Christie Brinkley Reveals She Had Skin Cancer Removed from Her Face

"The good news for me is we caught the basal cell Carcinoma early," explained the model on Instagram

Christie Brinkley successfully underwent surgery after being diagnosed with skin cancer.

The model, 70, announced the news in a candid Instagram post on Wednesday, including a photo of herself wearing two large bandages on the corner of her forehead. Additional photos showed the excision and her stitches afterwards.

"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 like an haute couture Dior," wrote Brinkley.

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The Cleveland Clinic describes basal cell carcinoma as a "type of skin cancer that causes a lump, bump or lesion to form on the outside layer of your skin." It is "the most common form of skin cancer and the most frequently occurring form of all cancers," according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Brinkley used her announcement as an opportunity to remind her fans about the importance of sun protection.

"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," said Brinkley.

She also reminded her followers to get regular health checkups.

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"I was lucky to find mine, because I was accompanying one of my daughters to HER check up," wrote Brinkley. "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 . He took a look and knew immediately it needed a biopsy! He did it then and there!"

Brinkley ended her post by thanking her doctors and reiterating her advice.

"Make your own good luck by making that check up appointment today. And slather up my friends," she wrote. The announcement comes weeks after Brinkley marked her 70th birthday in February.

She spoke about the milestone birthday in a conversation with PEOPLE, expressing that she's far away from retirement.

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“I am so grateful every day when I get to go to work. It helps keep me feeling current," she said. "I want to keep on charging ahead and having lots of dreams and chasing them and following them and living them."

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