1.Nails reflect the condition of the inner body. It is true that abnormalities of the nails can often provide early clues to common medical problems or severe systemic diseases. Take a few moments and examine your unpolished fingernails under a good light. You will gather a new appreciation for how your lifestyle affects your nails and overall health.
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Nails grow at different rates due to age, nutrition, and health factors.
Under the best of conditions, a nail grows about .004 inches a day or
1/8 of an inch each month. It takes about six months for a new nail
to grow from cuticle to tip.
Use this diagnostic chart to look at and understand the condition of your nails:
COMPLETE LOSS OF NAIL
Trauma
NAIL
PLATE LOOSE
Injury; nail psoriasis; fungal or bacterial
infections; medicines; chemotherapy; thyroid disease; Raynaud’s
phenomenon; lupus
WASTING
AWAY OF NAILS; NAIL LOSES LUSTER AND BECOMES SMALLER
Injury or
disease
THICKENED
NAIL PLATE
Poor circulation; fungal infection; heredity; mild,
persistent trauma to the nail
PITTED
NAILS SOMETIMES WITH YELLOW-TO-BROWN “OIL” SPOTS
Eczema
or psoriasis; hair loss condition
VERY
SOFT NAILS
Contact with strong alkali; malnutrition; endocrine
problems; chronic arthritis
SPOON-SHAPED
NAILS
Iron deficiency; thyroid disease
CLUBLIKE
NAILS GROWING AROUND SWOLLEN FINGER ENDS
Chronic respiratory
or heart problems; cirrhosis of the liver
HORIZONTAL
RIDGES
Injury; infection; nutrition
LONGITUDINAL
RIDGES
Aging, poor absorption of vitamins and minerals;
thyroid disease; kidney failure
BRITTLE,
SPLIT NAILS
Nail
dryness; nails in contact with irritating substances (detergents,
chemicals, polish remover); silica deficiency
INFECTED
NAILS: RED, TENDER, SWOLLEN, PUS
Bacterial or yeast infection
OVERLARGE
MOONS
Overactive thyroid; genetics; self-induced trauma (habit
tick)
NO
MOONS
Underactive thyroid; genetics
DISCOLORED
FINGERNAILS
Colorless: May indicate anemia
Red or deep pink: Can indicate a tendency to poor peripheral circulation
Blue: Blood may not be receiving adequate oxygen due to respiratory disorders, cardiovascular problems, or lupus erythermatosus.
Yellow: Could indicate fungus, diabetes, psoriasis, use of tetracycline, or heredity.
White, crumbly, soft: May be a result of a fungus infection
Half white/half pink: May indicate fungal infection or, more seriously, kidney disease
Small white patches: Usually a sign of injury to the nail matrix
Purple or black: Usually due to trauma, or may also be a sign of vitamin B12 deficiency. A brown or black streak that begins at the base of the nail and extends to its tip could be a diagnostic clue to a potentially dangerous melanoma. See your healthcare provider.
This is probably more information then you want to know about fingernails but it will help in answering your question. Our fingernails are basically made up of a hard, curved plate of keratin. Keratin is a protein and it is also what makes up hair and the outer most layer of skin. At the base of a nail is what is called the matrix.
The matrix is where the nail forms from; this is what most people call "the moon" of the nail. This "moon" appearance is due to the nail bed being so tightly packed with keratin, that the capillaries (where the blood flows through) is covered by the amount of keratin. The rest of the nail that is actually attached to the skin appears pink due to the capillaries running underneath (the blood running through them gives them the pink color). Nails that extend beyond the tip of the finger are white in color because there is no pigment in the nail to give it color.
Nails start in the nail bed, a flat surface that is under your nails and extends about � inch beyond where you can see them. When cells at the root of the nail bed grow together to form keratin, a nail is formed. Layers of keratin bind together and the nail slowly grow out from the root of the nail bed towards the end of your finger. Nails grow very slowly. The nails you see now won�t be fully replaced by entirely new nails until 6 months or more from now.
White spots on the nails are very common and usually recur. These small, semi-circular spots result from injury to the base (matrix) of the nail, where nail cells are produced or imperfections when the nail is formed. As the nail grows these blemishes are pushed outward. Frequently the culprit of these spots is careless manicuring. These spots are not cause for concern and will eventually grow out.
Another leading cause of these white specs is a diet that is deficient in zinc. You could try taking a zinc supplement and see if this clears up the problem.
