Toenails

You may not think much about your toenails unless you are getting them painted or if you stub your toe. But what exactly makes up a toenail?

Toenails are produced by living skin cells in the toe. They are composed mostly of keratin, which is a hardened protein that is also in the skin and the hair. The different parts of the nail include:

Nail Plate: The visible part of the nail

Nail Bed: The skin beneath the nail plate

Cuticle: The tissue at the base of the nail

Nail folds: The skin folds that support the nail

Lunula: The whitish half-moon at the base of the nail

Matrix: The hidden part of the nail under the cuticle.

Toenails grow from the matrix at an average of 0.1 mm each day. As new cells grow, older cells are pushed out and compacted into what you see as that flattened hardened form. How quickly toe nails grow can depend on a number of things. Typically they grow quicker in younger people, males, and during the summer. Toenails grow slower than fingernails.

Toenails not only provide protection to your toes, but can be an indicator of other health issues. If you notice a color or texture changes in your toenails, have a medical professional check them out. 

Image by Caitlin Regan. Feet. (2008). Flickr.