CHAPTER
`9
Name
Rating:
Text Pages: 196–203
POINT TO PONDER:
“He who is afraid of doing too much always does too little.”
—German Proverb
1. The (natural nail)
is a hard, protective plate located at the end of the finger.
2. Nails are part of what body system?
(Integumentary.)
WHY STUDY NAIL STRUCTURE AND GROWTH?
3. A cosmetologist who is unfamiliar with the way natural nails grow will be able to
groom, strengthen, and beautify nails expertly.
True
(X)
False
4. Why do you think it is important for you to understand the growth cycle of the
natural nail?
(Answers will vary, but may include the idea that understanding a nail’s growth
cycle will help a cosmetologist perform appropriate services on clients,
especially in relation to advanced techniques. This knowledge will also help
the cosmetologist inform clients about when they will need to return for
touch-ups or new services.)
THE NATURAL NAIL
5. Another name for the natural nail is the
(onyx) .
6. The natural nail is made mostly of a protein called
(keratin) .
7. The keratin found in the natural nail is not as hard as the keratin found in the hair
or skin.
a) True
(X)
100
b) False
Chapter 9 Nail Str u ctur e and Gro wth
8. Describe the appearance of a healthy nail.
(Should be shiny, whitish and
translucent in appearance, with the pinkish color of the nail bed below
showing through.)
9. The nail plate is relatively (porous) to water, allowing water to pass more easily
than it will pass through normal skin of equal thickness.
10. The nail may look dry and hard, but it actually has a water content of between
(15 and 25 percent) which varies based on the relative humidity of the
surrounding environment.
a) 5 and 10 percent
b) 10 and 20 percent
c) 15 and 25 percent
d) 20 and 30 percent
11. Water directly affects the nail’s
more (rigid) .
(flexibility) ; a nail with lower water content is
12. What can be done to reduce water loss and improve flexibility?
(Use an
oil-based nail conditioner or nail polish to coat the plate.)
NAIL ANATOMY
13. How many main parts is the nail divided into?
a) 5
b) 6
c) 7
(X)
d) 8
14. Together, all of the main parts of the nail are referred to as the
(natural nail unit).
© Milady, a part of Cengage Learning
15. Identify the parts of the nail as illustrated below:
(Hyponychium)
(Nail plate)
(Nail bed)
(Cuticle)
(Nail fold)
(Matrix )
Chapter 9 Nail Str u ctur e and Gro wth
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(Free edge)
(Eponychium)
(Nail plate)
(Nail fold)
(Matrix)
(Hyponychium)
(Nail bed)
(Bone)
16. The (nail plate) is the most visible and functional part of the nail module. It is
constructed of about (100) layers of nail cells.
17. The part of the nail plate that extends over the tip of the finger or toe is the
(free edge) .
18. Which of the following best describes the nail plate?
a) Soft
(X)
b) Porous
c) Dry
d) Alive
19. The (nail bed)
is the portion of living skin on which the nail plate sits.
20. The nail bed is supplied with many nerves and is attached to the nail plate by a
thin layer of tissue called the (bed epithelium) .
21. The (matrix) is where the natural nail is formed.
22. The visible part of the matrix that extends from underneath the living skin is
called the (lunula) .
23. Every nail has a lunula.
(X)
True
False
24. Why is it sometimes difficult to see a lunula?
(Because some lunulas are shorter
than others and may be hidden under the eponychium.)
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Chapter 9 Nail Stru ctur e and Gro wth
Courtesy of Godfrey F. Mix, DPM, Sacramento, CA.
(Lunula)
25. Name three factors that may affect the growth of the nails.
1) (Poor health.)
2) (Presence of nail disorders or disease.)
3) (Injury to the matrix.)
26. Excessive perspiration from the nail may affect the services a cosmetologist can
perform on a client.
True
(X)
False
27. The (cuticle) is the dead, colorless tissue attached to the natural nail plate.
28. What is the purpose of the cuticle? (To seal the space between the natural
nail plate and living skin above to prevent entry of foreign material and
microorganisms, helping prevent injury and infection.)
