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Nails in good condition can be very attractive. They also reflect an individual's personal habits - good or bad. Aside from their cosmetic appeal, nails serve many important functions. They help us pick up and manipulate objects and support the tissues of the fingers and toes. Most importantly, nails often reflect our general state of health. Nails are produced by living skin cells in the fingers and toes. They are composed primarily of keratin, a hardened protein also found in skin and hair. The nail itself consists of several different parts, including the nail plate, nail bed, matrix, lunula, cuticle and nail folds.
Nails, like hair, grow from the matrix. As older cells grow out and are replaced by newer ones, they are compacted and take on a hardened form. The average growth rate for nails is 0.1 mm each day; individual rates depend on age, time of year, activity level, and heredity. Fingernails grow faster than toenails. Nails also grow more rapidly in the summer than in the winter. Nails on a person's dominant hand (right vs. left) grow faster, and men's nails grow more quickly than women's, except possibly during pregnancy and old age. Nail growth is affected by disease, hormone imbalance, and the aging process.
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* Information provided by The American Academy of Dermatology.
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