What do discoloured nails feel like with melanonychia?

Most people with Melanonychia notice discoloured nails rather than a new sensation. A brown, grey, or black line or patch may run along the nail, and the nail can otherwise feel normal. Pressure, tenderness, splitting, or lifting may occur when another nail problem or an injury is present.

Melanonychia describes pigment in the nail and has several possible causes. Colour alone cannot tell whether the change is harmless. A clinician considers whether one or several nails are involved, whether the band is changing, and whether pigment extends onto nearby skin.

Book a nail or skin examination for a new, persistent, widening, or changing dark band. Photograph the nail in good light and record when the change began. Avoid scraping, drilling, or covering the nail with polish before assessment, because the surface and colour help the clinician evaluate it.

Bring information about recent injury, medicines, nail products, and family history of pigment changes. General information about [Discoloured Nails](/symptoms/nail-discoloration/) may help you describe what you have noticed.

Arrange prompt medical review if a dark band changes in width or shade, develops irregular edges, affects one nail without an obvious injury, or spreads onto the cuticle or surrounding skin. Seek sooner for bleeding, ulceration, marked pain, or a nail that is separating.

Ask whether the pigment pattern needs specialist review, whether photographs can track it, and whether testing or a biopsy is appropriate. Ask which changes should prompt an earlier appointment and how to protect the nail while waiting.