How do your nails grow?
Nails grow from the nail matrix, an area under your skin, just below the cuticle. The matrix produces keratin, a protein that is the main component of your nails. As the cells in the nail matrix multiply, they are pushed forward, keratinize (that is, they die and harden), and thus form the nail plate that we see.
How exactly does your nail grow?
- Nail matrix : This is where the growth process starts. The nail matrix produces new cells, which are pushed forward as older cells harden.
- Nail bed : This is the surface of skin under your nail plate. As the nail plate grows, it glides across the nail bed.
- Cuticle (cuticle) : The cuticle protects the new nail cells that just rise from the matrix.
- Growth rate : On average, fingernails grow about 3 millimeters per month, while toenails grow slower, about 1 millimeter per month.
Where does the nail material come from?
Nails consist primarily of keratin, the same protein that also forms your hair and skin. Keratin is produced by specialized cells in the nail matrix and keratinizes as the cells die. Keratin itself is made from amino acids that are brought from your diet to the nail matrix via your blood.
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