Dents in Thenar Palm Area: Atrophy or Normal Asymmetry?
When you look at your thenar palm area (right below the thumb) do you see dents that are suggestive of muscle atrophy? (more…)
Young Adult Getting Tons of Moles in a Short Period?
If a teen or young adult gets a bunch of moles in only a short period of time, is this predictive of future melanoma?
Or perhaps some of those new moles ARE melanoma? (more…)
Why Does A Mole Biopsy Sometimes Miss Melanoma?
Isn’t it frightening to read of a case in which a biopsy incorrectly labeled a mole as benign, and it later turned out to be a missed melanoma?
This happens. (more…)
Melanoma Risk from Childhood Sunburns vs. Basal Cell Carcinoma
So which is a greater risk for melanoma: childhood sunburns or adult basal cell carcinoma?
You’re probably aware that that blistering sunburns in childhood are thought to double a person’s individual risk for melanoma. (more…)
Can Melanoma in a Nail Be Green?
You know that melanoma can indeed grow “in a nail” and cause a dark streak, but can this band of cancer ever be green?
Or how about mostly brown or black with a little bit of green in it?
Melanoma doesn’t actually grow IN a nail. It grows on the tissue beneath the nail: the nail matrix. This can affect the fingers or the toes.
When the tumor gets big enough, it will be visible through the nail. The nail itself is actually dead and cannot support growth of anything.
The matrix (nail bed) is alive and can be the site of melanoma, though this is a rare form of the disease.
This cancer is prolific at spreading to the lungs, liver and brain if not caught in time.
It can occur in both fingernails and toenails and usually presents as a brown to black streak, band or line that runs the length of the nail. Sometimes the discoloration looks more like a dark smudge or smear rather than of a linear shape.
Melanoma in a Nail Appearing Green?
“Green discoloration under a nail is usually a symptom of a bacterial infection called Pseudomonas,” says Allison Arthur, MD, FAAD, board certified dermatologist with Sand Lake Dermatology Center in
Orlando, FL.
“This can develop in people whose nails have prolonged exposure to water or have had a traumatic nail injury,” continues Dr. Arthur.
“Dermatologists refer to this condition as ‘green nail syndrome.’
“I have never seen a melanoma cause green discoloration in a nail, but if your dermatologist has any suspicion for melanoma when they examine the area, a biopsy must be done.”
Dr. Arthur is a Mayo Clinic-trained dermatologist and dermopathologist who cares for patients of all ages, providing skin cancer and other medical/surgical treatments, plus cosmetic treatments.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Koldunova Anna
Hair Loss from Stress vs. Aging: How to Tell Difference
Is there a way a doctor can tell the difference between hair loss from stress and from aging?
Chronic stress can definitely cause hair to fall out. The aging process as well is notorious for causing hair loss.
Is it possible, then, to determine if one’s hair loss is from getting older as opposed to stress and anxiety?
“Yes; when the body is under stress, whether due to illness, a surgery, changes in hormones, medications or severe psychological stress such as the loss of a loved one, it’s not the body’s top priority to grow hair,” explains Allison Arthur, MD, FAAD, board certified dermatologist with Sand Lake Dermatology Center in Orlando, FL.
“This can result in a condition called telogen effluvium, where some of the hair follicles flip into a resting phase and stop growing new hairs,” says Dr. Arthur.
“Patients with telogen effluvium typically report a sudden increase in shedding—losing more hairs than usual when showering or styling their hair—and thinning all over the scalp.
“The good news is that telogen effluvium is usually temporary, and eventually those hair follicles will turn back on and start growing new hairs after the stresser has resolved.”
There are several things you can do while undergoing prolonged stress to help put a damper on hair loss.
• When putting in a ponytail, gently pull the hair through the fastener rather than yanking it through.
• When taking out a ponytail, snip the fastener with a toenail clippers (make sure no stray strands get caught up in the snipping) and gently extract the fastener. Otherwise, pulling off a fastener will surely pull some hairs with it.
• Obviously you’ll need a ready supply of fasteners on hand.
• After washing your hair, gently detangle with your fingers rather than with a comb or brush.
• When your scalp itches, don’t scratch with a fingernail, as this can rip strands out of their follicles. Instead, press a fingertip to the itching area and briefly massage.
“Senescent alopecia, or age-related thinning, progresses slowly with subtle decreases in hair density over time,” says Dr. Arthur.
“Patients with senescent alopecia do not report sudden onset of excessive hair shedding.”
Dr. Arthur is a Mayo Clinic-trained dermatologist and dermopathologist who cares for patients of all ages, providing skin cancer and other medical/surgical treatments, plus cosmetic treatments.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
If a Scratched Mole Bleeds, Does this Mean Melanoma?
It is nothing short of unnerving to casually scratch a mole and then see it bleed.
The scratching may not even be intended for the mole, but the mole just happens to be in the path of your fingernail. (more…)
Sudden “Pimples” on Your Neck: Causes and Solutions
Are you noticing what appears to be pimples growing on your neck?
“Pimples on the neck are usually either acne or folliculitis,” says Dr. Steven Musick, MD, a board certified dermatologist who runs Musick Dermatology, LLC, in Swansea, IL, which provides state-of-the-art medical and surgical care for all disorders of the skin, hair and nails. (more…)
Can a Pimple Form in a Mole and Does this Mean Cancer?
What looks like a pimple growing in a mole may be a harmless pimple, or, it can be melanoma or another kind of skin cancer that often resembles pimples. (more…)
Why Do Some People Not Have a Toenail on Their Pinky Toe?
Ever see a pinky toe with no nail and wonder why, in some individuals, there is no nail on their pinky toe?
Or sometimes there is, if you want to call it a true nail: a tiny slit of a nail – not big enough to put polish on without getting it on the surrounding skin. (more…)
