Gordon Ramsay has a message for you this holiday weekend: wear sunscreen.
The Michelin-starred celebrity chef made the announcement on Saturday. Instagram that he had been diagnosed with skin cancer and had a basal cell carcinoma removed from the side of his face.
Ramsay shared two photos, one of which shows a bandage stretching from his cheek to his neck. Another close-up showed stitches just under the earlobe.
“Grateful and very appreciative of the incredible team at The Skin Associates and their fast work removing basal cell carcinoma, thank you! Please don't forget your sunscreen this weekend,” Ramsay wrote in the caption.
His post was not without humor: “I assure you, this is not a facelift! I need a refund…” he said.
Ramsay, who recently hosted the reality show Hell's Kitchen, isn't shy shared his health problems on social media and also gives cautionary advice to his followers. Last year he published video on Instagram after he was involved in a bicycle accident in Connecticut. In the video, the Scottish-born restaurateur lifted his white chef's coat and pointed to extensive bruises on his torso. He encouraged his followers to “WEAR A HELMET.”
Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization, it is diagnosed throughout the world. It is estimated that there will be more than 1.5 million new cases in 2022.
Specifically, basal cell carcinoma, which Ramsay was diagnosed with, is a type of nonmelanoma skin cancer and the most common overall, says Elizabeth Bahar Haushmand, a double board-certified dermatologist in Dallas.
“But the good news,” says Houshmand, “is that the chance of metastasis is less than 1%, which means it will spread to other organs and regions. But this is skin cancer and it needs to be treated immediately. The usual treatment is surgical excision, and that's what Gordon Ramsay did.”
Early detection of basal cell carcinoma is key, says Houshmand. As do preventive measures such as wearing sunscreen and clothing with SPF.
“It tends to grow slowly and rarely spread to other parts of the body, and with early detection and treatment the cure rate is very high,” she says. “Always see your dermatologist if you see any breakouts that don't go away. Don't wait. And protect yourself—I like SPF 50 or higher and apply it 15 minutes before going outside.”
So if you fire up the grill this weekend, even after trying one of Ramsay's dishes. BBQ favorites — however, make sunscreen a staple.
