Basic Information About the Nail

The nail is a
plate of keratin
that lies on the
tips of the
fingers and toes.
The main use of
the nail is to
protect the
fingers and toes.
It also assists
with certain
physical
activities in daily
life.

Nail and
its
structure

Parts of the Nail

1.Lunula the pearly coloured and crescentshaped
area of a fingernail or toenail.
2.Cuticle the overlapping epidermis around the
nail. It is the transparent skin, which
is
called the true
cuticle which is removed during the manicuring
process.
3.Free edge the part of the nail that can be filed
and shaped. It is an extension of the
nail
plate that overlaps the eponychium.
4.Matrix - the part of the nail situated directly the
cuticle. It produces the cells that
become the nail place.

the nail plate rests on,

also a
continuation of the matrix
and
it is abundantly supplied
with
blood vessels and nerves.
6.Nail walls the folds of the skin
that
overlap the sides of the nail.
7.Nail plate is the visible nail that
rests on the nail bed up to
the
free edge. This is made up of

Shapes of the Nail

The shape of nail
conforms to the finger
tips of an individual. It
also determines how
the fingernails should
be styled during a
manicure.

long,
perfect nail beds. It may be styled
slightly
rounded at the base and slightly
pointed at the fingertips.
2.Round ideal for shorter nails, the nail is
allowed to grow out straight at the
sides
for approximately 1.5 mm and then the
tip is
filed into a rounded shape. This is a
strong
shape which is great for those who keep
their nails short.
3. Stiletto/pointed filed away at the sides to a
point at the tip; this shape is very weak
as
the sides of the nail (which provide the
strength) are totally lost.

but
followed by squaring
off
the tip, giving the nail
tip
strenght over the oval
shape.
5. Square the most popular among
the nail shapes. It is created
by
allowing the nail to grow out
straight and then filing the tip
straight across at right angles

Nail Diseases and

Disorders
Nail diseases are
conditions of both the
nail and the
sorrounding skins
which result from
bacterial, fungal and

List of the
common nail
disorders and
diseases and
their
characteristics

Blue
Blue nails
nails
Blush
Blush in
in
color;
color; these
these
may
may be
be
attributed
attributed
to
to poor
poor
blood
blood
circulation
circulation
or
or heart
heart
disorder.
disorder.

Brittle nails
Vertical splitting
or separation of
the nail plate
layers at the
distal (free) edge
of the nail plate.
Over exposure to
detergent soap
and other
chemical
solvents may be
the cause.

Bruised nails
Shows dark
puplish
(almost black
or brown)
spots, usually
due to injury
and bleeding
of the nail
bed. As the
nail grows,
dried blood in
the nail bed
will also go

Eggshell nails
In this disorder,
the nail plate
separates from
the nail-bed
and curves at
the free edge. It
may be caused
by chronic
illness of the
systemic or
nervous origin.

Furrows
These Furrows
are long ridges

These
ridges
thatare
runlong
either
that runor
either
lengthwise
across
lengthwise
or across
the nail. Some
the nail.ridges
Someare
lengthwise
lengthwise
ridges
are
normal
in adults.
These
normal
adults. with
These
ridges in
increase
ridges
age
andincrease
can alsowith
be
age and
also be
caused
bycan
psoriasis,
caused
by psoriasis,
poor
circulation
and
poor circulation
and
frostbite.
Ridges that
frostbite.
run
across Ridges
the nailthat
are
run across
the nail
are
caused
by high
fevers,
caused
by highand
fevers,
pregnancy,
pregnancy,
measles. and
measles.

Hangnails
Hangnails
These
These are
are marked
marked
by
by a
a condition
condition in
in
which
which the
the cuticle
cuticle
splits
splits around
around the
the
nail.
nail. Carelessness
Carelessness
in
in removing
removing the
the
cuticle,
cuticle, dryness,
dryness,
cutting
cutting off
off too
too
much
much may
may result
result
in
in hangnails.
hangnails. It
It
may
may cause
cause
infection
infection if
if not
not
trated
trated..

Leconychia
Leconychia or
or
white
white spot
spot
White
White spot
spot
appears
appears frequently
frequently
in
in the
the nails.
nails. They
They
may
may be
be caused
caused by
by
injury
injury to
to the
the base
base
of
of the
the nail.
nail. As
As the
the
nail
nail continues
continues to
to
grow,
grow, these
these white
white
spots
spots eventually
eventually
disappear.
disappear.

Pterygium
Pterygium
ItIt is
is an
an
overgrowth
overgrowth of
of
cuticle
cuticle which
which
sticks
sticks to
to the
the
surfaces
surfaces of
of nail
nail
plate.
plate. Carefully
Carefully
remove
remove the
the
adhering
adhering
growth
growth by
by
means
means of
of aa
cuticle
cuticle nipper.
nipper.