29. Which of the following best describes the cuticle?
a) Alive
b) Pigmented
(X)
c) Sticky
d) Unimportant
30. The living skin at the base of the nail plate covering the matrix area is the
(eponychium) .
31. Describe the difference between the eponychium and the cuticle.
(The cuticle is
dead tissue on the nail plate; the eponychium is living tissue that grows on
the nail plate.)
32. The (hyponychium) is the slightly thickened layer of skin that lies underneath
the free edge of the nail plate.
33. What is the function of the hyponychium?
(The hyponychium forms a
protective barrier under the free edge to prevent microorganisms from
invading the nail bed.)
34. The cuticle will bleed if it is cut.
True
(X)
False
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35. Which of the following is easy to remove with gentle scraping?
(X)
a) Cuticle
b) Eponychium
36. Which of the following is most likely to need a softener?
a) Cuticle
(X)
b) Eponychium
37. A tough band of fibrous tissue that connects bones or holds an organ in place is
called a (ligament) .
38. Specialized ligaments attach the nail bed and (matrix bed) to the underlying
bone and are located at the base of the matrix and around the edges of the
nail bed.
39. The (nail folds)
nail grooves.
are folds of normal skin that surround the nail plate which form
(sidewall) .
40. The fold of skin that overlaps the side of the nail is called the
41. What are nail grooves? (The slits or furrows on the sidewalls.)
NAIL GROWTH
42. The growth of the nail plate is affected by
(nutrition, exercise, and
general health) .
43. Describe services a cosmetologist may perform to help make a client’s nail plate
thicker. (It is not possible to make a nail plate thicker because this would
require a larger matrix.)
44. Explain why toenails are thicker and harder than fingernails.
(Toenails are
thicker and harder than fingernails because they have a longer matrix.)
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Chapter 9 Nail Stru ctur e and Gro wth
45. Identify the various shapes of nails in the illustration below:
© Milady, a part of Cengage Learning
(Roofed)
(Acorn, flat, or arched)
(Trapezoid)
(Olive)
(Date)
(Circumflex)
(Concave)
(Convex)(Square)(Angular)(Narrow)(Fan)
(Arched)
(Tubular)
46. The average rate of nail growth in the normal adult is:
a) ½ inch per month.
b) ½ inch per week.
(X)
c) 1/10 inch per month.
d) 1/8 inch per week.
47. Nails grow faster in the winter than they do in the summer.
True
(X)
False
48. Children’s nails grow more rapidly; elderly persons grow at a slower rate.
(X)
True
False
49. The nail of the middle finger grows fastest and the thumbnail grows the slowest.
(X)
True
False
50. What causes the growth rates of the nail to increase dramatically during
pregnancy? (Hormonal changes in the body.)
51. A pregnant woman who is taking prenatal vitamins will experience even more
rapid nail growth than a pregnant women who is not taking prenatal vitamins.
True
(X)
False
Chapter 9 Nail Str u ctur e and Gro wth
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52. What will cause the shape or thickness of the nail plate to change?
(Disease,
injury, or infection in the matrix.)
53. How long does replacement of the natural fingernail take?
(About 4 to 6 months.)
54. Toenails take (9) months to be fully replaced.
a) 3
b) 5
c) 7
d) 9
55. Like hair, the nail will automatically shed periodically.
True
(X)
False
KNOW YOUR NAILS
56. A licensed cosmetologist is allowed to:
Treat nail disorders.
Clip hangnails upon the client’s request.
(X)
Work on healthy nails only.
57. The act of typing helps stimulate nails and make them grow. Why do you think
this is the case? THIS IS YOUR OPINION!
(Note that this information was presented in the chapter in a “Did You Know”
box which did not include an explanation. Students may have fun speculating
about the reasons and then finding out if they were “right.” The reason typing
and other similar activities stimulate nail growth is because they help increase
blood flow in the matrix where matrix cells are formed, and this helps increase
growth.)
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