Pattern under the toenail could be a symptom of deadly cancer

A pharmacist has warned that an unusual shape under your toenails could signal a deadly disease. According to the expert, this blemish could be a sign of skin cancer. Our toes can provide

valuable clues about our overall health, potentially indicating underlying conditions such as nutritional deficiencies, diabetes, and circulatory issues. But a recent survey from

LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor revealed that 50 per cent of Brits don’t regularly check the condition of their toes or toenails. Alongside this, one in six are unaware that their condition

could uncover an underlying health condition. With this in mind, Sheena Bagga, a pharmacist prescriber from LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor, has revealed everything you need to know about toe

and nail health. Sheena said: “While often overlooked, your toenails and feet play a huge role in your overall health and it’s important to pay attention to their condition. While everyone’s

toes look different, healthy nails should have a smooth surface with light pink or translucent colouration without much variation in shade or hue.” Among the signs of look for are “dark”

stripes under the nails. She explained: “This is known as melanonychia, which can appear as a brown or black band running lengthwise along the nail. In most cases, the benign cause is a

normal variation in nail pigmentation. However, in some rare cases, it is a tell-tale sign of subungual melanoma, a type of skin cancer.” Experts at the Cleveland Clinic explain that unlike

other skin cancers, subungual melanoma isn’t linked to sun exposure. “It’s most likely to develop in your big toe, thumb or index finger,” they said. They also warned that nail melanoma is

often discovered later than other cancers because people don’t know the warning signs and might presume the mark has been caused by stubbing their toe or a nail infection. The clinic website

describes subungual melanoma as having a “distinct shape”. “Some may describe it as looking like you drew a line on your nail with a black or brown marker,” it said. “It appears as a dark

line on your nail and runs from bottom to top. “This streak or stripe may start small but grow to cover the entire nail and extend to the cuticle (skin part of your nail). The discolouration

can be irregular and be varying shades of blackish brown.” The lines on the nail will “typically” be less than three millimetres in size but they can multiply or grow. However, there are

some cases where subungual melanoma doesn’t discolour the nail. “Instead, a nodule (small, irregularly shaped growth) can develop and lift your nail, or other nail damage may occur,” the

clinic detailed. If you have subungual melanoma, your nail may also: * Split, crack or deform in some way * Have an irregular pigment (the discolouration isn’t even) * Swell or be inflamed *

Lift away from your nail bed * Develop an ulcer, nodule or start to bleed * Discolour the skin surrounding the nail. If you experience any of these symptoms you should speak to your doctor.

Sheena also warned of other signs in the nails to get checked: * Yellow discolouration - Yellow discolouration can indicate a toenail infection * White toenails - White lines or spots on

the nail could be caused by trauma such as stubbing your toe, however, this can sometimes be a sign of deficiencies in protein, zinc, or iron, or a fungal infection * Blue discolouration -

If your nails have a bluish hue and you notice that your toes feel unusually cold, it may be a sign that they are not getting proper circulation * Spoon nails - If your toenails change shape

and look curved or “spoon” shaped, it could indicate an iron deficiency or anaemia.