Christie Brinkley Had a Basal Cell Carcinoma Removed From Her Face — See Photo

Christie Brinkley is opening up about her recent skin cancer diagnosis. The supermodel took to Instagram to share all the details behind the basal cell carcinoma that was removed from her face, including the surprising reason she was diagnosed at all.

According to Brinkley, she was tagging along with one of her daughters for a skin check when she decided to ask the doctor about a “little tiny dot” she could feel when applying foundation. “He took a look and knew immediately it needed a biopsy! He did it then and there!” she wrote. The spot in question was located on the side of her face near her temple, as you can see in her Instagram post. (If you’re squeamish, maybe skip this one!)

Brinkley shared that the doctors caught the carcinoma early and added that they “stitched me up to perfection like an haute couture Dior.” The self-described “mermaid/gardener” said that though she got serious about sun care “a bit late,” she’ll be “slathering on my SPF 30, reapplying as needed, wearing long sleeves and a wide-brim hat” from now on, as well as doing regular total body checks.

Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer, with a whopping 3.6 million cases per year, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. “Basal cells can look lots of different ways,” Anne Marie McNeil, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in California, previously told Allure. They typically resemble open sores, pearly or shiny bumps, or a little red patch, but not always. “I often tell my patients if they have a spot that looks like a pimple or a sore [that hasn’t healed], I want them to come in,” Dr. McNeil shared. “It’s probably not a pimple if it hasn’t gone away after a month.” Basal cell carcinomas grow more slowly, so they are more curable than other types of skin cancer; they are typically burned or scraped off.