Rhianna Benson
Gordon Ramsay is using his platform in a bid to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of skin cancer.
Taking to social media last night (30 Sept), the celebrity chef not only shed light on potential preventatives of the disease, but revealed he'd recently been dealt a diagnosis.
The Instagram post featured a number of images showing 58-year-old Ramsay's side profile, specifically his jaw, neck and ear.
One photo saw the area covered with a considerable nude-coloured bandage, whilst another featured a row of stitches stemming downwards from the Hell's Kitchen star's earlobe.
Advert
In the caption, the father-of-six made public the latest blow to his health, revealing he recently underwent surgery to have the cancerous cells removed.
"Grateful and so appreciative for the incredible team at The Skin Associates and their fast reactive work on removing this Basal Cell Carcinoma thank you!" Ramsay wrote.
He then went on to advise his 19.3 million followers: "Please don’t forget your sunscreen this weekend [love-heart emoji]."
Ending on a high, the culinary connoisseur went on to joke of his medical procedure: "I promise you it’s not a face lift! I’d need a refund."
According to Mayo Clinic, Basal Cell Carcinoma describes a variation of the disease which begins in these cells, which are usually responsible for producing new skin once the prior layer has died.
In the majority of cases, Basal Cell Carcinoma is caused by long-term exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
As such, this form tends to appear upon parts of the body which receives the most sun exposure, including upon the face, head and neck.
It can cause skin in this area to appear as either slightly transparent, or with new brown bumps.
Thousands of the international star's fans quickly rushed to the comments, issuing their condolences regarding Ramsay's diagnosis and thanking him for raising awareness - amongst them, the official Cancer Research UK account.
"Glad to hear you're doing well, Gordon, and thanks for raising awareness of how important it is to stay safe in the sun," a spokesperson for the charity penned. "Seek shade, cover up, and apply sunscreen regularly and generously."
One fan also went on to gush: "Heal quickly Chef and thank you for bringing awareness to all of us."
"So glad you are safe and thanks for the reminder!" a third added.
Another continued: "Glad it was detected and corrected on time. Speedy recovery chef."