In a viral TikTok video that’s already received more than 33 million views, Maria Sylvia revealed that an unusual mark under her thumb nail turned out to be more than a mole — it was subungual melanoma.
Subungual melanoma is a very serious skin cancer that occurs in the skin under your nails. They are extremely rare according to WebMD, making up only 0.07% to 3.5% of all melanoma cases. This type of melanoma can spread to other parts of your body and cause death.
After being bombarded with questions from curious social media crowds, Sylvia shared her journey and shed some light on her diagnosis. On her TikTok, she told her followers that the dark streak first appeared in 2021 — first as a small dot which she thought was cool and unique. As time passed, the dot grew and eventually appeared as a line along the length of the nail.
When Sylvia first sought treatment, she was told by doctors that it could be a mole, so she thought nothing of it. But after urged her to get tested, she discovered that “mole” was something far more serious.
“When he (the doctor) told me they found melanoma, you know, my heart dropped. He was rattling off phone numbers that I had to call and I’m still like grasping that I just found out that I had cancer,” Sylvia told Good Morning America.
Subungual melanoma is a form of acral lentiginous melanoma, a skin cancer that isn’t caused by sunlight. According to the National Institutes of Health, this type of melanoma is usually found in people over the age of 40.
Melanocytic activations can be caused by pregnancy, trauma, nail infections, viral warts, growth hormone dysfunction and more. Experts urge you to consult your doctor and ask for a biopsy if you think you might have subungual melanoma.
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