Melanoma scare advice please

[Anonymousgirlxoxox]

So I noticed this line on my nail a month ago while painting my nails . Left it didn't think much , till today thought probably should get it checked . Rang gp , and she said she wants to send photo to dermatologist and to look at my other nails .

She did mention skin cancer , and vitamin deficiencies. I'm so scared I'm panicking like crazy , I have health anxiety and I felt stupid already going to drs about a nail . I have no pain in nail , and the line just seems skin coloured not brown / black ? Unless this is early stages but it's changed from when I first noticed a month ago . Any advice ? Drs tomorrow for scope

These are the pictures I sent to the dr

Can see better in this pic

I’m really sorry I can’t see it. Might you have bashed your nail at all and caused it?

@RhosynBach can you see in these ones better ? It's a little line to the right of my finger nail , and no not that I remember , few months ago I did bump the other finger next to it and had a bruise that's grown out now

cannot see anything at all

I would not bother the GP with that

Can only just see it's it's hard to miss tbh but because I'm looking I can see it , dr wasn't helpful on the phone at all 🤦‍♀️ made me feel anxious cos she mentioned skin cancer !

Can you circle on the photo what you’re talking about? Literally can’t see anything out if the ordinary.

Ah ok. The whole nail is a bit of an orange colour and then there’s a faint darker line on the right?

@MadamWhiteleigh

Can see better here

I feel like a melanoma would be much more dramatic than that. I’m pretty sure I’ve got lines on my nails like that, looking at them.

@MadamWhiteleigh yes , all my nails look like that but white yellow think it's the lighting .

For reference I'm 24 .

@MadamWhiteleigh yeah I thought it was stupid but because I have anxiety after a breast lump scare I panic lol so hopefully it's nothing

Nails can sometimes be tricky but I very much doubt there is anything worrying here. The nail plate looks to be growing normally, the line is faintly pigmented with a narrow band and there is no worrying pigment on the surrounding skin.
i would never say don’t get things checked out by your gp but try not to worry.

Don’t feel stupid, I have some health anxiety myself so I know what it’s like. We all want the GP to just dismiss it so when they refer you for further investigation, it just reinforces the idea that there’s something wrong. But they’re really just covering themselves, as they should.

I really don’t think you have anything go worry about here. Easier said than done though, I know.

@Laurabeee thankyou that's reassuring , I'd probably be Alot more worried if it was brown / black but to me looks almost skin coloured . From what I see on Google it's brown or black that indicates melanoma , and this hasn't changed or anything in the 2 ish months iv had it

MadamWhiteleigh · Today 14:27
I feel like a melanoma would be much more dramatic than that.

Not at all. I want to correct that in case anyone thinks their own skin or nail blemish is " too small or insignificant to be malignant melanoma. " and does nothing about it. OP is quite right to show it to her GP.

My first diagnosed malignant melanoma, was a tiny new black dot the size of a pinhead, on my forearm. Most melanomas occur on skin often exposed to sunburn, but it can happen in other places you never had a sunburn because the sun don't shine there. 🤔

@2bazookas yes that is true ..

Put it this way iv had it around 2 months so I'm sure even if it was cancer that I would be treated as iv acted quickly , but I'm hoping it isn't and it's just begin or just my normal nail . I don't have the textbook symptoms to melanoma as in pain , bump on nail , split in nails and the brown / black colour . And with how wide it is too . So fingers crossed 🤞

Im hoping when I see gp tomorrow he can give me some reassurance , I'm hoping I don't get reffered

My husband has had a line like that for literally years (I remember noticing it when we met over 10 years ago). I have had one for the last year and haven’t given it a thought. Melanoma would likely have more pigment to it I’m sure. Good you’re getting it checked out but I wouldn’t be too concerned.

@NeonHalo yes I thought the same you would of thought more pigment . Argh I hate having to worry it's my daughters birthday and I really just wanna enjoy it instead of having this hanging over my head

OP in my non medical opinion it looks fine. Could it be due to having gels on? Try not to worry.

Completely ignoring the bit you're concerned by, the vertical ridges in your nails point to iron deficiency.

@AbsoluteYawns it's a possibility , I remember I cut my nail with these tiny scissors because I couldn't find my nail clippers lol and it cut to far and ripped my nail like the pink bit , so I wonder if it's due to trauma  but I can't be certain it was that finger .

@Hairbrushhandle really ! I didn't know that , my bloods got taken not long ago and was all ok . Wonder if anything to do with my diet because I don't eat very good tbh

Just thought Id update .

Gp wasn't concerned at all basically was dismissive haha . He said not to worry 😂 thank god for that no idea why I worry over silly things ! But glad I got checked

@Anonymousgirlxoxox that’s great news, I hope you can put it up rest now. I’m also selfishly pleased for myself given I have the identical thing 😄