As dermatologist Dana Stern, MD, shared with Byrdie, "Sometimes people intentionally cover an ugly nail abnormality in order to cosmetically camouflage it," but this is a potentially dangerous idea especially when you're visiting your doctor for your yearly skin check-up. What may seem, on the surface, like insignificant color changes or bumps in odd places could actually be indicators of an underlying health condition (via WebMD).
For instance, pale nails might mean you have a poor diet, yellow fingernails could indicate a fungal infection or even lung disease and pitted nails might be telling you to watch out for psoriasis or inflammatory arthritis. Similar to how you might have experienced hair thinning because of illness or stress, our nails give hints too, as dermatologist Christine Poblete-Lopez, MD, told the Cleveland Clinic. Most notably, if you notice dark lines under your nails or a growth that's tender to the touch, this could be because of melanoma (a type of skin cancer), per the American Academy of Dermatology Association.
"Melanoma that comes from the nail unit is serious and can sometimes cause black lines or stripes to appear on the nail," skin expert and dermatologist John Anthony, MD, explained to Health. An annual examination of your skin usually rules out any possible risk of cancer, Dr. Darlene Gou, MD, of Innovative Dermatology confirmed. Your doctor will generally check areas like your palms, soles, scalp, and under the nails in order to be thorough.
