California’s first lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom had some “wisdom” to share with the “young folks” while showing off a massive facial scar on social media.
“I had this little spot, it took me too long to go in and ask what it was. I thought it was something else,” Siebel Newsom, the wife of Gov. Gavin Newsom, said in an Instagram video.
In the video posted Sunday, a lengthy scar is seen stretching from the right corner of her lip to under her right nostril.
“For those of you youngsters who think you’re invisible,” Siebel Newsom said, “This is my second Mohs surgery for carcinoma on my face.”
Mohs surgery is a delicate procedure that is performed when skin tissue becomes cancerous, according to the National Cancer Institute.
By removing one layer of the infected tissue at a time, the surgeon will evaluate each sample under a microscope for cancer.
She revealed that her first procedure to treat her carcinoma was “a little hook” above her most recent scar.
It’s not known when the documentary filmmaker-turned-California first lady had her first Mohs surgery.
Siebel Newsom, 48, said she was so “grateful” for having such an excellent surgeon to perform the procedure but recommended her followers to “avoid [surgery]” at all costs, stressing the importance of regular check-ups and putting their health first.
“Make sure you take care of yourselves. Get those regular check-ups with the dermatologist,” the first lady of California said.
This is the first time Siebel Newsom has shared she has carcinoma, which can develop into cancer in some cases if left untreated, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Carcinoma occurs when skin cells appear to look abnormal and similar to cancer cells.
Carcinoma is often referred to as “stage 0” cancer.
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which is found on the skin, mouth, and/or larynx tissues, is the second most common form of skin cancer and appears as open sores, red patches, thickened or wart-skin, or raised growths with a central depression.
SCC occurs when DNA is damaged from ultraviolet radiation — usually caused by sun exposure — or foreign agents that damage abnormal changes in the squamous cells, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.
The goal of Mohs surgery is to remove each layer of cancerous tissue until it is gone while also ensuring that as little normal tissue as possible is not removed, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Seemingly in high spirits post-surgery, Siebel Newsom told her followers to get out there and enjoy the California Spring weather, but reiterated the importance of applying appropriate skin protection from the sun.
“While there are so many benefits to sunshine, be sure you wear a hat and sunscreen during the strongest hours of sunlight,” she wrote.
