If you notice any skin discoloration underneath your nail beds, it might be best to go to a doctor and get it checked out.
In this day and age, most of us are completely aware of how to protect ourselves from the sun and the dangers of possible skin cancer. Usually, there are commonly known warning signs to look for, as to whether or not you should get your skin checked by your local dermatologist or doctor. However, some warning signs are not that well-known.
In a Facebook post, Jean shared the full story as a way to inform others to pay attention to discoloration within the beds of your nails.
Right away, Jean, detected that the dark line was a warning sign of melanoma.
According to The Sun, a manicurist at a nail salon had a walk-in client come in for a dark color on her nails, to cover a dark, thin line, underneath her fingernail.
The client told Jean, the manicurist: “I need a color dark enough to cover this stripe.”
After previously confronting other nail technicians, the woman was told that the line was due to “lack of calcium” or it was “hereditary”. Neither of which were true.
So after Jean expressed her concern, she recommended that the woman goes to the doctor to have it checked out. Lo and behold, Jean was right about her suspicions.
“She called me today to tell me that yes it was a very aggressive melanoma that has already spread to her lymph nodes!”
The client has what is called Subungual Melanoma. DermNet New Zealand defines this form of melanoma: “Subungual melanoma often starts as a pigmented band visible the length of the nail plate (melanonychia). Over weeks to months, the pigment band widens and may cause distortion of the nail plate. The melanoma must be removed surgically. This requires removal of the entire nail apparatus. Sometimes the end of the finger or toe is amputated.”
It’s also said to be the most diagnosed type of melanoma of people ranging from 40-70 years old.
Along with the unfortunate news, Jean said the client told her that her prognosis is “not good.”
We hope for the best for the client’s health and improvement.
Jean’s message will hopefully spread to more people to pay attention to potential abnormalities and catch it early on!