A simple brown streak on her nail turned out to be something far more dangerous than this woman could have ever imagined.
Lauren Koltcz, a busy mom from Ohio, discovered a brown streak on her thumbnail that turned out to be melanoma.
Initially thinking it was a vitamin deficiency, she continued painting her nails until the spot began spreading.
After seeing a dermatologist’s video about nail signs of melanoma, she made an appointment, leading to a biopsy confirming subungual melanoma, a rare form of skin cancer under the nail.
Fortunately, it was caught early at stage 0, and Lauren underwent successful surgery, removing the cancer with no signs of recurrence.
Dermatologists emphasise the importance of checking your nails regularly for changes, as early detection greatly improves survival rates.