Christie Brinkley diagnosed with skin cancer, encourages sun protection

WASHINGTON (TND) — Model and actress Christie Brinkley announced Wednesday that she has been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.

Brinkley shared the news on Instagram saying, "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."

She encouraged her followers to be diligent with sun protection and to do regular total body checkups.

"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 checkups," she wrote.

Brinkley pointed out that she was accompanying her daughter to an appointment when it was caught.

"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 added that the doctor looked at it and immediately knew it needed a biopsy.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer and often appears as changes in the skin, such as a growth or a sore that won't heal, according to the Mayo Clinic.

To help prevent BCC it is recommended to avoid the sun during the middle of the day, wear sunscreen year-round, wear protective clothing, avoid tanning beds and check skin regularly and report changes to a doctor.