Hippocrates taught that the 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.

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 NAILTrauma

NAIL PLATE LOOSEInjury; nail psoriasis; fungal or bacterial infections; medicines; chemotherapy; thyroid disease; Raynaud’s phenomenon; lupus

WASTING AWAY OF NAILS; NAIL LOSES LUSTER AND BECOMES SMALLERInjury or disease

THICKENED NAIL PLATEPoor circulation; fungal infection; heredity; mild, persistent trauma to the nail

PITTED NAILS SOMETIMES WITH YELLOW-TO-BROWN “OIL” SPOTSEczema or psoriasis; hair loss condition

VERY SOFT NAILSContact with strong alkali; malnutrition; endocrine problems; chronic arthritis

SPOON-SHAPED NAILSIron deficiency; thyroid disease

CLUBLIKE NAILS GROWING AROUND SWOLLEN FINGER ENDSChronic respiratory or heart problems; cirrhosis of the liver

HORIZONTAL RIDGESInjury; infection; nutrition

LONGITUDINAL RIDGESAging, poor absorption of vitamins and minerals; thyroid disease; kidney failure

BRITTLE, SPLIT NAILSNail dryness; nails in contact with irritating substances (detergents, chemicals, polish remover); silica deficiency

INFECTED NAILS: RED, TENDER, SWOLLEN, PUSBacterial or yeast infection

OVERLARGE MOONSOveractive thyroid; genetics; self-induced trauma (habit tick)

NO MOONSUnderactive thyroid; genetics

DISCOLORED FINGERNAILSColorless: 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 peice of wood and instead hit your thumbnail for example, if you don't dammage 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 HealthWhat 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 dayIf 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.

 

Your nails are made up of layers of keratin — a protein that's also found in your hair and skin. Each nail is comprised of several parts, including:

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.

To keep your nails healthy and looking their best, treat them gently and moisturize them regularly.

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.

Anatomy of a fingernail

Proper nail care

Caring for weak nails

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.

 

Your fingernails hold clues to your health. Learn to recognize the signs that might indicate a health issue. But know that some nail conditions are harmless. These include vertical ridges, which tend to worsen as you get older, and white lines or spots. Spots usually result from injury to the nail plate or nail bed. In time, they'll grow out.

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 GrowthNails 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 StructureThe structure we know of as the nail is divided into six specific parts - the root, nail bed, nail plate, eponychium (cuticle), perionychium, and hyponychium.

Reading the signs

Each of these structures has a specific function, and if disrupted can result in an abnormal appearing fingernail.

Nail RootThe 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 PlateThe 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.

CuticleThe 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.

PerionychiumThe 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.

HyponychiumThe 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.

Nail Care

Anyone can have healthy, strong, and well-groomed nails by following just a few simple rules. Your nails, like your hair, are made of the protein keratin, and consist of dead cells. They grow quickly

(about .1 millimeter per day) and protect the skin at the ends of your fingertips and toes. Nails can also be an indicator of certain health conditions or vitamin deficiencies.White lines or spots can be a sign of a zinc or iron deficiency or protein deficiency. More rarely, these white patches or lines can signal liver, heart or kidney disorders.Thin, flat nails may indicate a Vitamin B-12 deficiency.Ridged nails may indicate an iron deficiency.Brittle, dry nails may indicate a calcium deficiency.Frequent hangnails may indicate a Vitamin C deficiency.Yellowish or discolored nails may indicate a Vitamin B-12 deficiency, or may indicate diabetes, allergies, liver problems, or poor health.Greenish nails may indicate infections in the nail bed.Bluish nail beds may indicate breathing problems or severe malnutritionOtherwise, healthy and well-manicured nails, short or long, should be smooth, without spots, hollows, or ridges. If they are unpolished they should be pinkish and clean. If they are long the ends, they should be curved and filed smooth.Nails grow faster in young people. With age, nails may become thicker, harder, and may develop ridges. This is why caring for your nails becomes more important as you grow older.