I'm not sure you want to know the anatomy of the fingernail structure or the physiology of how the nail grows (how they replenish themselves) but I will focus primarily on the anatomy since the area of science chosen was anatomy. I will print the scientific terms that apply to the nail in CAPS the first time I use a new term and try to explain what various scientific terms mean in (parentheses) throughout my answer. The nails are flattened, elastic sturctures of a horny texture (mainly protein) that appear in the uterus during the third month of human development. They are found on the distal (further out on the limb and opposite of proximal which would be closer in or toward the midline of the body) parts of the dorsal (back side rather than front side) surfaces of fingers and toes. The proximal part of the nail, called the ROOT, is implanted into a groove in the skin; the exposed part of the nail is called the BODY of the nail; the distal end forms the FREE BORDER under which you clean when you scrape the dirt from under your nails with a sharp object, and a little proximal to the free border, the skin is attached to the under surface of the nail body forming the HYPONYCHIUM. If you happen to have ever gotten a splinter of wood under you nail it went into this hyponychium layer and will also hurt like as if a hundred bees stung you all at once under the nail, a very rich nerve supply here! The root of the nail is overlapped by a fold of skin, the NAIL FOLD, the stratum corneum (cornified = dead; stratum = layer) of which is prolonged distally as a thin cuticular fold, the EPONYCHIUM (cuticle in laymen's terminology, which women like to push back and trim off before applying polish because it makes the nail "look" longer). This eponychium covers completely or partially the white opaque crescentic part of the nail called the LUNULE. If you look at your own nails you will probably see that some of them show the lunule and some don't; more on the thumb and getting successively less as you go toward the little finger. If they don't show, just push back the cuticle and you will see them. The greater part of each collateral border (sides or edges) of the nail is overlapped by a fold of skin, termed the NAIL WALL, which forms due to the fact the the nail grows much more slowly than the epidermis (skin) and thus the nail wall is formed by the faster-growing skin bulging up over the nail body. If you clip the edge of your nail toward the nail wall, but don't clip it all the way off, and then pull it off you may experience another form of pain, not so sharp as the splinter type above. What you have done is pull some of the living skin off of the nail wall where it joins the hyponychium and lamen say "I have pulled the nail into the quick". Of course this word quick is an old English word meaning alive, thus pain. Finally, the germinative (growing) zone of the nail bed consists functionally of two parts. The part beneath the root of the nail and the lunule, called the GERMINAL MATRIX, is thicker and actively proliferative (dividing), and is concerned with the growth of the nail, the epidermal cells being gradually converted into the nail substance. On the other hand, the part beneath the rest of the nail, called the STERILE MATRIX, is thinner and is not concerned with nail growth but provides a surface over which the growing nail glides. All growth of the nail therefore occurs at its root; the nail increases in thickness from its root to the distal edge of the lunule and the remainder is of uniform thickness. Therefore, when you happen to miss when using a hammer to drive a nail into a piece of wood and instead hit your thumbnail for example, if you don't damage the germinal matrix you will get a new nail even though the old one might fall off if you hit it hard enough (Ouch!). The average finger nail grows about 0.5 mm per week with faster growth in the summer than the winter and fingernails grow about 4 times faster than toenails. This is probably more than you ever wanted to know about nails but I hope you enjoy learning more about your wonderful body. If you want to see a picture of a cross section of the tip of the finger with nail in place you can go the the library and check out any anatomy book, Gray's Anatomy is the "Bible" of anatomy books, if your library has it, and you should be able to find a picture or drawing of what I have described.
Fingernail Health
What
do your fingernails tell about your health?
Your nails are
a reflection of the health and wellness of your body. You can tell
you a lot from looking at fingernail about whether you have a heart,
digestive or even fungal disorder
Self-care for fingernail
problems
* Pale, pale/brittle nails, spoon-shaped or with
ridges down the length - can signify anemia; this lack of iron can be
due to inadequate nutrition (eat more iron-rich foods such as eggs,
liver, green-leafy vegetables, blackstrap molasses, almonds, poultry,
whole grain breads and cereals, avocados, beets, dates, lima beans,
pumpkins, peaches, pears, prunes, watercress, soybeans, raisins),
bleeding (menstrual, hemorrhoids or because you take aspirin), or
that your bone marrow simply isn't making the right kind of blood; if
changing the way you eat doesn't help, see your health care
practitioner.
