Christie Brinkley Reveals Skin Cancer Diagnosis: ‘We Caught the Basal Cell Carcinoma Early’

Christie Brinkley revealed she was diagnosed with skin cancer and recently underwent surgery.

"The good news for me is we caught the basal cell Carcinoma early," Brinkley, 70, shared via Instagram on Wednesday, March 13. "And I had great Doctors that removed the cancer and stitched me up to perfection like an haute couture Dior ??."

The model encouraged followers to be more careful about protecting their skin and getting checked for cancer. "The good news for you is that all of this can be avoided by being diligent with your sun protection!" Brinkley added. "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 admitted that she only got checked because she happened to ask her daughter's dermatologist to take a quick look. (She shares daughter Alexa Ray Joel, 38, with ex-husband Billy Joel and daughter Sailor Brinkley-Cook, 25, and son Jack Brinkley-Cook, 28, with ex-husband Peter Cook.)

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"I was lucky to find mine, because I was accompanying one of my daughters to HER check up," Brinkley wrote. "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."

Brinkley continued, "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! Thank you to Dr. Abraham, Dr. Anolik, Dr Geronemus, Dr Lloyd Hoffman at the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of NewYork ??."

The modeling legend often learns lessons from her kids that go beyond regularly scheduling check-ups. "I find that they open up horizons for me all the time, and I love that about staying connected with my kids,” Brinkley exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2023. “I think it keeps me feeling invigorated and interested and excited about everything around me. So, there’s a real energy exchange there that’s just a beautiful thing.”

She added that as they’ve all transitioned into adulthood, she just tries to support them. “I try not to be too judgmental and all of that because I think, at this point, they’ve got pretty good heads on their shoulders and they know what to do,” Brinkley added.