John Cena has spoken up about a habit he wishes he had developed earlier in life, before discovering that two spots on his skin were malignant.

The WWE star-turned-actor confirmed his skin cancer diagnosis earlier this year, stating that he had seen a doctor for a skin checkup and had a lesion removed from his right pec.

After the visit, Cena received a call from his doctor inviting him back.

Despite the malignant nature of the lesion, Cena expressed gratitude to People for having a dermatologist guide him through the procedure following his diagnosis.

One year later, Cena returned to the doctor.

The 48-year-old explained, “A year later, I went back and had another spot removed near my right shoulder.” It appears as a white polka dot on the side of my breast and across my shoulder. “If you watch WWE, you’ll see them.”

‘That right there motivated me to change my life.’

In a new interview with USA Today, Cena revealed that the second location was likewise malignant.

“I received the phone call twice, ‘Hey, you’ve got to come back, because the biopsy came back cancerous,'” he said. “That information was sobering, and it prompted me to change my life right then.”

Although Cena admits to having previously ‘neglected’ his skin, especially when outside, he has received treatment for his spots. Now he wishes he had understood earlier about the need for sun protection for your skin.

The actor is currently the face of Neutrogena’s new Ultra Sheer Mineral Face Liquid Sunscreen SPF 70 campaign, and he uses sunscreen on a regular basis.

“SPF is more common in the vernacular of women, and that’s because it is directly correlated with beauty,” according to the actor.

He noted that men are becoming aware of the need for self-care. I just think we should make it more mainstream.”

“My perspective on life has changed.”

Cena hopes to reframe sunscreen as a routine component of everyday wellness, adding, “If someone uses SPF because they don’t want wrinkles, it’s like going to the gym and saying, ‘I want to be ripped.'” But being ‘ripped’ entails making better choices.

“So, you can go to the gym for cosmetic reasons, but the benefits of training extend well beyond aesthetic attractiveness. I consider SPF to be on par with other benefits.

The actor also mentioned how easy it is to apply sunscreen every day, saying, “I’ve done some pretty aspirational things in the strength and health department, as far as nutritional choices and training regimens, and that’s really complicated, difficult stuff.”

Sunscreen, on the other hand, is similar to ‘brushing your teeth.’

Cena, hoping his message gets across, added, “My view on life has changed, but it took some really devastating news. I don’t want anyone else to get there, so I’m using my platform to go ahead.”