Christie Brinkley Shares Photos Of Facial Wound In Skin Cancer Warning

Modeling legend Christie Brinkley shared Wednesday that she had skin cancer, which was caught early and removed.

Brinkley included photos of the facial wound left by the extraction of the basal cell carcinoma lesion, the sutures afterward and the bandaging in her Instagram post.

Doctors, she wrote, “stitched me up to perfection like an haute couture Dior.”

Brinkley, 70, said she was “lucky” to be diagnosed in the first place. She was at the doctor for her daughter’s appointment and asked him at the end to examine a small protrusion she felt as she applied makeup. “He took a look and knew immediately it needed a biopsy! He did it then and there!” she wrote.

The former Sports Illustrated cover model turned her experience into a cancer prevention PSA.

“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 !”

According to the Mayo Clinic, basal cell carcinoma mostly occurs in sun-exposed areas such as the head and neck and is believed to result from long-term exposure to sunlight’s UV rays. It rarely spreads to lymph nodes, other bones and lungs.

But take it from the beauty icon: Sunscreen is fashionable and recommended.

Brinkley wrote, “Slather up my friends!”