*Thick, distorted fingernails - can signify a
fungal condition: tea tree oil applied externally and taking
probiotics (either acidophylis or bifidus capsules from your health
food store) may help; the condition could also be due to a vitamin
deficiency, make sure you're eating 5-10 fruits and veggies a day and
take a daily multivitamin; soak fingers in a mixture of warm pacu
d'arco and goldenseal tea for 15 minutes a day; avoid all foods that
contain sugar or refined carbohydrates because fungi thrive on them;
avoid meat, dairy products, cola drinks, grains, processed foods, and
fried greasy foods; apply crushed raw garlic or honey on the nails;
take two garlic (Kyolic) capsules 3 times daily with meal to
neutralize fungi; take acidophilus as directed on the label to supply
the friendly bacteria usually deficient if you have a fungal
infection distorted fingernails could also be due to arterial
sclerosis, so see your health care conditioner to rule that
out.
*Clubbed fingernails- can signify a problem with
your blood flow. See your health care practitioner.
*White
spots on your nails - are often due to a vitamin or mineral
deficiency. Check your diet and eat more fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, seeds, and nuts and cut out fried foods, and anything with
sugar in it, including artificial sweeteners.
*Nails that are
brittle and separate easily from your nail beds, along with dry skin,
always feeling cold and hair falling out - could indicate a problem
with your thyroid gland; eat kelp to replace iodine, the basic
substance of thyroid hormone; take Brewer's yeast (as directed on the
bottle) unless you're prone to yeast infections, then take extra
vitamin B complex (follow directions on the bottle) to aid thyroid
function; take essential fatty acids (as directed on the bottle) for
aid functioning of your thyroid gland; if symptoms are severe
eliminate the following foods, Brussel sprouts, peaches, pears,
spinach, turnips, cabbage, broccoli, kale and mustard greens, or just
cut back if your symptoms aren't severe; avoid white flour and sugar;
avoid sulfa drugs or antihistamines unless ordered by a physician;
avoid fluoride in toothpaste and tape watery drinking distilled water
only because fluoride block iodine receptors in your thyroid gland;
for more information, click on Healthy
Thyroid
*Excessively flexible nails - may signify
deficiency of calcium and sometimes protein.
*Whitish hue at
base of fingernails - may signify liver trouble. If it's a matter of
cleansing your liver, taking milk thistle (silymarin) capsules,
available at your health food store; take additional vitamin
B-complex (100 mg 3 times a day); take 2 garlic (Kyolic) capsules 3
times a day to detoxify your liver and bloodstream; drink ¼
cup of aloe vera to cleanse and heal the digestive tract; eat kidney
beans, peas, soybeans and seeds to help detoxify ammonia, a byproduct
of protein digestion; avoid all fats except olive oil as a salad
dressing; avoid insecticides,
Preservatives and other toxins that can accumulate in the liver; avoid saturated (animal) fats, fried foods and hydrogenated fats, junk foods, refined white flour products, white sugar products and processed foods that either don't provide the necessary vitamins and minerals needed to stay healthy or that are damaging to the liver; avoid overeating and thereby liver fatigue.
Whenever
possible, avoid drugs, alcohol, caffeine and oral contraceptives that
strain the liver; avoid cod liver oil and eating fish more than twice
a week; take 1 teaspoon of psyllium husks (health food store) in a a
glass of water (stir quickly and drink right away before it gels) to
cleanse your colon of toxins accumulated in the liver and excreted by
the colon; If you have cirrhosis or hepatitis, see your health care
practitioner.
*Splinters that don't hurt - could be subacute
bacterial endocarditis, a very serious condition. See your health
care practitioner immediately!
*Bluish nails - probably means
you aren't getting enough oxygen; combined with a cough and shortness
of breath means heart failure or chronic lung trouble and you should
see you health care practitioner; if you don't have a cough or
shortness of breath, you may have been exposed to a toxic chemical;
with a minor exposure, taking silymarin capsules may help, as well as
drinking a couple of cups of red clover leaf, dandelion root or
chamomile (if not allergic to flowers) tea; if you had a major
exposure call the health department, a poison control center or go on
line for information.
Minerals
and Absorption:
Health and strength in nails (both human
and equine) depend on a good balance between calcium and silica in
the diet and a system, which can metabolize and make good use of
these minerals efficiently.
In my equine treatments I
prescribe internal supplements based around Millet, Linseed, Comfrey
and Yarrow which provide the ideal nutrition to grow healthy bones,
ligaments and other hard tissue like hooves. Horses have diets which
are usually very high in Silica (found in all dried feed in
abundance) and there is usually sufficient Calcium as well (also
found in dried and fresh feed and grains).
