Nails are additional organs in the skin that cover the tips of the fingers, and in many times the nails are the health indicator of your body, so what are the nails and how are their formation and the most important health functions? Follow this article with us, we will list the most important information about nails and everything related to them.

What are nails?

Nails are a strong outer layer that covers the tip and front of the fingers, as it covers the five fingers of each hand and foot in the human body, and it is the part that is synonymous with the hoof or claw in other vertebrate organisms.

Nail shape and composition

The nail is a horn-shaped layer or plate, about half a millimeter thick. The main component of the nail is the tough protein keratin. The production and formation of the nail is through the living skin cells present in the fingers, and the nails generally consist of 4 different parts, and they are as follows:

• nail plate Or the nail plate, which is the outer layer or the visible outer part of the nail, which is a solid part consisting of layers of dead cells.
• nail bed Or the nail bed, which is the layer that covers and spreads under the nail plate and serves as the lining. This part is thin skin like cuticle with a layer of blood vessels and is light pink in healthy people.
• nail matrix or the vertices of the matrix, which are grooves that connect the nail bed to the skin plate. This part is the base of the nail. It contains blood vessels and nerves that lead to the emergence of the cells of the nail plate at the root part of the nail.
• The last area under the nailIt is the part of the skin that is located below the edge of the nail in the free area that is not connected to the nail bed, as this layer is located behind the end of the nail bed, and is considered a barrier to germs and other harmful things.

As the nail grows, the new cells of the nail plate that develop at the root of the nail push the old cells forward, causing them to push up at the front of the nail plate.

Old cells, when pushed up and pressed, become more transparent than when they were near the root. They become stiff, flat, flattened, and appear in the familiar shape of nails. They also become more flattened.

Many times a small, white, crescent-shaped part appears at the base of the nail root. This part is part of the nail matrix and is known as the moon or little moon. This crescent is a protective layer made up of dead cells. This layer covers the nail plate from the back.

nail growth rate

Many wonder about the normal rate of nail growth in the body, so we explain to you that the average natural growth rate of the nail is 0.1 millimeter per day, equivalent to 1 cm every 100 days. This percentage varies slightly from one individual to another, because there are a number of factors that affect this rate of growth, such as:

• person’s age.
• the person’s gender.
• timing of the year.

For example, nail growth is faster and at a higher rate among young people, especially males, during the summer. Also, fingernails grow faster than toes. The nail of the hand takes about 6 months to grow from the root to the tip, while the toenail takes about 12 to 18 months to grow from the root to the tip.

In addition, the nails of the right hand grow faster than the left hand. There are some conditions that affect nail growth rates, including:

The function of nails in the body

There are many healthy functions of nails, the most important of which are:

• providing protection, Where it acts as a shield to protect the sensitive limbs from infection, and to prevent the entry of any bacteria and viruses into the body, whether in the toes and hands.
• strengthening the tips of the fingers, As the hard cover of the nails makes the limbs stronger, for example, the tips of the fingers are one of the strongest parts of the hand, and this greatly facilitates daily tasks.
• Promotes ease of fine motor movements, It helps you scratch, turn, scratch and dig like turning the pages of a book or scratching your scalp.
• enhance sensation, feeling and touch, The nail is also a very sensitive part, as it contains a network of intertwined and complex nerves that are found under the nail.

Why nails are an indicator of health?

Nails are among the organs that predict the health of the body, as they give indications of possible health conditions that your body is exposed to. Therefore, many doctors rely mainly on nails to help them diagnose some medical conditions.

There are a large number of pathological conditions that may affect the nail, and cause symptoms that may appear clearly on the nail and be an indication of your health, such as bumps, scratches, and a change in color or thinning.

How to keep nails healthy

There are many ways and steps that help maintain healthy nails, including:

• Keep them dry and clean, as this prevents bacteria from growing under the nail.
• Direct and prolonged contact with water may cause brittle nails, so be aware of that.
• Professionally and correctly cleaning the nails using the tools designated for that, and it is preferable to cut the nails straight and then cut the ends in a curved shape.
• Don’t share your nail care tools with anyone else.
• Do not neglect to use a nail moisturizer, and you must wash and rub the nails well when using hand lotion.
• The use of food supplements rich in biotin, as it helps a lot to strengthen the nails, but this must be done under the advice of a specialist doctor.

On the other hand, there are some habits that you must stop in order to keep your nails healthy, including:

• Nail-biting.
• Using harsh nail care products.
• Improper removal of the nails, as the living nail tissue is torn.
• Ignore any signs or signs of a health problem on the nail.