‘National Lampoon’s Vacation’ Star Christie Brinkley Underwent Procedure To Remove Skin Cancer: “Stitched Me Up To Perfection”

By Samantha Nungesser @samjnungesser
Published March 14, 2024, 9:10 a.m. ET

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National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

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Christie Brinkley is recovering after undergoing a procedure to remove skin cancer from her face.

On Wednesday (March 13), the National Lampoon’s Vacation actress shared a series of photos on Instagram, in which she shows off the incision surgeons made near her left eye to remove the skin cancer.

“The good news for me is we caught the basal cell Carcinoma early,” she captioned the post. “And I had great doctors that removed the cancer and stitched me up to perfection like an haute couture Dior.”

According to Brinkley, doctors discovered the cancer when she was accompanying her daughter to her appointment, noting that she was “lucky” to catch the “tiny dot” on her face.

“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 explained. “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.”

She then took the opportunity to promote safe skincare — especially for those like herself who find themselves in the sun often.

“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,” she added. “And doing regular total body check ups..that is a MUST!”

Brinkley’s announcement came hours after Olivia Munn revealed that she was diagnosed with an “aggressive, fast-moving” form of breast cancer. Thirty days after undergoing the biopsy that discovered the disease, the actress had a double mastectomy.

“I’m lucky. We caught it with enough time that I had options,” she wrote on Instagram. “I want the same for any woman who might have to face this one day. Ask your doctor to calculate your Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score. Dr. Aliabadi says that If the number is greater than 20%, you need annual mammograms and breast MRIs starting at age 30.”