Onychatrophia
Onychatrophia
ItIt is
is described
described
as
as wasting
wasting
away
away of
of the
the
nail.
nail. The
The nail
nail
loses
loses its
its luster,
luster,
shrinks,
shrinks, and
and
falls.
falls. This
This can
can
be
be caused
caused by
by
injury
injury to
to the
the
nail
nail matrix
matrix or
or
by
by internal
internal
disease.
disease.

Onychauxis
Onychauxis or
or
hypertrophy
hypertrophy
It
It is
is an
an
overgrowth
overgrowth of
of
the
the nail
nail usually
usually
in
in thickness
thickness
rather
rather than
than
length.
length. It
It is
is
caused
caused by
by an
an
internal
internal
imbalance,
imbalance, such
such
as
as local
local
infection
infection or
or
heredity.
heredity.

Onychophagy
Onychophagyor
or
bitten
bittennails
nail
ItItisisaadeformity
deformity
ofofthe
thenail
nailplate
plate
caused
causedby
bybiting
biting
the
thenails.
nails.Biting
Biting
isisan
anacquired
acquired
nervous
nervoushabit
habit
which
whichprompts
prompts
the
theindividual
individualto
to
chew
chewthe
thenail
nailor
or
the
thehardened
hardened
cuticle
cuticle. .

Onychorrhexis
Onychorrhexis or
or
split
split or
or brittle
brittle
nails
nails These
These are
are
caused
caused by
by an
an
injury
injury to
to the
the
finger,
finger, careless
careless
filing
of the
nails,
filling
of the
excessive
use of
nails, excessive
cuticle
use ofsolvents
cuticle
and nailand
polish
solvents
nail
removes.
The
polish
removes.
nails
may
bebe
The
nails
may
extremely
extremely dry
dry
because
because of
of some
some
granular
granular disorder.
disorder.

Ridges
It is caused by
uneven growth
of the nails,
usually from
illness, Buffing
the nails with
paste polish
will help
remove the
ridges.

Treating cuts
cuts
Treating
is caused
caused by
by
ItIt is
an accident
accident
an
during
during
manicure.
manicure.
Apply an
an
Apply
antiseptic
antiseptic
immediately.
immediately.
Do not
not apply
apply
Do
nail polish
polish on
on
nail
the affected
affected
the
area.
area.

Nail Diseases
Onychomycosis
It is an infectious disease
caused by a vegetable
parasite. The onset of
the disease takes about
two to three months and
the attack is rarely on
more than one or two
nails. The appearance of
the nail is frayed (worn
out), brittle with
furrowed surface,
opaque, grayish, or
yellowish in color and is
lifted-up by an
accumulation of
epidermis underneath.

Onychia
Onychia
ItItisischronic
chronic
inflammation
inflammationof
of
the
thenail
nailfold
foldand
and
nail
nailbed
bed
(matrix).
(matrix).ItIt
results
resultsfrom
fromthe
the
introduction
introductionof
of
microscopic
microscopic
athogen
athogen
through
throughsmall
small
wounds.
wounds.

Onychocryptosis
Onychocryptosis
This refers
refers to
to
This
ingrown nails
nails
ingrown
which affect
affect the
the
which
fingers and
and
fingers
toenails. ItIt is
is
toenails.
marked by
by nail
nail
marked
growth into
into
growth
sorrounding
sorrounding
tissues and
and may
may
tissues
cause infection.
infection.
cause
Incorrect trimming
trimming
Incorrect
shaping of
of nails
nails
aa shaping
are often
often
are
responsible for
for
responsible
ingrown nails.
nails.
ingrown

Onychoptosis
Onychoptosis
ItIt is
is the
the periodic
periodic
shedding
shedding of
of one
one
or
or more
more nails,
nails,
either
either in
in whole
whole or
or
in
in part.
part. This
This
condition
condition maybe
maybe aa
sympton
sympton of
of aa
more
more alarm
alarm
disease
disease such
such as
as
syphillis
syphillis or
or can
can
result
result from
from fever,
fever,
trauma
trauma
systematic
systematic upset
upset
or
or adverse
adverse
reaction
reaction to
to drug.
drug.

Onycholysis
Onycholysis
ItItrefers
refersto
tothe
the
detachment of the
detachment of the
nail from the nail
nail from the nail
bed, starting at its
bed, starting at its
distal
distaland/or
and/or
lateral
lateral
attachment. The
attachment. The
most common
most common
cause of
cause of
onycholysis
onycholysisisis
psoriasis,
psoriasis,an
an
unhealthy skin
unhealthy skin
condition.
condition.

Onychogryphosis or
Onychogryphosis or
claw nails
claw nails
These pertains to
These pertains to
extreme thickening
extreme thickening
curvature of the nails,
curvature of the nails,
usually caused by
usually caused by
varying degree of
varying degree of
hyperkeratosis (skin
hyperkeratosis (skin
disease in which the
disease in which the
skin gets thicker) on
skin gets thicker) on
the distal poetion of
the distal poetion of
the nail bed that
the nail bed that
detaches and lifts the
detaches and lifts the
plate off the bed.
plate off the bed.