Caring For Your Cuticles

Your nail's cuticles (the skin that surrounds the hard part of your nail) keeps your nails healthy and protects them from fungal infections. Cuticles are quite sensitive to injury. Do not cut them or pick at them; this may damage them permanently. Instead, after a shower, bath, or after soaking your nails, use a soft wooden stick to gently push back the cuticle. Over grooming cuticles may cause them to thicken so be sure to use gentle care when grooming.

Caring For Your Nails

Cleaning - If nails are dirty, use a bristled nail brush to remove debris from around cuticles or from under fingernails. Remove all polish with nail polish remover; do not pick at polish as that can damage the surface of nails.Shaping - Nails should be gently filed with a fine emery board, never with a metal file that can cause damage. File in gentle, long strokes from corner to center; do not "saw away" at nails. Keep the emery board poised at a 45 degree angle in relation to the fingertip to prevent damaging the nail layers. Do not file deep into corners of the nail; this weakens the nail. In general, shorter nails are easier to maintain.Protecting - Do not use your nails to scrape or lift anything, or to pull anything open. Wear gloves when washing dishes and use nail and hand lotion daily to keep hands and nails moisturized.Polishing - You may wish to use only a ridge-filling colorless coat on your nails to give them extra shine and strength. If you polish your nails, use a ridge-filling base coat followed by color and then a protective top coat for the best results. Give your nails at least an hour to dry before using your hands.

Nail Troubleshooting

Dry, brittle nails - Moisturize often with a hand cream or oil. Eat more foods with essential fatty acids, such as eggs, meat, seeds, whole grains, and fish. Also, avoid overusing nail polish removers which contains acetone which can dry the nails and wear gloves when washing dishes.

Chipping nail polish - Use quality nail polish; cheap nail polish chips more easily. When you polish your nails, be sure to use a ridge-filling base coat, two coats of colored polish, and a protective top coat. These coats keep polish from chipping and help protect nails.Nail infections - Nail infections may cause itchy, dry nails, blisters, and a loosening of nails. See your doctor for anti-fungal cream or tips.Bitten nails - Biting or picking at nails can damage them permanently. If you bite nails, coating them with anti-biting liquid can make you think twice about biting.Hangnails - These bits of dead skin next to the fingernail can be very painful. Trim the hangnail carefully, moisturize nails, and take Vitamin B and C supplements or eat more foods such as green leafy vegetables, peppers and citrus fruits.Ingrown nails - This painful condition occurs when the nail grows into the skin on the side of the toe. Soak nails in water. Run a soft rosewood stick between the nail and skin to separate. Trim carefully if needed. If nail does not improve, see a podiatrist.

Toenail Tips

Toenails are usually easier to care for than fingernails, since they're never used as tools and thus don't crack or break as often. However, here are some tips on how to care for them:Avoid walking barefoot in wet areas like public showers or pools to avoid fungal infections.Change shoes, socks, and pantyhose daily.Avoid very tight shoes and hose.Avoid sharing towels, even with members of your family, to reduce the risk of sharing infections.

10 Tips: Keep Your Hands Healthy

Pamper your hands to ward off signs of aging.Without our hands to create beautiful things, express our feelings, and get things done, we'd be lost. Here, 10 ways to pamper yours so they stay healthy and young-looking.Wear sunscreen. Hands incur sun damage just like faces do. Don't forget to apply SPF daily.Exfoliate. Use a grainy scrub on backs of hands twice a week to reveal glowing skin.Keep cuticles neat. Cuticles function as barriers to bacteria and fungus, but they can often overgrow. Use a wooden or metal cuticle pusher after a shower to keep them in line (and you've heard it before: Don't cut!).Release tension. Most of us hold tension in our necks and shoulders, but we can also carry the stress of the day in our hands. Give yours a daily self-massage to keep them tension-free.Share facial treatments. Vitamin C, retinol, and alpha- and beta-hydroxyl acids benefit the skin on our hands. Apply a bit of treatment whenever you use it on your face.Seal cuticle tears. Tiny hangnails and bitten edges can catch on almost anything, turning into deep tears and possibly leading to infection. Keep them covered by applying a liquid bandage product (try the new one from Band-Aid) as soon as tears develop.Keep nails short. Long talons tend to look garish, and invite breaks that can be painful. File nails to a quarter-inch above your fingertips.Give nails breathing room. Experts suggest you take a one-week break from polish every month.Tap, tap, tap! Believe it or not, tapping your fingernails on a hard surface stimulates nail health and growth. So drum away!Get a manicure. Sure, doing your own nails is economical and practical, but a professional manicure every two or three months is a welcome bit of pampering. What's more, pros can deal with tough problems like calluses and flaking cuticles better than you can at home.

