It's incredibly important to pay attention to any changes in our bodies, however it's easier said than done. Luckily, this woman's manicurist recognised the mark on her nail and advised her to go to a doctor immediately.

The warning signs

Jean Skinner is a manicurist who recently had a walk-in client asking her for a nail colour dark enough to cover up a strange mark. Apparently the woman had been told by other salons that the mark could be hereditary, a lack of calcium or a blood blister. Jean, however, recognised straightaway that the dark stripe was a sign of something much worse.

The condition

Sadly, Jean's client called her the next day to tell her that it was indeed an aggressive form of melanoma, which had already spread to her lymph nodes, and that her prognosis was not good. With her client's permission, Jean posted a photo of the nail and her account of the events to Facebook. She wrote:

Please pay attention to abnormalities in your nail beds!! Odd changes in your nails can very likely be nothing to worry about! But sometimes it is an indication of a very serious disease.

Multiple cases

A similar story was shared on Facebook last year by Lauren Anne, whose best friend had a similar mark on her fingernail. In her case, however, the stripe on the nail was lighter in colour. Thankfully, her friend caught the melanoma early and was able to have surgery to remove it before the cancer spread - though she has permanently lost her nail.

Getty Images

Lauren suggested that the melanoma may have been caused by the UV light used when applying gel manicures - which her friend had regularly. We often hear about the dangers of the UV light used in sunbeds but it's worth considering the risk of the UV light used in gel manicures too. Above all, be sure to make yourself and your friends and family aware of these warning signs and make sure you always have any concerns you have about changes in your body checked out by a doctor.

Check out the video and see examples of what more of these warning signs could look like!