Image © Peabody Awards
Celebrities they are just like us. They all have to sleep, eat, and protect their skin from the sun. This week was a reminder of just that when actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson, star of the hit TV show Modern Family, shared that he had a bit of skin cancer removed. Unfortunately, skin cancer can affect anyone – regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or celebrity status.
Regularly Check Your Skin
Jesse posted a photo to his Instagram account of a bandage on his neck. He had some skin cancer removed by his doctor.
Jesse also included a friendly and helpful PSA in his post:
“Reminder to stay up to date on your dermatology checks… especially if you’re fair like me. I always wind up getting something taken from me, every time I go. 😩 Today, they took a bit of skin cancer that they found. Don’t worry, I got it early and I’m gonna be just fine. 🔪 (and, wear sunscreen! SPF 1000 for me!)”
Yes, Jesse is right – it’s important to regularly check your skin and to visit your doctor. Here’s some helpful resources on performing skin checks:
Also, I’m glad that Jesse mentioned he’ll be wearing sunscreen! And some of Jesse’s famous friends like Zooey Deschanel voiced their support and wrote: "SPF one million!!! And hats - so many hats!".
Skin Cancer Affects Everyone
Skin cancer can affect any person. In fact the stats on it are sobering: 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.
According to Dr. Barry D. Goldman of Cornell New York-Presbyterian Hospital:
“80-90% of all skin cancers are on the face and neck…I've seen many tumors on the eyelids or around the eyes, the forehead. Basically, the whole face should be covered... We think of the whole face as a high-risk area for skin cancer."
Fortunately the Skin Cancer foundation believes that skin cancer is highly preventable – they say spotting it early and protecting your skin daily are key.
According to dermatologist Dr. Samer Jaber:
"We know regular use of sunscreen on the face both prevents against skin cancer and is great for anti-aging, preventing wrinkles and discoloration on the face.
There are so many benefits to applying sunscreen!
Suncare Smarts
I don’t always believe or follow celebrities but when it comes to supporting sun protection, sunscreen and regular skin checks I’m all in. Ha, I’m probably a little biased but still, I appreciate it when they use their platform for suncare good.
For even more skin cancer and sunscreen tips check out our Skin Cancer and Suncare Smarts blog series.
