Should I see a podiatrist or dermatologist for a toe nail injury? (photo)

As Dr Paul has explained, the appearance of a brown line on your nail, known as melanonchia, is due to melanin within the nail. It's most often due to non-worrying causes. These include: Moles Freckles Fungal infection Pregnancy Trauma/injury (eg. from nail-biting) Bleeding under the nail Melanonchia due to moles commonly affect the thumbs, index fingers and big toes, like in your case. Of course, as you may have read, the internet will say that the big C word is a possible cause too (melanoma, a particularly aggressive type of skin cancer).

Thank you for getting in touch with us. These brown lines are usually the result of pigments being deposited right below where the nail is growing. The medical term is melanonychia. There can be quite a long list of possible causes for this. But most of the time it is not something dangerous. You should check it out with your GP or skin specialist. What we would do is to take a close look at the nail and the skin around it with a "dermascope", or a good magnifying glass to advice you further. Take Care.