Do-It-Yourself Nails8 tips for a flawless manicure.

Home manicures can be great for self-pampering -- and can become frustrating when the results are less-than-polished! The following tips will help you perfect your manicures:Tip 1: Check your polish.Old polish can become clumpy and thick, causing uneven application and bubbles. If your polish has become thick, add a few drops of polish thinner to the bottle and shake well. (Note: Don't use nail polish remover to do this!) Or treat yourself to a new bottle.Tip 2: Start with clean nails.If yours have traces of lotion or cuticle oil on them, polish won't stick evenly and will chip more readily. Use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol or nail polish remover to clean the surface of nails before you paint.Tip 3: Begin with a base coat.A base coat smoothes out nail ridges, and allows polish to go on more evenly. A base coat also protects nails from becoming stained when you wear dark polish.Tip 4: Watch your brush.As you remove your brush from the bottle, carefully wipe one side of the brush along the bottle's neck. This removes excess, bubble-producing nail color.Tip 5: Apply in minimal sweeps.Apply color from cuticles to tips in three swipes: One in the middle, and one on either side of the nail. You may need to use more strokes, but keep in mind that the fewer sweeps of color, the more even the result.Tip 6: Clean up as you go.It's inevitable that you'll wind up with some polish on the skin around your nails. Use a wooden nail stick to quickly swipe away the excess as you go.Tip 7: Finish it off with a top coat.A top coat seals the polish onto your nails and gives a high-shine finish (which can camouflage streaks or small bubbles).Tip 8: Allow ample drying time.Set aside at least an hour of hands-off time for nails to dry. And remember that while they may feel dry to the touch after that time, nails can still be tacky and more prone to nicking for a few hours afterward.

The 5-Minute Manicure

No time to wait for nail polish to dry? Try this polish-free manicure for neat-looking nails in no time.Don't have the desire, or the time, to slave over your nails? No problem! You can still have perfect-looking hands with this so-simple manicure:Step 1: Remove the old polish and wash your hands in warm, soapy water. Use a nail brush to clean under your nails.Step 2: Dry your hands thoroughly. Use a nail file to smooth any rough edges on your nails. Keep your nails just a bit longer than the tip of your finger. It's an easy-to-maintain length and will prevent nail breakage.Step 3: Apply a drop of cuticle oil to each cuticle and rub it in with a finger. Then, gently push cuticles back with a wooden cuticle pusher. Don't push too hard!Step 4: Buff nails with a chamois or three-sided nail buffer. Buff just until your nails start to shine.

Step 5: Apply a thick coat of lotion to hands, rub in well, and you're done!Do this manicure once a week; between manicures, rub a drop of cuticle oil onto nails to boost shine.

Care for Callused Feet

Trade in calluses for soft, smooth feet.Summer is definitely callus season! Bare sandals and an increase in activity can cause dead skin cells to build up on the bottoms of our feet, resulting in hard, discolored calluses. Here, some steps to take to prevent them:Buy properly-fitting shoes. When shoes are too small or too big, they can cause friction against the skin; too much friction causes calluses. Have your feet measured when you buy shoes (sandals included) to get the right fit.Switch shoes often. Wearing the same stripy sandals for days can increase the likelihood of developing calluses. Instead, wear sandals one day and sneakers with sport socks the next.Slough calluses daily. A pumice stone or foot file is inexpensive and works wonders at keeping feet soft. Use in the shower, working in small circles against your skin.Soften at night. A lotion containing a high concentration of alpha-hydroxyl acids adds to the exfoliating benefits of daily shower sloughing. Since wearing lotion on your feet during the day can get messy and slippery, apply a lotion such as PDF Pedi-Cream to feet at night. Cover with socks for better efficacy.

