r/mildyinteresting • u/SettingPlenty295 • Mar 08 '26
science savvy 🧬 Grey line on finger
Have had it for approx 3 yrs now. but comparing to a picture from 2 yrs ago, I’m noticing that it has become more noticeable (in color and width)
doctors of reddit help a girl out :( (also i have an upcoming appointment w/ family doctor in 2 days)
OK CLARIFICATION bc some of u are drawing conclusions on how white/pale the nails are: No, it is not Terry's. It is due to RECURRING SEVERE ANEMIA. We're talking ferritin levels of 5 and 7 that took MONTHS of treatment to get back to normal values.
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MINI UPDATE: Turns out this is clinically quite common in people with darker pigmentation like myself, and in most cases it’s just a benign mole under the nail (melanocytic naevus), especially when it's been present for a few yrs. family doctor said cancer cases are more common in people with lighter skin tones, but to be safe and 100% sure I was given a dermatology referral and the appointment has been booked!
we shan't be defeated (yet)! and to be continued ig? (thank u to everyone for the kind words and laughs <3)
10
u/ChetWellingtonEsq Mar 08 '26
Nail biopsies aren’t a benign process. It’s an involved surgical procedure that can often result in significant morbidity to the nail. Scaring someone into thinking it is necessary without a qualified evaluation isn’t helpful. The vast majority of longitudinal melanonychia is physiologic and can be monitored.