21-year-old Karolina Jasko had quite a shock when she discovered a bruise under the nail on her thumb when she was 18.
She didn't think much of it until she developed an infection in the same nail after several days.
Jasko shared her story in a Facebook post.
"You guys!! I finally get to share something I was really looking forward to for a few months now!"
Many think of cancers, especially melanomas, as something elderly folks deal with.
Unfortunately, that isn't always the case.
"I was diagnosed with melanoma when I was 18, and my early detection saved me from my melanoma spreading and me possibly losing my thumb."
"When I was asked to appear on The Doctors , I was honored. Not only honored to appear on television, but to be able to share my message of early detection and taking care of yourself, physically and psychologically."
"I wish you guys would have the full interview, but the summary provided in these clips is very important."
You can view those two clips below.
Beauty Queen's Trip to Nail Salon Uncovers Canceryoutu.be
Subungual Melanoma: What You Need to Knowyoutu.be
For many who keep their nails manicured and painted, it is important to do a thorough check of the nail bed between manicures.
While much rarer, melanomas on the arms and hands, or feet and legs, are much more severe.
According to The New York Post, doctors are blaming the increase in these particular melanomas on a popular nail treatment.
They cited:
"the popularity of gel manicures that require setting with harmful ultraviolet light."
Doctor Vishal Patel spoke with TODAY about these types of melanomas. Patel is assistant professor of dermatology at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences.
He was not one of the doctors who treated Jasko, but is very familiar with these cancers.
"It's like tanning beds for your hands. We're seeing a lot of patients having not only melanomas, but all types of skin cancers around the finger tips and the cuticles."
Some on social media seemed to disagree, but others encouraged erring on the side of caution.
One Twitter user had an interesting suggestion.
Jasko is not the only famous person who has had nail cancer.
Jasko touched on this in her Facebook post, as well.
"Skin cancer is one of the most deadliest forms of cancer and protecting your skin should be a priority. If you enjoy no chip manicures, tanning beds, etc., please be safe about it."
"Schedule a yearly appointment with a dermatologist, do self skin checks, wear sunscreen, avoid tanning beds, and try to take precaution and switch to different methods of nail care."