Sometimes
there is a deficiency in other minerals like Magnesium, which is also
involved, in structural health and this is the reason that a little
Dolomite is useful to ensure sufficient Magnesium (and Calcium). Most
horses have healthy enough metabolisms even if restricted to poor
pasture as they are not nearly as likely to abuse their metabolism
through bad eating habits or stress as we do.
Humans often
don't have enough Silica in their Diets and they often have far too
much Calcium. We are told that we must drink milk to grow strong
bones and all the rest but in fact westerners mostly have too much
Calcium and not enough of the other minerals required and are
actually worse off than we would have been without milk at all. In my
internal treatments for human nails I use the herb Equisetum (also
called Horsetail) which is extraordinarily high in Silica and I also
use Yarrow and Comfrey just like in the Hoof treatments. The whole
issue of diet of course enters into any discussion of health with my
human patients and I often make recommendations on diet where this is
an issue.
Sometimes in humans these herbs on their own are
sufficient, but my patient's report that she has healthy nails during
pregnancy and breast feeding tells me that there are metabolism
issues at work here also. A foetus is programmed to ensure that its
mothers system is working at peak while it is growing inside her and
her metabolism is given a tune-up to make sure this is so. In my
patients case there are obviously metabolic inefficiencies, which
need to be addressed as well as mineral intake, discussed above, and
circulation and stress, discussed below.
Circulation:
When the correct herbs and supplements alone don't seem
to make much difference to a horses hoof health it is generally
because the circulation all the way down to the hoof is pretty
limited and the problem is really a delivery problem. The ingredients
are in the diet and carried within the blood but the blood supply is
not sufficient to get enough of the minerals down to the hoof. I
address this problem by making up an hoof oil preparation containing
herbs which dramatically stimulate both the circulation within the
hoof and the healing potential for any damaged or weakened
structures.
There is much more blood down in our fingertips
than there is in a horses hoof. However there are many people who
suffer from cold hands and feet or even circulation problems specific
to the fingertips like Reynard's disease and for these I include
herbs like Nettle, Rue and Prickly Ash to improve peripheral
circulation. I also prescribe the equine hoof oil preparation because
of its ability to stimulate normal growth and healing, as there is
commonly a problem right at the root where the nails are formed.
A
simple dietary, circulation and metabolic tonic is Rosehips tea,
which also contains biotin, another ingredient essential to healthy
nails.
Stress:
Horses hooves can be stressed due
to the surfaces they are walking on, their shoes and the skill of
their farriers. Their circulation can be stressed by limiting them to
small stables and yards where they cannot move freely and therefore
cannot pump blood up from the hoof. This pumping action works through
the pressure of the pedal bone on the blood vessels in the hoof and
requires plenty of movement. In the wild as grazing animals the
horses would be moving about constantly as they feed, not standing in
a stable feeding from a fixed receptacle. Emotional stress however
seems not to play any significant part in hoof health.
Humans
don't normally place physical stresses on their nails apart from
those that chew or pick at them constantly. Humans certainly do
affect both their metabolism and their circulation often enough
through their stress handling habits.
Reynard's disease
mentioned, is a particular condition where the circulation at the
fingertips is restricted through the action of stress on blood
vessels serving the fingertips. This restriction can be so severe
that the tips even die like in cases of frostbite.
More
commonly in humans, the effect of stress on their metabolic
efficiency is a more important factor in fingernail health. This is
where eating patterns and habits again feature in my recommendations
for patients worried about the health of their fingernails.
Whether your fingernails are long or short, strong or weak, they are still made out of the same thing. Our fingernails are basically made up of a hard, curved plate of keratin. Keratin is a protein that is also a main ingredient of hair and skin. At the base of a nail is what is called the matrix (and no, we are not talking about the movie).
The
matrix is where the nail forms from; this is what most people call
'the moon' of the nail. This 'moon' appearance is due to the nail bed
being so tightly packed with keratin, that the capillaries (where the
blood flows through) is masked by the amount of keratin. The rest of
the nail that is actually attached to the skin appears pink due to
the capillaries running underneath (the blood running through them
gives them the pink colour). And of course if you are lucky enough to
have longish nails, then the ends (called the free edge of the nail)
are usually white in colour, as there is no pigment in the nail to
give it colour.
Now that you know a little about the anatomy
of the nail, I will begin to tell you some helpful ways to look after
them.
