‘Red Carpet Ready’! Proclaims Skin Cancer Survivor & ‘The Music Man’ Star, Hugh Jackman, 53, at Toronto International Film Festival; He is Thriving after Beating Skin Cancer Multiple Times

The skin cancer survivor and Syndey, Australia, native, recently gave fans a peak when on his Instagram, he shared his latest TIFF look. Looking dapper in a suit and pictured in the restroom, he captions it simply, “Red carpet ready.”

 

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Jackman stars in the Florian Zeller-directed The Son, along with actress Laura Dern.

Hugh’s Skin Cancer Battle

The Tony winner and star of The Music Man is a seasoned skin cancer fighter and survivor. He was first diagnosed with skin cancer in 2013, and he's battled the disease six times. As a result, Jackman is extra conscientious about protecting his skin. He is outspoken about cancer prevention, encouraging others to wear sunscreen daily and check their skin. The actor was previously diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, or "BCC." This is the most commonly diagnosed skin cancer in the U.S.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), 5.4 million basal and squamous cell skin cancers are diagnosed each year in the U.S. Jackman's most recent battle with basal cell carcinoma was in 2017.

Protect your skin by wearing sunscreen daily, avoiding tanning beds, and staying out of the sunlight during peak hours. When it comes to sunscreen, Dr. Snehal Amin, a dermatologist in Manhattan, says in a previous interview with SurvivorNet, "My recommendation is really focused on the ingredients rather than the brands."

He continues, "If you like how the brand feels on your skin, if you like the purpose of the brand for instance sport vs. daily use or daytime use vs. short burst of activity use I think those are more important factors than actual brands."

Which Sunscreen Should I Choose To Prevent Cancer?

Checking Your Skin

There's a few things to remember when trying to prevent skin cancer. One, it's still important to protect your skin during the winter months, and two, suspicious moles can present themselves in unassuming areas. By finding caner in the earlier stages, it's usually very treatable through surgery. This means checking your body for spots and blemishes thoroughly can be the difference between an early stage version of the disease or a late stage.

When checking your skin, use the ABCDE method:

• Asymmetrical moles: see if the sides of the mole match each other.
• Borders: examine if the edges of the mole are jagged or irregular.
• Colors: does the mole display different tones of color?
  Diameter: check if the mole is larger than 6mm (roughly the size of a pencil head eraser)
• Evolution: the most important part of the process. Pay attention to if the mole changes over time; in color, size, or starts to feel painful or itchy.

Examining Your Skin for Melanoma: Remember ABCDE

Protecting Your Skin from Cancer

As Jackman regularly urges his fans to do protecting your skin by wearing sunscreen and getting skin checks is so important. Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in the U.S., and you can protect yourself and lower your skin cancer risk by taking prevention steps.

In an earlier interview, dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman outlines five easy ways to protect your skin, and lower your skin cancer risk. She tells us:

1. Avoid sun during peak hours. This means from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It doesn't mean you should never go outside during the middle of the day, but make sure you're protected when you do venture outdoors.
2. Cover your skin and eyes. A wide brim hat and sun glasses will protect your face, the top of your head, your ears, and the delicate skin around your eyes.
3. Wear an SPF of 30 or higher. Plenty of facial moisturizers have SPF built into them. Reapply often.
4. Get an annual skin check. You can check your own skin for anything that looks out of the ordinary, but you should still get a yearly check to make sure you didn't miss anything. If you do happen to notice anything out of the ordinary in between checks, schedule an appointment to talk to your doctor about it ASAP it is always worth it to make sure.
5. Avoid tanning beds. "There's absolutely no benefit to going to a tanning bed," Dr. Engelman says.

Top 5 Ways to Protect Your Skin From Skin Cancer

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