Hugh Jackman has revealed he has had his sixth skin cancer removed and urged his fans to stay safe in the sun and wear sunscreen.

The X-Men star posted a photograph on Instagram, showing him with a plaster across his nose.

He told his 9.7 million followers: "Another basal cell carcinoma. Thanks to frequent body checks and amazing doctors, all is well.

The 48-year-old then reassured fans by saying "looks worse with the dressing on than off. I swear!".

The Australian actor finished his post by warning people to protect themselves from the sun, adding the hashtag "#wearsunscreen".

A basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a type of skin cancer. There are two main types of skin cancer: melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. BCC is a non-melanoma skin cancer, and is the most common type.

The British Skin Foundation says the common cause of BCC is too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun or from sun beds.

The father-of-two had his first skin cancer removed in 2013 after his actress wife Deborra-Lee Furness suggested he should get a mole on his nose checked.

He wrote on social media at the time: "Deb said to get the mark on my nose checked. Boy, was she right! I had a Basal Cell Carcinoma. Please don't be foolish like me. Get yourself checked. And USE sunscreen!!!"

The star had his fifth skin cancer removed in February last year.