Hugh Jackman has shared a message imploring his fans to consider the importance of sun safety, revealing he’s currently awaiting test results to determine if he’s developed new skin cancers.
In a video shared on Instagram yesterday (April 4), the actor explained that he’d “just had two biopsies done” at the request of his doctor, who “just saw some little things [that] could be, or could not be, basil cell [carcinomas]”.
According to the Skin Care Foundation, basil cell carcinomas are the most commonly found forms of skin cancer, with around 3.6million diagnoses made yearly in the US alone. These carcinomas “most often occur when DNA damage from exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or indoor tanning triggers changes in basal cells in the outermost layer of skin (epidermis), resulting in uncontrolled growth”.
Jackman noted that he’ll “find out in two or three days” whether he has in fact grown any new carcinomas, and said that he’ll alert viewers as soon as he receives his test results. He did stress that “basil cell, in the world of skin cancers, is the least dangerous of them all”, but took a moment to remind his followers in the northern hemisphere that “summer is coming”, urging them to “please wear sunscreen”.
“It is just not worth it,” he added. “No matter how much you want a tan, trust me, trust me, trust me. This is all stuff that happened 25 years ago, it’s coming out now. Put some sunscreen on – you’ll still have an incredible time out there. Please be safe.”
Since 2013, Jackman has undergone at least seven procedures to remove basil cell carcinomas. The actor admitted in a 2015 interview with People that his diagnoses were unexpected, given he’d never been educated on the risks of skin cancer in his formative years: “It’s always a bit of a shock just hearing the word ‘cancer’. Being an Australian it’s a very common thing. I never wore sunscreen growing up so I was a prime candidate for it.”
Jackman’s latest film role was in the drama The Son, which hit UK cinemas back in February. Next year, he’ll reprise his famed role of Wolverine in the third Deadpool film.