What's this red line on my thumb?

July 5, 2012 4:57 PM

What's this red line on my thumb? (Picture inside, not gross)

This red line appeared on my thumb a week or two ago (see image link). It doesn't hurt or itch. I have no pain or limitation in movement.

http://i.imgur.com/sai69.jpg

Any ideas what it is? Anything I should be concerned about?*

*You're not doctors, of course. If it's still there or changes after a few weeks I'll go to the doctor.

posted by overeducated_alligator to Health & Fitness (13 answers total)

Could it be a minor burn?
posted by caclwmr4 at 5:11 PM on July 5, 2012

I have a slowly-healing burn on my finger that looks just like that which I incurred by accidentally touching the edge of the oven rack while baking something.
posted by XMLicious at 5:21 PM on July 5, 2012

Burn or slowly healing cat scratch.
posted by desjardins at 5:31 PM on July 5, 2012

I looked at it and thought burn as well.
posted by vegartanipla at 5:35 PM on July 5, 2012

nthing a slight burn. Looks like the kind of thing I get when I accidentally hit the side of a cookie sheet that's been out of the oven for a minute or two.
posted by xingcat at 5:41 PM on July 5, 2012

Were you in the sun? Missed a spot whilst slathering on the SPF?
posted by thinkpiece at 5:58 PM on July 5, 2012

I am a doctor, but not yours etc. Looks like a burn to me but you don't remember anything?
posted by karlos at 6:22 PM on July 5, 2012

Nope, I don't recall anything painful, but I'm willing to believe ya'll that it's a burn. The fact that it's a straight line makes me think it was probably the oven rack. I'm used to getting them only on my wrists.

That's what I get for baking cookies outside in the hot sun without sunscreen while carrying my cat in a Baby Bjorn, right?

...Right?
posted by overeducated_alligator at 6:51 PM on July 5, 2012

That's what I get for baking cookies outside in the hot sun without sunscreen while carrying my cat in a Baby Bjorn, right?

...Right?

Pics??
posted by CathyG at 7:27 PM on July 5, 2012

I sometimes get similar looking lines if a slight scratch ( something I didn't feel getting) gets irritated by things like cutting raw pineapple, tomatoes, hot peppers like jelepeno or chicken. Essentially, working with dry or chapped hands on something quite manual and then cooking something tasty will cause this on my hands.
posted by Yavsy at 8:30 PM on July 5, 2012

We're hand twins, I have one in almost exactly the same spot. From the oven rack. It wasn't a bad burn and didn't burn, but it is healing slowly.
posted by upatree at 10:20 PM on July 5, 2012

Sometimes I scratch myself while I'm sleeping and get marks like that. Were you itchy when you went to sleep?
posted by The Light Fantastic at 12:34 AM on July 6, 2012

There's a tendon that seems to go right under that spot so it's particularly easy to graze, I think. It could have been something as simple as reaching into a narrow gap to pull something out from behind a table and scraping your hand a tiny bit. I don't think it even has to be a burn.
posted by maryr at 12:12 PM on July 7, 2012