US model and actor Christie Brinkley has revealed she underwent surgery for skin cancer.

The 70-year-old described herself as "lucky" as she was diagnosed with a basal cell carcinoma while she accompanied her daughter on a check-up.

"The doctor was looking at each freckle with a magnifying glass ... 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," Brinkley said in a post on an Instagram.

"He took a look and knew immediately it needed a biopsy. He did it then and there."

Brinkley shared a graphic image of her face moments after she underwent surgery, alongside photographs of her with stitches and bandages.

"The good news for me is we caught the basal cell carcinoma early," she said.

"And I had great doctors that removed the cancer and stitched me up to perfection like an haute couture Dior.

"The good news for you is that all of this can be avoided by being diligent with your sun protection!"

She continued: "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.

"And doing regular total body check ups... that is a must."

She concluded the social media post by telling her almost 900,000 followers to "slather up", tagging sun protection and cancer prevention.

Basal cell carcinoma is a type of non-melanoma skin cancer that starts in the top layer of skin and can often be easily treated, according to the UK's National Health Service website.