After care and maintain

Always use a basecoat or clear polish before applying a new nail color.NEVER go without polish...The basecoat/clear helps to keep the seals down and keeps them from drying out.Use your oil EVERYDAY - several times a day. This keeps moisture on the seals, keeps them from breaking, and in penetrated thru the acrylic right to the nail bed so that peacetime you use it, your nails get stronger and healthier. It also helps the acrylic to cure harder.NEVER file the sides of your nails - this may break the seals. If they are getting too long, file across the tops only or call me, I will be happy to file them down for you.Learn to use your fingertips instead of your fingernails to do things with. This may take some getting used to, but your enhancements should not stop you from doing anything!NEVER blow on your wet nails. You breath is hot. Heat make the polish bubble and tacky.Cold water is the best nail dryer in the world!Use non-acetone polish remover to remove your polish. Acetone is what we use to remove the nails with. Prolonged use could start dissolving the nails!NEVER use sharp implements to clean underneath your nails - these will loosen theprotective area underneath the nail and will eventually cause your nail plate to loosenfrom the nail bed causing damage and/or fungus.There are a few products that I recommend you purchase to properly care for your nails. 1. Solar oil and/or Solar butter 3 times per day 2. Non-acetone polish remover 3. A good base coat or clear polishIt is very important to watch the seals around the cuticle area. If you see any loosening around that area, you need to contact me as soon as possible. This would be a broken seal, and it only takes me a minute to fix it. Letting it go could cause moisture to get trapped underneath that area, and that is

the perfect conditions for fungus/mold to start. Also, anything bad that can happen to a nail all start with a broken seal. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO GLUE the seal down.Glue products cause damage to your nails.If fungus/mold should appear, do not be alarmed, but DO take it seriously, and seek treatment right away! There are two products that I recommend for this condition: They are Tinactin and Lotrimin. They should be applied twice daily until the condition clears. ALSO it is important to keep the affected area as dry as possible as moisture will only make it worse. NEVER leave the condition untreated, as it will only get worse, and it CAN and WILL spread to the other nails. This condition DOES go away if treated, but like a bruise, it will get worse before it gets better. It is NOT necessary to remove the product. However, a separate file must be used on the affected nails as not to spread it to the others. Fungus is a disorder, not a disease, and I may work over it after taking the necessary precautions myself.After a while, nails tend to yellow a bit. This is a cosmetic problem and is nothing to be alarmed about. If you wish, you may soak in a solution of half bleach, half water for about 15 - 20 minutes until the yellow is gone. If you do this FOLLOW UP WITH TONS OF SOLAR OIL AND LOTION as the bleach is so harsh on the skin. There are also some temporary solution in special yellow-out top coats which I have available for you to purchase. They work quite well, especially for the tanners, however, they are only temporary and once removed, the yellow is back.Excessive water and chemicals can be a danger to nails. They can loosen the seals, cause dryness to the point of breakage and also cause skin irritation and allergies. Normal hand washing is not a threat, but excessive water and chemicals can be. When ever possible, try to wear gloves...PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT!!!Caution should be used on zippers, car doors and lighters/matches...Acrylic is highly flammable! (The Nail Doctor)

Cuticle Care

What?s the best way to care for my cuticles?The number one reason for hangnails is that your cuticles are too dry. When you see ragged cuticles or hangnails, it?s your body?s way of telling you to apply hand cream or lotion. No one moisturizes their cuticles enough. Keep several moisturizers with pumps around the house, and whenever you come across one, use it. It's best not to cut your cuticles. The cuticle is to keep bacteria from entering your body, so it?s best to keep it where it is. But you must groom them. You need is a good cuticle remover to soften the cuticle and an orange stick. After you apply it the cuticle remover, gently push back cuticles with the orange stick. Then move the orange stick in tiny circles around the base of the nail to help remove the dead skin and debris that may be there. Do this at least three times per nail. When the debris is lifted, wipe it with a cotton ball. Then moisturize.

