In April 2023, Lucy Thompson was fidgeting with her acrylic nails when she noticed a disturbing irregularity.

The British mother had already scheduled a new manicure appointment, as her previous orange ombre set had grown out over several weeks.

Rather than paying the steep cost for removal at the salon, Thompson, 35, decided to remove them herself.

After gently peeling the acrylic from her left thumb, something 'unusual' caught her eye.

"I had my nails done and ended up picking them off," the Hull, East Yorkshire-based woman later told the press.

She discovered a black line beneath her thumbnail, stretching from the cuticles to the tip.

Little did Thompson know at the time that this odd pattern on her thumb was a serious indicator of a hidden issue - one that would land her in the hospital.

Thompson was previously a firm fan of an acrylic nail (Kennedy News and Media)

"I thought I'd damaged it by removing my nails or maybe I had hit it or trapped it in a door," the teacher admitted. "A straight, thin line just appeared and I remember thinking 'that looks a bit strange'.

"I had them on for about two weeks just to meet friends. I was aware of it and thought 'I'll just monitor it' but wasn't worried."

Only after a friend's encouragement did Thompson decide to consult her local GP about the unusual blemish.

Moments after entering the doctor's office, she received shocking news - the black line could be a sign of cancer, and a sample needed to be sent for immediate testing.

"Before she even sat down, she mentioned it could be cancer and 'We'll need to send it off,'" Thompson recalled.

"I thought I was just going to be told it was nothing. I was immediately referred to a specialist cancer hospital, and they said they wanted to remove it as soon as possible."

Thompson noticed a black streak under her thumb nail (Kennedy News and Media)

To her dismay, her first round of tests was inconclusive, requiring Thompson to undergo another biopsy.

"I was really scared," a devastated Thompson admitted. "I could see it growing every day.

"It was extremely tough. My first thought was 'who's going to care for my kids like I can?'. That's what frightened me the most."

She added: "I didn't want to leave my kids."

After persistently calling the surgery in the days that followed, she finally received the heartbreaking news she dreaded - the cells in her nail were precancerous.

"If left untreated," Thompson continued. "It would have developed into subungual melanoma."

According to Cleveland Clinic, this rare but serious form of skin cancer develops under the nail, appearing as black or dark brown streaks.

Thompson had the pre-cancerous cells removed (Kennedy News and Media)

Subungual melanoma - which accounts for 0.7% to 3.5% of all melanomas worldwide - is not typically caused by UV exposure, unlike other skin cancer types.

Fortunately, Thompson underwent surgery to remove the precancerous cells from her nail before the disease could spread.

"When people see it, they just think it's a strange line and leave it too long, which is why it doesn't have a high survival rate. Thankfully, I haven't had any issues since," the relieved mother added.

"I now regularly check all my nails. I rarely get my nails done now, and if I do, I only wear them for a week or so."

Now, she's urging beauty enthusiasts not to cover their natural nails with artificial ones.

"If you notice a mark on your nail or any changes, get it checked by a doctor," Thompson advised. "It'll likely be nothing, but if it is something, the sooner you catch it, the sooner it can be treated."

The teacher is now attempting to raise awareness amongst others (Kennedy News and Media)

"The more you delay, the more dangerous it can become."

She continued: "I have many friends who frequently get their nails done and just get infills. I always tell them 'ask [the manicurist] to remove everything' so they can check their nailbeds. I make sure everyone is aware."