Skin cancer or fungal infection?

[Chocbuttonsandredwine]

Basically just that really.

my finger nail has been green/black for 6-9 months. I thought it was a reaction to gel polish but as no discomfort thought it would be ok. Then I read a thread on here yesterday and someone casually mentioned nail cancer. And now I’m petrified. I know random strangers on internet can’t diagnose, and I have an appointment next week to see doctor but it seems like a very long time away, and I’m here, petrified and have spent the last 24 hours sobbing.

Any advice/thoughts etc appreciated. Might take a while for photo to upload. The pink/red bits are nail varnish thanks so much

Melanoma is usually in a thin line vertically up the nail, that looks like a ‘greeny’ from having a fungal infection underneath gel nails as it’s got a couple of mm of no growth at the bottom it’s growing out. I’d see a GP but I wouldn’t have said that was melanoma personally. I have melanoma that was on a nail and mine had spread to far lymph nodes and it looked nothing like that. It was a thin brown line

Has it improved any over that time? I would have thought you’d have had more growth than that in 9 months and it would have grew out with your nail if it was allergy related.

I started another thread in chat and someone else suggested a greenie too which is not heard of. It hasn’t grown out, just stayed the same although it was green and is not more black but I’ve been continuing with BIAB, today is the fiat day without it so maybe it hasn’t had chance to get better?

I would stop Biab on that nail and leave it to heal. I’ve heard it can be bruising caused by the products used.

A good nail tech should be able to advise.

I’ve got an appointment with a podiatrist today, hopefully get some reassurance. Couldn’t get appointment with GP for 2 weeks… which just seems awful. Hardly slept a wink last night

How did the appointment go?

hey: thanks for asking!

podiatrist was amazing, she said almost certainly infection. Choice of cream (for up to 12 months, might not work), anti biotic that could cause liver and kidney problems (blood tests, possibly needed for 8-10 months) or take nail off and hope it’s an infection. So I e did.

Nail off. Not going to lie it was unpleasant but after 58 hours of being convinced I had skin cancer she could have taken my arm off and I’d still have thanked her.

nail came off and took with it the horrible blackness. Finger is missing a nail, and very sore but looks almost certainly to be an infection, just need to keep it clean and dry, apply cream and hope it grows back.

thanks for advice and kindness

Oh that’s fantastic! I mean I know it’s not nice missing a nail but it’s all done and not cancer! Fantastic!