Essentially, nails serve primarily as a source of protection for the tips of your fingers, medically called “distal phalanges.” This area needs protection because thousands of nerve endings are concentrated in your fingers, which serve as one of our five main senses – “touch”.
Called the skin’s accessory organs, nails are made up of sheets of dead keratinocytes. Keratin in the nails makes them hard but flexible. Claws serve many purposes, not only protecting the digits, but enhancing the senses and acting as tools.
But to serve their purpose, your nails must be healthy. Healthy, natural nails are usually pink to skin-colored, but can vary in shape and appearance depending on a person’s genetic makeup.
Nail growth is a slow and gradual process, with longer appendages growing faster than shorter ones. Fingernails grow three times faster than toenails, and growth between fingernails is related to length, with the middle finger growing faster.
The rate of nail growth is determined by intrinsic factors (eg genetic and hereditary aspects, age and sex) and also by external conditions (diet, exercise and seasons). In fact, nails tend to grow more slowly in the winter than in the summer due to the abundance of vitamin D from the sun.
———— Fun fact: The nail is the largest appendage of the skin. ————
So let’s talk about nail anatomy…
Each nail has three main parts: the root, the plate and the free margin. Other structures around or under the nail include the nail bed, cuticle, and nail fold.
Some nail terms:
Nail root: the visible hard part of the nail that is under the surface of the skin at the end of the nail. That’s where the nail starts.
Nail Plate: The nail plate, sometimes referred to as the body of the nail, is the visible area of the hard nail from the nail root to the free tip, made of translucent keratin protein.
Free margin: The part of a nail, such as a fingernail or toenail, that extends beyond the flesh of the finger or toe.
Nail bed: the soft pink tissue under the nail plate.
Cuticle: a thin layer of clear skin found along the bottom edge of your toe or foot. The function of the cuticle is to protect new nails from bacteria as they grow from the nail root.
Nail folds: the skin that surrounds each of your nail plates on three sides. It connects the nail to the rest of the skin through the protective cuticle.
Together, the cells at the base of your nail bed produce the fingernail or toenail. Therefore, it is important to keep your nails healthy and to do that, here are some tips for healthy, natural nails:
- STAY MOISTURIZED – Without adequate moisture, nails can become brittle and break and peel easily. Drinking enough water helps them retain moisture and stay strong.
- USE A NON-ACETONE REMOVER — Many nail polishes or treatments contain harsh chemicals that can actually weaken nails. Nail polish remover containing acetone should be avoided as it can damage the nails. There are some great non-acetone options, such as a soy-based polish remover.
- GIVE YOUR NAILS A BREAK FROM POLISHING – After wearing nail polish for a week or so, remove the nail polish with an acetone-free nail polish remover, then let your nails benefit from a Nail Strengthener along with a nighttime routine of skin oil.
- EAT HEALTHY – Make sure you eat a nutrient-dense and varied diet and take a multivitamin with minerals. Taking a biotin supplement can help — also known as vitamin H and vitamin B7, biotin is one of the B vitamins. Because it’s water-soluble, it’s not stored by the body, so you need to make sure you get it every day.
Three joys for healthy, natural nails and our wonderful sense of touch!