Keep them moisturised
We use our nails all
the time, but it's when they are in water, that they get the most
damage. This is due to a specific type of cell in the nail bed of
keratin which acts like an adhesive, holding the keratin closely
together to give the nail it's hardness. However, if the nail
receives repetitive soaking in water, or contact with soaps,
dishwashing detergents, and household cleaners etc. it will damage
these adhesive cells. So in order to combat this problem use a good
moisturiser - one that absorbs really well.
Rub
it in as often as you can, especially when you come into contact with
water and other abrasive products. If you already suffer from brittle
nails, this is a must, if you want to protect what you already have,
even if it's not much (but it is a start). What you want to achieve
is a seal on the surface, and on the ends of your nails, along with
soft, but firm cuticles. This will also prevent dehydration of the
skin on your hands, and lessen the chances of dry, cracking nails,
along with dry nail beds.
Things that cause cracks &
splits
Doing normal things with your nails such as picking
things up, drumming them whilst thinking, scratching your itches
cause cracks and splits. There are other things that cause slight
trauma to the nails, and these do build up and cause nail
damage.
Picking at your nails. This obviously weakens
the nails, as it tends to crack or peel the top layer off the free
end of the nail. So lets try not to do that one, if you find you do
this under stressful times, buy a stress ball, these are also lots of
fun and feel good.
Biting your nails. Well you couldn't
get a more damaging habit (well maybe dipping your fingers in some
kind of acid!), so I'm sure if you are a nail-biter you are already
aware that this habit is destroying your nails. Again, try something
like a stress ball. Or try the simple trick of placing a rubber band
on your wrist, and every time you find yourself nibbling 'flick
yourself'. After a while you will find this pain rather annoying, and
may reduce that biting. You can also try that horrible tasting stuff
that you can put on the end of you fingernails, so that every time
you go to bite, you taste this bitter stuff, which is meant to be a
great nail biting or nail chewing deterrent.
Picking off
nail polish. Now this habit one of my favourite pasts times, I
drive my friends crazy with my half chipped nail polish, while they
beg me politely to just remove it with nail polish remover. But I
even more politely insist that I enjoy picking it off (I guess it's
my equivalent of nail biting). This is not good for your nails; it
will only weaken the outer layer of the nail and peel or split the
free nail.
How to improve your nails
Cut your
nails after bathing. If your nails are dry and brittle, cutting
them when you nails are dry can cause further cracking. So when it's
time for a cut, do it when your nails are soft from bathing.
Carry
an emery board with you. This is so any potential cracks can be
smoothed out, preventing further damage to the nail, and reducing
snapping.
If you have fragile nails, the best thing to do is
to keep them short. This reduces damage, as the longer your
nails are, the more they stick out and the more they are at risk of
cracking and splitting.
Don't push your cuticles back,
they are there to protect your nails for a reason, pushing them back
can impair the health of your nails. It can also leave the base of
the nail open to a potential infection.
Reduce the amount
of nail polish remover used. If there is a chip, touch it up with
more nail polish, rather than removing it from the whole nail. Try to
keep the use of using nail polish remover down to once a week, as it
is just really bad for your nails, causing them to dry and
potentially split.
Keep your nails curved at the top if
you like, but don't cut the edges into a curve. Squaring them at the
corners will help to provide strength, along with helping to avoid
the chances of an ingrown nail.
Some interesting facts
about nails
Nails grow at the rate of 0.1mm per day
If
you are right handed your nails will grow faster than your left hand.
If you are left-handed your nails will grow faster on your left hand
than your right.
Your nails can reflect the state of your
health.
Light trauma such as piano playing or typing on a computer
keyboard can actually stimulate the growth of your nails.
You may not realize it, but your fingernails reveal a lot about your general health. Take a look. Are your nails strong and healthy looking? Or do you see ridges or areas of unusual color or shape? Many less-than-desirable nail conditions can be avoided through proper care, but some actually indicate an illness that requires attention.
Whether you see your nails as decorative or functional, here's what you need to know to keep them in tiptop shape.
Anatomy of a fingernail |
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Nail plate. The nail plate is the part of your nail that's most visible — what you see when you look at your fingernails.
Nail folds. This is the skin that frames each of your nails on three sides.
Nail bed. Your nail bed is the skin beneath the nail plate.
Cuticle. Your cuticle is the tissue that overlaps your nail plate at the base of your nail.
Lunula. The lunula is the whitish, half-moon shape at the base of your nail.
