Table of Contents
What does a dark line on your nail mean?
A narrow black line that has formed vertically underneath your nail is called a splinter hemorrhage. It occurs for a variety of reasons and may be harmless or a sign of a more serious health condition. This condition is called a splinter hemorrhage because it may look like a wood splinter under your nail.
What do your nails look like when you are anemic?
Anemia is a condition where your body lacks enough hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. While fatigue is the leading sign of anemia, this condition can also show itself through brittle or spoon-shaped nails — called koilonychia.
What are the signs of nail cancer?
Here are certain warning signs to look out for:
- brown or black bands of color that increase in size over time.
- change in skin pigment (darkening around the affected nail)
- splitting nail or bleeding nail.
- drainage (pus) and pain.
- delayed healing of nail lesions or trauma.
- separation of the nail from the nail bed.
Is it okay to eat your own skin?
Dermatophagia is what’s known as a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB). It goes beyond just nail biting or occasionally chewing on a finger. It’s not a habit or a tic, but rather a disorder. People with this condition gnaw at and eat their skin, leaving it bloody, damaged, and, in some cases, infected.
What causes black stripes on nails?
Melanonychia is caused when the pigment cells, called melanocytes, deposit melanin into the nail. Melanin is a brown colored pigment. These deposits are usually grouped together. As your nail grows, it causes the stripe of brown or black to appear on your nail.
What foods contain iron?
Some of the best plant sources of iron are:
- Beans and lentils.
- Tofu.
- Baked potatoes.
- Cashews.
- Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach.
- Fortified breakfast cereals.
- Whole-grain and enriched breads.
How do you treat black lines on your nails?
Most causes of black lines on the nail do not require treatment. Melanoma is an exception. A doctor will usually first remove the area of melanoma as well as the skin under the fingernail. A doctor can perform a skin graft over the fingernail to improve the finger’s appearance post-surgery.
Why is there a black line under my fingernail?
Black line on the nail A narrow black line that has formed vertically underneath your nail is called a splinter hemorrhage. It occurs for a variety of reasons and may be harmless or a sign of a more serious health condition. This condition is called a splinter hemorrhage because it may look like a wood splinter under your nail.
What are the 7 fingernail symptoms you shouldn’t ignore?
7 fingernail symptoms you shouldn’t ignore. 1 1. Symptom: Brown vertical stripe on the nail. This may be a sign of melanoma. While you may think the deadliest type of skin cancer always shows up 2 2. Symptom: Brittle nails. 3 3. Symptom: Ridges on nails. 4 4. Symptom: Small white spots on nails. 5 5. Symptom: Yellow nails.
What are the signs of under-the-nail bruise?
The most common nails to see this dark stripe under is the thumb, big toe, and index finger. There are also signs that the stripe is more than an under-the-nail bruise, including: Treatments of this cancer vary on the stage in which it has been caught. If discovered early enough, the nail tissue or nail may only have to be removed.
Why do I have small white spots on my fingernails?
Symptom: Small white spots on nails Many people think the spots are related to a vitamin deficiency, but that’s a myth, Rich said. The condition, called punctate leukonychia, is actually due to some kind of minor trauma when the nail is being formed.