Nail structure part 1

Nail structure part 1

The nail is a part of the human covering system that lacks nerves or blood supply. Other parts of this system are skin, hair and mucous membrane.

Protective plates called nails cover the ends of the fingers and toes. Nails are primarily composed of keratin, a macromolecular protein found in hair and skin.

Nail structure part 1

Apart from the cosmetic appeal, nails have other duties as well, including helping to lift objects by creating a support for the texture of fingers or manipulating objects, and most importantly, nails reflect the general health of the body.

Nails that easily break and crack indicate possible nutritional problems. Lack of vitamin A and calcium causes dryness and flaking of the skin. Lack of protein, folic acid, vitamin B, which is essential for cell growth and regeneration of dead cells, and lack of vitamin C causes nails to fall.

Lack of protein causes white stripes on the nails. A type of acid deficiency may cause nails to crack and split in half.

Nail structure part 1

Hand nail structure:

The structure of the nail consists of 3 parts: the tip, the nail plate, and the nail root, which is placed under the skin.

free edge of the nail:

It is a part of the nail that goes beyond the tips of the fingers and manicure or pedicure is performed on it. The task of this part is to protect the underlying tissue and the tip of the finger.

Nail plate:

The nail plate consists of a layer of compact and transparent branch cells, and there are no nerves or blood vessels in it, and it forms the main part of the nail body.

Nail bed:

It is a part of the skin on which the body of the nail is located and like a bed it contains the nail plate and except for the part of the free edge, it fixes the nail in its place.

Matrix:

The matrix is a part of the nail that extends under the root of the nail and contains nerves, lymph and blood vessels. The matrix is responsible for the formation of the nail, in such a way that it hardens its cells.

Nail structure part 1

Nail structure part 1

Nail folds:

The nail fold is the support of the nail, on the left, right and bottom sides.

Lanola (Mahek):

The lanula is located on the matrix and is lighter than the other parts. (white crescent-shaped part that can be seen at the bottom of the nail) lanula or half moon is at the base of the nail, which is mostly seen in the thumb nail. and contains many matrix cells.

The reason why lanula is white is that its cells are not yet keratinized and have not yet developed, also the reflection of light in the part where the matrix connects to the nail bed tissue, brightens the color of lanula.

Cuticle:

It is a part of the skin that covers the beginning of the nail plate and is soft. It protects the matrix against infection. The nail cuticle is waterproof and prevents bacteria from entering the matrix.

If the cuticle in the nail is damaged, the growth of the nail will be difficult and will be disturbed. Cuticle and nails in general can be a reflection of body health.

Cuticle and nail tissue are very dependent on minerals and vitamins. The more these items are in the nails, the stronger the nail texture, and the less these substances are seen in your nails, you should expect your nails to crack or even break quickly.

As mentioned in the previous section, the nail cuticle controls the growth of the nail and can disrupt the process of its growth. In addition, the nail cuticle is a source for collecting nutrients and minerals. Another reason why the cuticle is important is to protect the skin from water, bacteria, and the like.

The cuticle acts as a protective layer, so you need to take good care of it so it doesn’t get damaged. Its drying can cause serious and long-term damage to the nails and endanger your beauty and health.

Nail structure part 1

Nail growth:

The root of the nail arises from the growth of the matrix. Nail growth is affected by health, disease and nutrition. The nail grows forward and its growth starts from the matrix and continues to the tip of the finger.

Nail growth is about 3 ml per month. The average rate of growth in adults is 1.8 inches per month. The growth of nails is more than other parts of the body, even after death they continue to grow for some time.

If for any reason the nail of one of the fingers is pulled, the formation of a new nail takes between 100 and 150 days. If the nutrition is correct, nail growth is normal, and in young people, nail growth is more than in old people. The duration of nail growth from the cuticle to the free edge is 6 months on the hand and 12 months on the foot.

The nail growth in the middle finger is more, in the thumb less and the nail of the little finger grows the slowest. Nail growth in men, children under 14 years and pregnant women increases more than others.

Toenail structure:

The structure of toenails is exactly like the structure of fingernails; Only the growth of toenails is less than fingernails (the growth of toenails is the slowest and about 1.2 to 1.3mm compared to fingernails) and its thickness is greater than handnails. The state of the nails, like the skin, shows the general health of the body.

I hope this article was useful for you.