If you want to do the world’s quickest home check-up, glancing at your nails can be a great place to start.
Thin, brittle, or even spoon-shaped nails could be caused by anaemia. Yellow nails could have come about thanks to certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies. And it turns out that a sold stripe of darker colour in your nails could have multiple medical causes – including cancer.
Dr. Karan Raj, a doctor who’s known for sharing medical info and debunking health myths on TikTok, recently responded to a video of someone who had been affected by the condition. Here’s what he had to say:
The condition can have multiple causes
In this case, the TikToker who posted the original video had had the streak in his nails for ten years before realising it was caused by cancer.
But Dr. Raj went on to explain that the causes can range from benign to worrying, even lifting his own streaked nail up to the camera to prove his point.
“I’ve got this dark vertical streak on the nail of my ring finger,” Dr. Raj said. “this is known as melanonchlyia, and it’s actually pretty common in people with darker skin.”
The doctor adds that causes for a dark line in your nail can range from “infection, medication side effects, trauma, (and) blood clots.”
He then adds that another cause is melanoma, a type of skin cancer – or in the case of the person in the video, a rare type of skin cancer called subungual melanoma.
As Medical News Today shared, “Subungual melanoma is a rare type of skin cancer that occurs under the nails. Symptoms include streaks on the nails, colour changes in or around the nail, a bruise under the nail that does not heal, and the nails separating from the nail bed.”
When should I worry?
Dr. Raj says that “as with any skin lesions, if you notice a rapid change in size, colour, or shape, go check it out.”
In fact, the National Library of Medicine says that “melanonychia is a very worrisome entity for most patients,” adding that “an early diagnosis of (the) malignant lesion is the key to favourable outcome.”
Medical News Today shared the following symptoms of subungual melanoma:
- brown or black streaks in the nail without any known injury
- streaks on the nails that increase in size
- a bruise on the nail that will not heal or move up as the fingernail grows
- fingernails or toenails that separate from the nail bed
- darkening skin next to the nail
- a nail that bleeds or develops a nodule
- thinning, cracking, or distortion of the nail plate
But ultimately, if you see a streak in your nail, it might be worth visiting a doctor anyway to be sure it’s all OK. And if you have other nail issues, check this list from the NHS to see whether or not they’re alright to leave.