70-year-old Christie Brinkley became a household name as a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model and as the face of CoverGirl. But, Brinkley recently revealed, her time in the sun has taken a toll, and she developed skin cancer on her face. Brinkley opened up about her diagnosis and issued earnest advice to her nearly 900k followers on Instagram.
The official diagnosis is basal cell carcinoma, which starts in the basal cell, a type of cell in the skin that produces new cells as old ones die off. It is both the most common type of skin cancer and the most frequently occurring of all types of cancer and manifests most often in areas of the skin exposed to sunlight. Here is Brinkley’s experience and her advice to others so they may avoid her situation.
Christie Brinkley shares her skin cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment
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On Wednesday, Brinkley took to social media to share that she was diagnosed with skin cancer. “The good news for me is we caught the basal cell Carcinoma early,” she assured, adding, “And I had great Doctors that removed the cancer and stitched me up to perfection like an haute couture Dior.”
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She went on, “The good news for you is that all of this can be avoided by being diligent with your sun protection!” Brinkley admitted that “I got serious a bit late so now for this ole mermaid/gardener,” but vowed, “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 just so happened to discover hers because she was accompanying her daughter to her own checkup.
Addressing health concerns is a must for all
Brinkley made the right call in asking the doctor to look at the tiny little dot she felt every time she went to apply foundation, which ended up actually being skin cancer. He “immediately” knew it called for a biopsy and Brinkley was able to receive rapid treatment.
According to Yale Medicine, the consequences of leaving basal cell carcinoma untreated can be dire. If left to its own devices, it will grow – and it’ll grow deeper under the skin, destroying surrounding tissue. Untreated basal cell carcinoma on the face can grow into the bone and even the brain, warns dermatologist Dr. Sean Christensen.
“So make your own good luck by making that check up appointment today,” urged Brinkley. “And slather up my friends!”
Whenever we are out in the sun, our skin may absorb ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which damages the very DNA in our cells. This damage enables cells to grow out of control and incorrectly. The American Cancer Society notes that it is neither possible nor health to completely avoid sunlight; indeed, sunlight is a source of Vitamin D, which has many health benefits of its own. It does adivse to avoid too much sun by staying in the shade, wearing clothing that will protect vulnerable skin, wearing sunglasses and a hat, and applying sunscreen to skin that isn’t covered by clothing. The American Academy of Dermatology advises that people select a sunscreen with an SPF rating of 30 or higher; if a sunscreen says it is broad spectrum, that means it protects from both UVA rays and UVB rays.
