We paint them, bite them, file them, use them as tools - and take them for granted. We really only notice our nails if we encounter a problem with them. Here's a guide to giving your nails the care and attention they deserve.
If there’s one part of our bodies that we tend to take for granted, it’s our fingernails. We use them for more purposes than we realize – from tools to fashion accessories – and we only really notice them when a problem arises. But did you know that our fingernails speak volumes about our overall health, and that problems with the nails can actually signify problems in other areas of the body? They’re like little health-problem oracles! We neglect our nails, but it’s important to take good care of such a significant body part. Here’s how to properly care for your fingernails, and what common nail problems could mean for your health.
Anatomy of a Fingernail
Your fingernails are made of a hardened protein called keratin – also found in skin and hair. They’re made up of six parts:
Nail plate – this is the part you see when you look at your fingers, the most visible part of the nail.
Nail folds – the skin that frames and supports the nails on three sides.
Nail bed – the skin found beneath the nail plate.
Cuticle – the tissue that overlaps the nail plate at the base of the nail.
Lunula – the whitish half-moon shape found at the base of the nail.
Matrix – the part of the nail hidden under the cuticle.
The nails grow from the matrix, and what you’re actually seeing when you look at your fingernails are the older cells. In the course of growth, new cells are produced in the matrix. The older cells are pushed out toward your fingertips to make room for the new cells. In this process, the old cells become hardened and compacted, and flatten out to form the standard fingernail shape.
Your nails grow, on average, about one-tenth of an inch per month. It takes approximately six months for a fingernail to grow from cuticle to tip. This average can vary among individuals, though, depending on several factors such as the age and sex of the person, and even the time of year. If you’re a young man and it’s summer time, you’re in luck in the nail growth department: fingernails grow faster in young people, in males, and in the summer. They also grow faster than your toenails do, and will grow faster on your dominant hand: if you’re right handed, the rate of growth is speedier on your right hand than your left, and vice-versa. Interesting!