'Get your skin checked': Former Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky-Manno says she has cancer

It's vital to keep an eye on your health at all times and that certainly includes the well-being of the body's largest organ: The skin. That's the message of former Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky-Manno, who has taken to Instagram to remind her followers of just that.

Manno, 35, has recently learned she has skin cancer.

"GET YOUR SKIN CHECKED," she wrote in all caps in the Instagram post.

"A couple weeks ago I found out I have skin cancer. When my dermatologist used the c-word, I just about fainted in his office. Thankfully, the type of skin cancer I have is rarely fatal and really never fatal when you catch it early. It’s called Basal cell carcinoma," she wrote.

Her post includes images of her pointing to where a mole had been on her skin and what it looked like before it was removed.

"Swipe to the third pic to see what my mole looked like before I got the biopsy done (so you know what to look for). It’s on the left side of my body," she detailed. "The scar right above my belly button is from when I had cells/skin that may be cancerous removed six months ago."

She said she would never expose her stomach to the sun without sunscreen again.

Fedotowsky-Manno explained that Basal cell carcinoma is a common form of skin cancer and encouraged others to make sure they are having their skin examined regularly.

"What IS a big deal is not treating it and treating it early. That is why going to a dermatologist and getting your skin checked every year is SO important (I now go every 3/6 months). The VERY first thing I did when I got diagnosed was text my family on a group text urging them all to get their skin checked. So I’m doing the same for all of you, my extended family, right here and right now," she wrote.

Skin cancer is the easiest kind of cancer to identify on your own because it is visible, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association.

"The best way to find skin cancer is to examine yourself. When checking, you want to look at the spots on your skin," according to the association.

The association advises to check everywhere, starting at the scalp and moving down to the toes — even in between — and the bottoms of the feet.

Fedotowsky-Manno, who was the sixth Bachelorette, also appeared on season 14 of "The Bachelor." After her time on the show, she went into entertainment journalism. She is currently a "family member" on the Hallmark Channel’s "Home & Family," and runs a fashion and mommy blog, according to her website.

"I’m lucky it wasn’t melanoma," she wrote in the caption. "And I’m lucky that I caught it early. Moving forward I plan on making it a priority of mine to use the best natural products on my skin and be rigorous about applying sunscreen and reminding all of you to do the same! I love you guys! Take care of yourselves!"

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky-Manno announces she has skin cancer