Could A Black Line On Your Nails Be A Sign Of Cancer?

How often do you visit the manicurist to fix your nails? Jean Skinner works as a beautician in Uckfield, East Sussex (UK) and shared her story a few days ago. This made more than one tremble. The reason? a black line on the nail. 

It all started when one of her clients asked her to put a dark shade on her nails to cover the black line running through them. However, Skinner recommended that you go to the doctor since, in some cases, the symptoms of cancer present themselves in this way.

The diagnosis confirmed that it was nail melanoma, a type of cancer. These dark or bluish spots do not only appear on the nails: there is also a change in the size, color and shape of the moles.

It should be noted that dark spots are not always linked to cancer. These are some situations in which its appearance is completely normal :

• Drug consumption: there are drugs whose side effects include nail pigmentation, after several days of medication.

• During pregnancy: it is possible that in the period of pregnancy the nails are stained a brownish tone. However, it does not have serious consequences.
• Infections: the appearance of fungus in the nails causes them to change color.
• Bruising: when there is a mixture of brown and red dots, it is most likely due to a blow.

Jean Skinner’s story indicates the importance of paying attention to certain signs of the body.

When should I be concerned about the black line?

Although rare, nail melanoma can appear in children.  The width of the line is greater than 4 mm and, it is not a single color, there are different shades of brown in the same line.

It changes as time progresses and, generally, the skin around the nail is also dark in tone.  In most cases, nail melanoma affects only one nail. However, there are symptoms that can occur in different places on the body, such as the toes or the scalp.

Is it really dangerous?

Melanoma is considered  the most aggressive tumor that affects the skin, since it spreads rapidly to other organs, even distant ones such as the small intestine, eyes, brain and even the heart.

Melanoma treatment

There are different ways to treat melanoma on the skin. It all depends on the state of the tumor and the physical conditions of the patient. These are some of the treatments:

• Radiation therapy: with this method, they prevent cancer cells from growing. It is a local treatment, that is, it only affects the area where the melanoma is found.
• Surgery: this technique is the most used da, since the tumor and surrounding tissue are removed so that it does not reproduce in nearby areas.
• Chemotherapy: used when melanoma has spread to other parts of the body. The patient is administered a combination of drugs and is even applied locally.
• Immunotherapy: the objective of this treatment is to increase the amount of defenses in the immune system.

Prognosis of nail melanoma

As in other cases, the prognosis of nail melanoma depends on how soon the diagnosis is made and treatment is started. Unfortunately, the expectations are worse than those of cutaneous melanoma, since in most cases the diagnosis is late.

It is essential that the primary care physician has knowledge about the characteristics of this type of melanoma, as this increases the chances of success with treatment.

Melanoma prevention

One of the main causes of melanoma is the lack of care when exposing oneself to the sun’s rays. In matters related to the skin, the following must be taken into account:

• Do not expose yourself to peak hours (between 12 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon).
• Get used to using sunscreen every day (apply it half an hour before going out, especially when going to the pool or the beach).
• Drink at least two liters of water since the sun dehydrates the body and you have to regulate the temperature.

• Avoid tanning. Exposure to UV radiation accelerates aging and increases the risk of skin cancer.
• Pay attention to any irregularities, do not miss the signs! Check if your nails or moles change color or size.

Do you have a black line on your nail? Consult with your doctor

It is very common for melanoma to be confused with benign diseases such as onychomycosis or common bruises. That is why patients arrive with advanced disease.

So, for your health, avoid self-medication and go to a dermatologist for any irregularity.  It is the only way to have a correct diagnosis and adequate treatment.