On Sunday, February 26th, Khloe Kardashian kindly answered a question a commenter left on her Instagram post. In the post, a gym selfie of Khloe sporting a tank top and a close-up of her face, there is a noticeable bandage on her lower-left cheek. However, she is feeling good, even captioning her post with “Happy Sunday. ”
“And what the heck is on your cheek?”
“A bandage. I had a tumor removed from my face, but I’m totally ok. Thank you for asking ❤️”. The Kardashians responded. Khole then answered another question left by a fan regarding the bandage. As it turns out, the dressing is a scar strip to ensure proper healing.
“I had a tumor removed from my face a few months ago so I wear this for healing and the prevention of my scar getting worse,” she added. “All is great and healing wonderfully.”
In October 2022, the youngest Kardashian daughter opened up about her tumor removal journey on Instagram. She realized what she initially believed was a “zit” was worse, as it wasn’t “bulging.” Khloe then got the tumor biopsied by two doctors who informed her she needed an “immediate operation” to remove it.
“I have seen numerous stories going around about the ever-evolving bandage on my face with some of you wondering why I’ve been wearing one for the past few weeks,” she shared with her IG followers at the time. “After noticing a small bump on my face and assuming it was something as minor as a zit, I decided to get it biopsied 7 months after realizing it was not budging.”
“A few days later I was told I need to have an immediate operation to remove a tumor from my face,” Khloe continued. “I called none other than Dr. Garth Fisher, a dear friend of my family, and one of the best surgeons in Beverly Hills who I knew would take incredible care of my face.”
“I’m grateful to share that Dr. Fischer was able to get everything — all my margins appear clear and now we are onto the healing process. So, here we are… you’ll continue to see my bandages and when I’m allowed, you’ll probably see a scar (and an indentation in my cheek from the tumor being removed) but until then I hope you enjoy how fabulous I’m making these face bandages look.”
When Khloe was nineteen years old, she had a melanoma mole removed from her back, which made her immunocompromised to the disease. Now the mom of two has her skin examined regularly in the event that the melanoma could reoccur. She also reminds others to get regular checkups as well because no one is exempt from cancer. There is still a risk even when taking the most drastic precautions, such as sunscreen application and wearing light, loose clothing outdoors.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, melanoma is the most dangerous of all skin cancer types, but it can be treated if caught early on. Merkel cell carcinoma is a rarer and more aggressive form of skin cancer that resembles more of an “innocent” lesion. When untreated, this cancer will metastasize, so it is crucially important to have annual checkups.
Without her doctors’ care, Khloe would have been in a different situation, so she made sure that they heard her appreciation and praise.
“I’m so grateful we caught this early. I was lucky and all I have is a scar to tell a story with. Most people aren’t as lucky as me and I am forever thankful and grateful.“