’m finally happy with the person looking back at me,” she wrote, in part.

Brinkley added that she’s “no longer critical and demanding” but instead “grateful and understanding.”