Hugh Jackman is keeping fans updated on his skin cancer journey.
In an April 3 post on Instagram, the “The Music Man on Broadway” actor shared that he recently had to have two biopsies done to test for possible skin cancer.
The post featured the actor — who has been open about having had basal cell carcinomas before — on camera with a bandage covering the tip of his nose.
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“I know you’ve heard me talk about my basal cell carcinomas before,” he captioned the post. “I’m going to keep talking about them if need be. And if it reminds even one person to put on sunscreen with a high SPF, then I’m happy.”
At the top of the video, Jackman shared that he had gone to a doctor.
“I’ve just had two biopsies done,” he explained, noting that his physician had spotted symptoms that “could be or could not be” basal cell carcinoma.
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As the actor pointed out, basal cell carcinoma is the least dangerous type of skin cancer, though the most common.
According to the Mayo Clinic, most basal cell carcinomas are caused by long-term exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight. People can reduce their risk of getting it by avoiding the sun during peak hours, wearing sunscreen year-round, and avoiding tanning beds.
Jackman assured fans that he would update them on the news of his status in two to three days when his doctor has received the results. Jackman finished the end of his video post with an explanation of his motivation for speaking out about his condition.
“If I can just take this opportunity to remind you, summer is coming for those of us here in the northern hemisphere,” he explained.
“Please wear sunscreen. It’s just not worth it,” he added. “No matter how much you want to tan, trust me, trust me and trust me. This is all stuff that happened 25 years ago that is coming out now. Put some sunscreen on. You’ll still have an incredible time out there.”
This is not the first time that the “Wolverine” actor has asked fans to take precautions like wearing sunscreen to prevent skin cancer.
The actor, who has had skin cancer removed from his nose in the past, shared with TODAY in 2013 that he first discovered he had a carcinoma on nose while filming “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”
“I was shooting the movie, and I had a bit of blood one morning, and I thought I’d scratched myself in a fight,” he explained then. Jackman shared that a makeup artist noticed the spot and urged him to get it checked out by a doctor.
More recently, in 2021, the actor shared that he had found an irregular spot that he eventually got biopsied.
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
