Module 09 – 12’
 **
write on page 198**
 Reflect general health of body
 Educate yourself

Natural nail’s structure & growth
 You
can expertly groom, strengthen &
Beautify nails
 Knowing the difference between cuticle &
eponychium
 Prepare you for advanced nail services
 Technical
name Onyx
 Natural nail




Hard protective plate
Protein – Keratin
Appendage of the skin (integumentary system)
Composed of keratin
Same as found in hair & skin
 Healthy




nail
Whitish
Translucent
Pinkish color of nail bed showing through
Firm flexible
 Did
You Know page 198 & 199
 Porous to water
 Water content



Relative to humidity of surrounding environment
15% - 25%
Directly effects flexibility
 Oil-based


nail conditioner/nail polish
Improve flexibility
Reduce water loss
 Most
visible and functional part
 Hardened keratin plate sits on and slides
across nail bed
 100 layers of nail cells
 Free Edge

Extends over tip of finger/toe




Living skin on which the nail plate sits
Richly supplied with blood vessels
Pinkish area
Supplied with nerves
 Bed


epithelium
Thin layer of tissue attaching the nail plate to
the nail bed
Helps guide nail plate along bed as it grows
 Natural
nail is formed
 Contains



Nerves
Lymph
Blood vessels to nourish cells
 Create
new cells as long as healthy
 Extends under the nail fold at base of nail to
nail plate
 Lunula

Lighter color shows the true color of matrix
 Growth



can be effected
Poor health
Nail disorder or disease is present
Injury to matrix
** FYI page 200
 Dead
colorless tissue attached to plate
 Seal the space between natural plate and
living skin above

Prevents injury and infection
 Living
skin at base of nail plate covering
matrix area
 Cuticle is dead tissue
 Eponychium is living tissue – legally we
cannot cut
 Slightly
thickened layer of skin underneath
free edge
 Creates seal under nail plate to prevent
microorganisms from invading and infecting
nail bed
 Ligament

Tough band of fibrous tissue that connects bones
or holds an organ in place
 Specialized

ligaments
Attach nail bed and matrix to the underlying
bone
 Nail


Folds of normal skin that surround nail plate
Form nail groves
 Nail

folds
grooves
Slits or furrows on sides of nail on which it moves
as it grows
 Sidewall

– lateral nail fold
Fold of skin overlapping the side of the nail
 Growth



of nail plate affected:
Nutrition
Exercise
Person’s general health
 Length,
width and curvature of matrix
determine the thickness, width and
curvature of the natural nail plate
 Longer matrix produces

Thicker nail plate
 Highly

curved matrix creates
Highly curved free edge
 Average
growth – normal adult is 1/10” per
month
 Faster



Summer
Children
Middle finger
 Slower



Winter
Elderly
Thumb
 Rate
increases dramatically in last trimester
of pregnancy

Hormonal changes in body
 Rate
decreases dramatically after delivery
 Returns to normal as hormones levels return
to normal
 prenatal care vitamins


Myth – makes grow faster
Grow faster whether taken or not (hormone
changes)
 Toenails
grow thicker, harder and slower
 Did you Know? Page 202
 Disease,

injury, or infection occurs in matrix
Shape or thickness of nail plate can change
 Natural
nail will grow as long as matrix is
healthy and undamaged
 Replacement natural fingernail –

4 – 6 months
 Replacement

natural toenails –
9 - 12 months
 Nails
are not shed automatically or
periodically as does hair
 Creativity
must be rounded in a full
awareness of the structure and physiology of
nails and the surrounding tissue