

When a person has linear melanonychia, they may see dark stripes running down the nails. However, there are times when a person may experience black lines on the nail. Typically, healthy fingernails will have small vertical ridges in them, are curved downward from the nail, and do not crack or break easily.

One of the melanoma types is known as acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM).Īccording to clinical guidelines published in the Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, about half of all melanomas on the hands and feet are due to ALM. Melanoma under a fingernail is known as subungual melanoma.
Stripes primary care near me skin#
More seriously, a black line or lines on the nails can indicate the presence of melanoma, a dangerous form of skin cancer. taking certain medications, such as chemotherapy drugs, beta blockers, anti-malarial drugs, or the medication azidothymidineĪnother cause of black lines on the nails is a splinter hemorrhage, which occurs when blood vessels under the fingernail are damaged, often due to injuries, such as hitting.Less common causes of nail melanonychia exist. This causes the nail beds to darken.Īccording to an article in the journal Podiatry Today, an estimated 50 percent of African-Americans have this condition. The condition occurs when pigments in the nail known as melanocytes make excess pigment. Linear melanonychia is considered a normal fingernail color variation. According to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, these stripes commonly occur in those of African-American descent who are age 20 and older. Most commonly, dark stripes down a person’s nail are due to a symptom known as linear melanonychia. Share on Pinterest In some cases, black lines on the nails may be caused by melanoma.
