Fashion designer planned to keep her cancer a secret

Designer Alannah Hill has decided to speak out about her cancer. Photo / Getty

Fashion designer Alannah Hill is the least likely candidate for skin cancer as she prides herself on her alabaster skin - even going to the extremes of wearing gloves and using a parasol to protect her from the sun.

Therefore it was a blessing in disguise when she broke her foot after attempting the shoo her dog out of the way and went to the doctor who spotted a tiny freckle on her fourth toe of her left foot.

The Tasmanian-born designer was diagnosed with an invasive malignant melanoma and if she had waited another three months the cancer would likely have spread and become terminal but thankfully she now has a "very good" prognosis.

This from a woman who never even wore jandals.

Hill had no intention of going public about her shocking story until her doctor encouraged her to speak out to educate others on the disease that affects almost half a million people every year in Australia.

Hill was understandably gobsmacked by the news as she only recalls being sunburnt as a small girl.

She still remembers receiving the phone call from the doctor's surgery like it was yesterday.

"Hello Alannah, could you come back to the surgery please? We have something we need to talk about," she told Fairfax Media.

"The flipping over of my heart could be heard for miles."

Hill has had part of her toe removed and a skin graft from her inner thigh and then after about a week doctors will decide if she needs anymore treatment.

Upon her doctor's insistence, Hill is taking a three-month break from her new clothing label - Louse Love - she severed all ties with her famous namesake label, that she started two decades ago, in 2013.

Hill admitted that she hadn't got around to getting her freckle checked due to her busy lifestyle.

"The main thing to remember - and I can't stress this enough - is that we all, unfortunately, believe we are invincible," she said.

"No matter how small your little mole is, no matter how insignificant it looks, go to your doctor and get it checked."

Hill couldn't stress enough how humans have a bad habit of feeling invincible.

She said her reason for not wanting to talk about her cancer was that she didn't want people to pity her.

But her doctor urged her to get the "message out" after telling Hill heart-wrenching stories about all of the patients he has seen who had left it too late.

- Daily Mail