Ch # 9 Nail Growth & Structure

The Natural Nail Onyx - natural nail It is the hard protective plate composed mainly of keratin Nails are an appendage of the skin & are part of the integumentary system

Normal Healthy Nail Firm but flexible Shiny, smooth, unspotted w/ no wavy ridges or splits Whitish & translucent w/ pink color of nail bed showing thru

Nail Anatomy - Nail Plate Hardened keratin plate that sits on & covers the nail bed Most visible & functional part of the nail unit Constructed of 100 layers of nail cells

Nail Anatomy - Free Edge Part of the nail plate that extends over the tip of the finger or toe

Nail Anatomy - Nail Bed Portion of living skin that supports the nail plate as it grows toward the free edge Richly supplied w/ blood vessels

Nail Anatomy - Bed Epithelium Thin layer of tissue that attaches the nail bed to the nail plate

Nail Anatomy - Matrix Area where nail plate cells are formed Contains blood, lymph, & nerves to nourish the matrix cells As long as the matrix is healthy the nail will continue to grow

Nail Anatomy - Lunula Visible part of the matrix that extends from underneath Whitish half-moon shape at the base of the nail Every nail has one but some remain hidden

Nail Anatomy - Cuticle Dead, colorless tissue attached to the nail plate sticky & difficult to remove from the nail plate Its job is to seal the space between the natural nail plate & living skin

Nail Anatomy - Eponychium Living skin at the base of the nail plate that covers the matrix area Often confused w/ cuticle Cosmetologists are prohibited from cutting

Nail Anatomy - Hyponychium Slightly thickened layer of skin that lies between fingertip & free edge Forms a protective barrier

Nail Anatomy - Ligaments tough band of fibrous tissue that connects bones or holds an organ in place special ligaments attach the nail bed & matrix bed to the bone

Nail Anatomy -Folds, Grooves, Sidewall Nail Folds are folds of skin that surround the nail plate Folds form Nail Grooves, which are the slits or Furrows on the sidewall Sidewall is fold of skin overlapping the side of the nail

The Nail Structure

The Nail Structure/Cross Section

Nail Growth The length, width, & curvature of the matrix determine the thickness, width, & curvature of the nail plate No product or procedure can make the nail plate grow thicker Toenails are naturally thicker & grow slower than fingernails

Nail Shapes

Average rate of growth in normal adult 1/10 inch per month Age can affect nail growth - children’s nails grow more rapidly Seasons affect nail growth - nails grow faster in summer than in winter Pregnancy speeds nail growth b/c of hormones not the vitamins Middle finger grows fastest Thumb grows slowest Nail Growth - Cont’d

Nail Malformation If the matrix is diseased or injured the nail will not grow Healthy nails do NOT shed periodically Replacement of fingernail usually 4-6 months Replacement of toenail usually 9 months