‘I will never have a thumbnail again’: Woman's shocking discovery after getting a manicure
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Health concerns can sometimes appear in the most unexpected ways, turning a routine moment into something far more serious.
For one woman, a simple trip to the nail salon led to a shocking discovery—one that could have had life-threatening consequences if left unchecked.
What started as an unusual mark on her thumb soon became a reason for urgent medical attention, highlighting the importance of recognising subtle changes in the body.
A trip to the nail salon turned into a life-changing moment for an Ohio woman who spotted an unusual mark on her thumb.
Michelle Tagliamonte, a 58-year-old health coach, first noticed faint black lines across her right thumbnail in September 2024.
She regularly had her nails done every four weeks but had no idea how long the mark had been there.
‘The first time I noticed it [the mark] was in September,’ she recalled.
She assumed the lines would grow out by her next manicure, but by October, they had become more pronounced.
Concerned, she decided to get them checked by a dermatologist, who performed a biopsy.
The results confirmed she had stage zero melanoma—also known as melanoma in situ—meaning the cancerous cells were still confined to the outer layer of the skin.
This type of melanoma is considered non-invasive, and treatment usually involves surgical removal of the affected area.
If left untreated, it could develop into a more aggressive form of cancer.
On 17 January, Tagliamonte underwent a four-hour operation where surgeons removed her right thumbnail and performed a skin graft.
Doctors took skin from the base of her thumb to cover the exposed bone and tendon left after the procedure.
Images showed her hand with a deep incision and stitches running down the side following the surgery.
‘What the dermatologist was seeing was discoloration at the base of my thumbnail, and whatever was causing this black line in my nail was coming from inside the growth plate down from inside my nail,’ she explained.
‘The melanoma was in the growth plate [in my thumb] down to my first knuckle.’
‘This is where they had to cut out, and they had to create a skin graft, so when they had to dig out the melanoma, the bone and the tendon were exposed, so they had to put some flesh back in it.’
‘The skin graft was pretty invasive. I will never have a thumbnail ever again, but if I had let it go, I might have lost the tip of my thumb or worse, so I am very grateful, and it is healing well.’
Despite the procedure, she suffered no permanent nerve damage.
‘I'm right-handed, so the worst part was not being able to use this hand. For the first couple of weeks, I couldn't button my own pants or put on my own bra.’
She urged others to listen to their instincts and seek medical advice if they notice changes in their bodies.
‘I am very grateful that I caught it at stage zero and it was localised. I think it's just a matter of being diligent to get myself checked out.
‘I would just say don't take anything for granted. I would definitely say that if you see something that is odd or different, listen to your own intuition and get it checked out,’ she said.
Health experts have warned that UV lamps used in some nail treatments may increase the risk of skin cancer.
Both UV and LED nail lamps emit ultraviolet radiation, primarily UVA rays, which can penetrate deep into the skin.
Excessive exposure to UV radiation can damage skin cells, leading to mutations that may cause melanoma and other forms of skin cancer.
While UVB rays are more commonly linked to sunburn, UVA rays contribute to long-term skin damage and ageing.
In a previous story, a single mum went in for a routine check-up, never expecting it to reveal a life-changing diagnosis.
Her experience serves as another powerful reminder of why even the smallest signs should never be ignored.
Read her story to see how early detection made all the difference.
Have you ever noticed an unusual mark on your nails and wondered if it meant something more?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
For one woman, a simple trip to the nail salon led to a shocking discovery—one that could have had life-threatening consequences if left unchecked.
What started as an unusual mark on her thumb soon became a reason for urgent medical attention, highlighting the importance of recognising subtle changes in the body.
A trip to the nail salon turned into a life-changing moment for an Ohio woman who spotted an unusual mark on her thumb.
Michelle Tagliamonte, a 58-year-old health coach, first noticed faint black lines across her right thumbnail in September 2024.
She regularly had her nails done every four weeks but had no idea how long the mark had been there.
A routine manicure led to a shocking find. Image source: Kennedy News and Media
‘The first time I noticed it [the mark] was in September,’ she recalled.
She assumed the lines would grow out by her next manicure, but by October, they had become more pronounced.
Concerned, she decided to get them checked by a dermatologist, who performed a biopsy.
The results confirmed she had stage zero melanoma—also known as melanoma in situ—meaning the cancerous cells were still confined to the outer layer of the skin.
This type of melanoma is considered non-invasive, and treatment usually involves surgical removal of the affected area.
If left untreated, it could develop into a more aggressive form of cancer.
On 17 January, Tagliamonte underwent a four-hour operation where surgeons removed her right thumbnail and performed a skin graft.
Doctors took skin from the base of her thumb to cover the exposed bone and tendon left after the procedure.
Images showed her hand with a deep incision and stitches running down the side following the surgery.
‘What the dermatologist was seeing was discoloration at the base of my thumbnail, and whatever was causing this black line in my nail was coming from inside the growth plate down from inside my nail,’ she explained.
‘The melanoma was in the growth plate [in my thumb] down to my first knuckle.’
‘This is where they had to cut out, and they had to create a skin graft, so when they had to dig out the melanoma, the bone and the tendon were exposed, so they had to put some flesh back in it.’
‘The skin graft was pretty invasive. I will never have a thumbnail ever again, but if I had let it go, I might have lost the tip of my thumb or worse, so I am very grateful, and it is healing well.’
Despite the procedure, she suffered no permanent nerve damage.
‘I'm right-handed, so the worst part was not being able to use this hand. For the first couple of weeks, I couldn't button my own pants or put on my own bra.’
She urged others to listen to their instincts and seek medical advice if they notice changes in their bodies.
‘I am very grateful that I caught it at stage zero and it was localised. I think it's just a matter of being diligent to get myself checked out.
‘I would just say don't take anything for granted. I would definitely say that if you see something that is odd or different, listen to your own intuition and get it checked out,’ she said.
Health experts have warned that UV lamps used in some nail treatments may increase the risk of skin cancer.
Both UV and LED nail lamps emit ultraviolet radiation, primarily UVA rays, which can penetrate deep into the skin.
Excessive exposure to UV radiation can damage skin cells, leading to mutations that may cause melanoma and other forms of skin cancer.
While UVB rays are more commonly linked to sunburn, UVA rays contribute to long-term skin damage and ageing.
In a previous story, a single mum went in for a routine check-up, never expecting it to reveal a life-changing diagnosis.
Her experience serves as another powerful reminder of why even the smallest signs should never be ignored.
Read her story to see how early detection made all the difference.
Have you ever noticed an unusual mark on your nails and wondered if it meant something more?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
