The One Fingernail Cancer Symptom Most People Overlook

It is likely that strange particles, dark spots, or colored, brittle, chapped areas of skin crop up to mind when one thinks about skin cancer—but rarely the nail beds. Nonetheless, it is equally as vital to check your arms, neck, and back for anomalies as it is to examine your nails. 

The 1.4 million TikTok followers of Lindsey Zubritsky, one of Mississippi’s remarked certified dermatologists, are being alerted to a dangerous kind of fingernail cancer that frequently goes unnoticed and is mistakenly classified as stuck blood that has dried or wounded skin.

Read further as you scroll below about the mostly disregarded symptoms of this skin condition that manifests itself on the nail bed! 

1. Benign vs Malignant Dark Spots on the Nail Beds

If you have previously slammed something heavy on your big toe or tapped your finger on a cupboard or vehicle door, you could have spotted an opaque area beneath your nail the next day.

Certified dermatologists say this is a typical physiological reaction. You will finally get an intact new nail following several weeks when the hematoma gradually grows out. Yet, it would help if you were alert for different types of dark streaks on your nails.

Your nail should definitely be examined if you have a vertical line of black pigment running down it. Perhaps it is subungual melanoma, a highly dangerous kind of skin cancer.

2. Subungual Melanoma Is Rare Yet Dangerous 

Subungual melanoma is uncommon, but it can become dangerous if neglected. Research from the Cleveland Clinic alleged that lymph nodes, blood arteries, and nerves are all related to the fingernail matrix, where nail melanoma is said to develop. 

Subungual melanoma originates in the melanocyte cell lines rather than the skin, in contrast to more prevalent types of skin cancer. Most subungual melanomas have a characteristic form. It can appear to some as though you used a black or brown crayon to draw a line on your fingernail. 

Although the skin condition may begin sparsely, the fleck or stripe eventually spreads to the cuticle and covers the entire nail. The discoloration may appear erratic and come in different tones of brownish black.

3. Skin Cancer’s Initial Symptom Can Appear on the Nail 

You might be shocked to learn that sun exposure isn’t the root cause of nail melanoma, given how frequently our hands and fingers are exposed to the sun. The big toe, thumb, or ring finger are common locations for cancerous growths. Other symptoms include broken or damaged nail beds, uneven pigmentation, bruising, and discolored cuticles.

The most worrisome indication is when hyperpigmentation or browning begins to penetrate the skin. Not every dark mark on the nail, though, is harmful. It is slightly typical for many people to have an innocuous stripe on their nails. 

In fact, the benign streak is more inclined to be present in you. Although nail melanoma is incredibly uncommon globally, according to Cleveland Clinic, it is still vital to see a dermatologist about any skin condition.