All about our nails
Finger nails and toe nails are a means of protection to our finger tips and toe tips. Nails protect the nerve endings of our fingers and toes. They are also quite transparent providing a glimpse into the inner endings of our fingers. Thus, what the finger nails ‘reveal’ are secrets of our inner well being and health. The texture, shape and colour of our nails speak volumes about our health. If there is any discolouration, ridges or a bumpy effect or markings and/or brittleness, splitting of the nails, then a doctor/dermatologist should be consulted for some tests, advice and medication and/or supplements. In Sri Lanka, many have white specks on their finger nails, especially during childhood and teenage years which gradually disappear as one gets older. It may sound like an old wives’ tale, as your mom may have advised you to eat green vegetables and small fish, which you disliked, but medically a lack of zinc and calcium has been cited as the cause of those whitish marks.

Finger nails are made of hardened dead cells known as Keratin which mainly contains protein. They grow at a rate of .05 to 1.2 mm a week or at an average rate of 3.3 mm per month. Nail growth differs from finger to finger and hand to hand and also varies from person to person. Did you know that nails are complex in design? It has many parts to its design, of which some are invisible, as they are hidden beneath the nail.

Consider some features of our nails

b> – commonly referred to as the nail, this hard plate consists of two surfaces. The upper is smooth while the underneath is rough and attaches to the nail bed.

Matrix – The only part made of living tissue, from which the nail grows and is at the base of the nail (plate) making it the most vital part in the nail.

Lunula – The crescent shaped whitish part at the base of the finger nail (plate) located at the end of the nail matrix forming the only visible part of the living nail.

Nail folds (Perionychium) – The skin folds which support and protect the nail (plate)

Eponychium – The narrow skin fold especially at the base of the nail and is better known as the cuticle.

Cuticle – The actual cuticle is a tiny extension of colourless skin, underneath the Eponychium.

Free edge – The nail (plate) which grows beyond the finger and which needs to be clipped.

Hyponychium – The skin extension found underneath the free edge. It protects the nail bed from infection by forming a water tight seal.

As much as the nails protect sensitive finger tips and nerve endings they come in handy for many other uses too. Apart from scratching, nails are useful when peeling oranges and mandarins, strumming a guitar, for undoing a knot or when it comes to maneuvering tiny objects. But nails should never be used as an instrument in opening tight lids, or when trying to remove stubborn stains/marks or as tools when gardening. In this way you can damage your nails and also hurt your fingers.

Our nails will prove how we take care of them, and actually reveals a person’s grooming habits. Their aesthetic significance plays an important role even in ordinary gestures.

Care for healthy nails
Remove nail polish and dip hands in warm soapy water for 2 to 3 minutes. Use a mild hand wash liquid, mild soap or a bit of shampoo in the water for this purpose. Dry your hands on a clean towel. Using an orange stick, dry skin can be gently removed from around the nail’s cuticle area, while using cuticle remover is not a must if you know the art of manicure. This again, is not absolutely necessary and nails do very well, if skin around the nail is left as they are. Since nails need moisture to remain strong and flexible massaging the matrix and cuticle area gently with a drop of oil or hand cream is beneficial at this point. At night just before retiring to bed an additional drop of oil can be applied under the nail’s free edge to prevent it from drying too much.

When cutting/trimming your nails take care not to cut too short or too much from the corners, as this can weaken the nails and set infection in. When nails are filed, always file them from the edge to the centre to prevent nails from becoming damaged and weak. Pointed long nails are the weakest shape as the nail is not supported at the corners. To have healthy strong nails, allow the nails to be grown to about 1.5 mm at the edges and cut to a gentle round shape following the contour of the finger tips.

When nails are too long, undue attention is called for. It can also hinder us from doing our regular house work for fear of damaging our nails. When a fingernail which is long suddenly breaks spontaneously, it tends to do so very close to the edge of the skin folds at the corners of the finger. This damages the nail completely and at times injures the finger tip and also sets infection in, while making it unsightly even after cutting it.

To clean under the nails, use a soft bristled brush and never any pointed instruments. These can damage the lining connecting the nail to the nail bed and set infection in, resulting in the nail separating from the nail bed. Regular use of nail polish and strong polish removers can dry the nail and cuticle area, resulting in dry brittle nails. Using acrylic nails, gum and other substances too can damage your finger nails, resulting in using acrylic nails for longer periods to cover up defects caused, unfortunately leading to more damages.

Some have strong and healthy nails with the minimum of care while others face many problems with thin or brittle nails even after much care. This alone proves that hereditary factors too play an important part in our body’s make up, including fingernails!

Many products are available in the pharmacies today, as vitamins and calcium supplements to strengthen fingernails. A proper healthy diet is invaluable and so also is an intake of sufficient water of 2 litres per day. Many believe dipping fingers in a solution of gelatin or consuming gelatin in any form will produce strong nails. Weak, damaged, marked or discoloured nails are crying out for more than gelatin, they need medical attention.

It is not necessary to go to a salon to attend to one’s finger nails. Nail salons, internet cafes as well as Gyms are hotbeds for contracting nail infections caused by yeast or fungus. Always wash hands with soap and water if you regularly visit such places. Modest care and regular attention together with some knowledge about the makeup of the nail structure will help us to take care of our finger nails and our toe nails.

Avoid being a nail polish addict, but use it when called for. When applying polish, always start from the middle of the nail and use just three strokes to cover the nail, with a left and right stroke of the initial centre stroke. Always apply from the base to the tip. Use the middle finger to steady the brush as you hold it between the thumb and index fingers. Rub a bit of Vaseline on the cuticle area and skin around the nail prior to applying nail polish. This will enable accidental polish applications on these parts to be removed with ease, after the polish has dried.

Well groomed nails are a joy to see and adds beauty to hands as well as feet, be it a male’s or a female’s.