Your nails grow from the area under your cuticle (matrix). As new cells grow, older cells become hard and compacted and are eventually pushed out toward your fingertips. Nails grow at an average of one-tenth of an inch a month. The nails grow faster on your dominant hand, and they grow more in summer than in winter. Nails are also permeable, which means they let in liquids that come in contact with them.
Proper nail care |
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Protect your nails. Wear cotton-lined rubber gloves when using soap and water for prolonged periods or when using harsh chemicals. Gloves help protect your nails when washing dishes, for example.
Avoid abusing your nails. Don't use them as tools to pick, poke or pry things.
Don't bite your nails or pick at your cuticles. These types of habits can damage the nail bed. Even a minor cut alongside your nail can allow bacteria or fungi to enter and cause an infection (paronychia). Because your nails grow slowly, an injured nail retains signs of an injury for several months.
Moisturize your nails frequently. When you're moisturizing your hands, rub the lotion into your nails as well.
If you rely on manicures to make your nails look good, keep a few things in mind. Don't have your cuticle removed — it can lead to nail infection. Also, check to be sure that your nail technician properly sterilizes all tools used during your manicure. Using unsterilized tools may transmit viral infections, such as hepatitis B or warts.
Weak fingernails can be a challenge to toughen up. If you have weak fingernails, the following tips can help you protect them, making your nails less likely to split or break.
Keep your nails short, square-shaped and slightly rounded on top. Trim brittle nails after a bath or a 15-minute hand-soak in bath oil. Then apply a moisturizer.
Apply a moisturizer each time you wash your hands. If your nails are brittle, moisturize your nails and cuticles at bedtime and cover them with cotton gloves.
Apply a nail hardener, but avoid products containing toluene sulfonamide or formaldehyde. These chemicals can cause redness or irritate the skin.
Don't use nail polish remover more than twice a month. Instead, touch up the polish. When you do need a remover, avoid those that use acetone, which dries nails.
Repair splits or tears with nail glue or clear polish.
Avoid dietary changes that supposedly strengthen nails. They won't work. Unless you're deficient in protein — rare among people in the United States — adding protein to your diet won't strengthen your nails. Similarly, soaking your nails in gelatin won't help, either.
Reading the signs |
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Other nail conditions can indicate disease. Remove your nail polish before you see your doctor — he or she may check your nails for signs of an underlying condition.
If you suspect you have a problem, talk with your doctor. He or she will likely examine you or refer you to a doctor who specializes in skin conditions (dermatologist) . The doctor's visit will include an examination of your nails along with other observations and tests to make a diagnosis
The fingernail is an important structure made of keratin that has 2 purposes. The fingernail acts as a protective plate and enhances sensation of the fingertip.
The protection function of the fingernail is commonly known, but the sensation function is equally important. The fingertip has many nerve endings in it allowing us to receive volumes of information about objects we touch. The nail acts as a counterforce to the fingertip providing even more sensory input when an object is touched.
Nail
Growth
Nails grow all the time, but their rate of growth slows
down with age and poor circulation. Fingernails grow faster than
toenails at a rate of 3mm per month. It takes 6 months for a nail to
grow from the root to the free edge. Toenails grow about 1 mm per
month and take 12-18 months to be completely replaced.
Nail
Structure
The structure we know of as the nail is divided into
six specific parts - the root, nail bed, nail plate, eponychium
(cuticle), perionychium, and hyponychium.
Each of these structures has a specific function, and if disrupted can result in an abnormal appearing fingernail.
Nail
Root
The root of the fingernail is also known as the germinal
matrix. This portion of the nail is actually beneath the skin behind
the fingernail and extends several millimeters into the finger. The
fingernail root produces most of the volume of the nail and the nail
bed. This portion of the nail does not have any melanocytes, or
melanin producing
Nail
Plate
The nail plate is the actual fingernail, made of
translucent keratin. The pink appearance of the nail comes from the
blood vessels underneath the nail. The underneath surface of the nail
plate has grooves along the length of the nail that help anchor it to
the nail bed.
Cuticle
The
cuticle of the fingernail is also called the eponychium. The cuticle
is situated between the skin of the finger and the nail plate fusing
these structures together and providing a waterproof barrier.
Perionychium
The
perioncyhium is the skin that overlies the nail plate on its sides.
It is also known as the paronychial edge. The perionychium is the
site of hangnails, ingrown nails, and an infection of the skin called
paronychia.
Hyponychium
The
hyponychium is the area between the nail plate and the fingertip. It
is the junction between the free edge of the nail and the skin of the
fingertip, also providing a waterproof barrier.