FINGERNAILS

It’s about time I wrote a post on fingernails – the one item on the human body that perplexes me.  Women (although more and more men are partaking) spend a fortune on their nails, and it’s the one beauty item I think women do just for themselves – very few men in my recollection notice a woman because of her pretty painted nails.  Why do women paint their nails?  Because nails, like teeth, are readily visible by everyone and a beautiful set of painted nails completes any outfit, makes women feel good, and really sends the message that you take care of yourself.  But what does the nail polish hide?

Fingernails perplex me because I really don’t know the proper way to take care of them. My nails tend to be dry and cracked in the winter, and they cycle through being hard surfaced to brittle.  Have you ever injured your nail and it never quite recovers?  In digging into this – I learned quite a bit about nails that I didn’t know.  For my male readers – don’t run away scared from this post – all the fun facts below are applicable to the male race as well.

Nails grow 3.5 millimeters per month and they grow faster on your dominant hand. The hard part of the nail is called the “nail palate” and the white portion of the nail at its base is called “lunula” (little moon).

Nails and hair are made out of the same material – Keratin!  Foods that are good for your hair are good for your nails. What might those foods be?  You might be interested to learn that beer is good for your nails.  Other foods include red meat, blueberries, almonds, oysters, milk, walnuts, coconut oil, eggs and salmon.

It’s important to let your nails be exposed to the air in-between manicures.   In order to keep your nails healthy, try to stay away from weekly manicures.  Nails are living tissues, and oxygen does penetrate through the nail plate to the nail bed.  Covering the nail and bed with polish dries up your nail, making them less flexible and strong.

Nails need blood to survive.  That explains why sometimes your nail falls off after it has been injured.  The nail plate needs oxygen and blood flow to grow normally, and an injury damages all connections that provide nutrients to your nails.  Nails generally grow back fresh, but if the injury occurs at the root of the nail, it can become permanent and the nail will never grow the right way.

Every manicure I’ve had starts with the manicurist removing my cuticles.  Believe it or not – cuticles are necessary and essential to the health of the human body.   The tiny cuticle, that semi-circular layer of non-living, almost invisible dead skin cells that cover the back of the visible nail plate help to seal moisture and germs out of the body – they should be treated with care and left in place – crucial.

Nails are what separates mammals from primates.  Most mammals have claws, and the fact that primates (yes – humans too!) have nails is what makes us unique.  It has been determined that while claws would be helpful for large primates to climb trees – they would be a hindrance rather than a help when grabbing berries and fruit off of smaller branches.  Interesting right?

Nail biting has now been listed as a form of obsessive compulsive disorder in the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.  This newly defined disorder is called “Onychophagia”.  People generally bite their nails out of nervousness, while a smaller percentage of the population have a phobia about it.

Stress takes a toll on your nails.  Try to get plenty of sleep and manage stress to give your nails what they need to grow strong.  When under stress, your body diverts energy and nutrients away from growing healthy nails and hair.

Nails tend to reveal the overall health of your body.  Nail bed discoloration (blueish) can indicate lung disease. and capillaries in the cuticles can indicate an auto immune disease.   Nails are such windows into what’s going on with the human body that it’s recommended to not wear nail polish while having surgery.   Unpolished nails are important because during anesthesia, your oxygen is monitored by your nail beds – polished nail beds could result in inaccurate oxygen level readings.

So what does all this fingernail knowledge leave me with?  The shape of your nails and how fast they grow is usually genetic – you can’t do much about that.  You can, however, take care of your nails by doing some simple things that when done regularly, become a habit and part of your routine.  Always wear household gloves when cleaning and doing the dishes, and gardening gloves when outside.  Hand sanitizer is a big culprit for drying out nails so try to avoid using it.  Steer clear of weekly manicures, and be sure to use a thick hand and nail cream before bed and apply again in the morning. File off the rough edges of your fingernails, and keep your cuticles smooth and uncut. Eat those delicious foods listed above and let’s see where we are in a few months – sound like a plan?