Filling and shaping your nails

It is best to file your nails only when the white part of the nail-the tip-has grown ¼ inch from the nail's stress point, which is where the free edge meets the pink part of the nail plate. If you file your nails before this point, it can weaken them. At the same time, if you let your free edge grow longer than the nail plate, it is certain your nail will break. Do not file from side to side, which can weaken the stress points of the nail's free edge. Be sure to go from corner to center in one direction, using the groove on the side of your nail as a guide. Choosing a File: Stay away from metal nail files since they are very harsh and can even split nails. One wrong swipe and you've ruined your nail shape. Most manicurists recommend a soft, straight file that won't cause any damage if you swipe it the wrong way. Shaping the Nail: There are many ways to determine your nail's shape. Many people

want to have their nails cut square, which may come from the belief that square-cut nails are stronger. This is a myth-in fact, if you shape them correctly, all nail shapes are equally as strong. If your cuticle is oval shaped at the base, the square look may work for you, but if you have a pointed cuticle, you may want to go with a more oval-shaped nail. How to keep your nails healthy: The best way to make sure your nails are healthy is to moisturize them daily, and care for your cuticles. The cuticle is the nail's protection between the exposed dead part of the nail and the matrix, where new cells are generated. Removing the cuticle destroys the nail matrix, which is essential to healthy nail growth. On the other hand, you do want to keep cuticles from becoming overgrown, which suffocates nail growth. The solution: Liberally apply a cuticle remover (not cuticle oil or cuticle cream), which will make the cuticle more pliable. Then, take an orangewood stick and anywhere the cuticle skin touches the nail plate, push it back using tiny circular movements. Hold the stick at an angle so that you do this gradually and gently, without going inside the cuticle. Use a moisturizer daily to prevent dryness. Eat Right: Though you can't feed the nail directly, a good diet is essential to overall nail health. Biotin-rich foods like eggs, soy, whole grains and liver are said to be extremely helpful to nails, along with foods rich in sulfur minerals like apples, cucumbers, grapes, garlic, asparagus and onions. Also, be sure your diet includes essential fatty acids, or EFAs. Like vitamins and minerals, foods rich in EFA's, such as salmon, nuts, seeds and tuna, help keep nails shiny and pliable. Do Not Use Your Fingernails as Tools: Using your fingernails as tools to perform tasks, pushing back your cuticles or scratching a label off a CD is a no-no! Use proper tools for picking and scraping and not your nails.

Polish Tips

Removing Nail PolishThe best way to remove polish is to place cotton on an orangewood stick, and douse it in remover. This implement will give you the most control since you want to make sure to remove your polish with getting as little remover as possible on the cuticle.Choosing a Nail Polish RemoverThere are many different kinds of removers from which to choose. Those containing acetone take off the polish quickly but can dehydrate your cuticles. You might want to go this route if you are trying to remove bold, deep or bright shades of nail lacquer. Non-acetone removers take longer to remove polish but dry the nail and cuticle as well. Gel remover is the best moisturizing remover, but the flip side is that it takes a while to actually remove the polish. Sometimes, your best bet is to go with an acetone-based remover that contains hydrating oils, such as lavender or aloe vera. These types of oils help neutralize the dry effect of the acetone. At the same time they may cut down on the strong odor of the remover.

Strengthening

Unfortunately, if you have weak nails you can't permanently change them. You can, however, do things to make them stronger. Use a nail strengthener. Many women are confused about how to use these products, so here are a few tips: Make sure you apply a thin coat, because you'll be applying it daily, you don't want it to build up too much. If you're at the beginning stages of growing out your nails, use only a strengthener on your nail plate and apply it every day. If you want to apply nail enamel, use the strengthener as a base coat and as a top coat. Then continue to apply the strengthening product every day. Remember, too much strengthening can actually make your nails brittle, so you might want to try a strengthening system.