John Cena is getting candid about how a skin cancer diagnosis forced him to rethink his lifestyle  and he’s urging others, especially men, to take skincare more seriously.

The 48-year-old wrestling legend and actor revealed he was diagnosed with melanoma twice: first with a spot on his left pectoral muscle, and again a year later when another spot on his upper trapezius also tested positive for cancer.

"I received the phone call twice: ‘Hey, you've got to come back, because the biopsy came back cancerous,’” Cena recalled. “That information is sobering, and it right there prompted me to change my life."

Following the diagnoses, the 17-time WWE Champion said he immediately added sunscreen to his daily routine  something he admits wasn’t a priority before.

"Skincare is a more palatable and accepted subject among women,” Cena told USA Today. “Discussions between men can be more difficult to initiate. But it doesn’t have to be that way.”

He emphasized the importance of changing that narrative:

Men, especially, are becoming more conscious of self-care. I just think we need to make it more commonplace.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, women are twice as likely as men to wear sunscreen. By age 50, men face a higher risk of developing melanoma  and they’re also more likely to die from it at any age.

Cena says part of the issue lies in how sunscreen is framed.
“SPF is more common in the vernacular of women, and that’s because it’s directly correlated with beauty,” he explained. “Women have a morning skincare routine that provides a perfect opportunity to apply sunscreen. Men need to pay more attention to that.”

He likened using SPF to working out:
“If someone uses SPF because they don’t want to get wrinkles, it’s like someone going to the gym saying, ‘I want to be ripped.’ But being ripped is a result of making healthier choices. SPF works the same way the benefits go far beyond just aesthetics.”

Cena noted that being mindful about skincare is surprisingly easy:
“I’ve done some pretty aspirational things in the strength and health department   intense training regimens, strict nutrition  and that’s really complicated stuff. But putting on sunscreen is as simple as brushing your teeth.

He added, “I’d love to see a tube of SPF next to every guy’s toothpaste   and for them to use it every day.”

Reflecting on how cancer shifted his outlook, Cena said:
“My perspective on life has changed, but it took some real sobering news to get there. I don’t want anybody to get to that point, so I’m just trying to use my platform to get ahead of that one.”