What is the other term for nail bed?
Collectively, the nail bed (sterile matrix), nail fold, eponychium, paronychium, and hyponychium are referred to as the perionychium.
What should a nail bed look like?
Healthy fingernails are smooth, without pits or grooves. They're uniform in color and consistency and free of spots or discoloration. Sometimes fingernails develop harmless vertical ridges that run from the cuticle to the tip of the nail. Vertical ridges tend to become more prominent with age.
How do you describe the parts of a nail?
A fingernail consists of several parts including the nail plate (the visible part of the nail), the nail bed (the skin beneath the nail plate), the cuticle (the tissue that overlaps the plate and rims the base of the nail), the nail folds (the skin folds that frame and support the nail on three sides), the lunula (the ...
What is the nail bed made up of?
The part that we call the nail is technically known as the “nail plate.” The nail plate is mostly made of a hard substance called keratin. It is about half a millimeter thick and slightly curved.
Are nail beds supposed to be flat?
The nail bed should be smooth and without indentations, pock marks or fingernail ridges. If your nails have: Dents, you should not usually be concerned, as they simply indicate a nail injury that is growing out.
What color should nail beds be?
Healthy fingernails and toenails should generally be pink - with the healthy nail plate being pink and the nail being white as it grows off the nail bed. Fingernail color and condition changes are rarely the first clues of serious illness.
What is the observable characteristics of nail?
The nail plate is the visible part of the nail from lunula to free edge. It is composed of compressed skeleton cells produced in the matrix and contains no blood or nerves. Normally pale pink in colour, it may become white or bluish depending on temperature and other physical conditions.
What is the base of the fingernail called?
lunulaThe half-moon shape at the base of your fingernail is known as a lunula. Lunulae cover the bottom of your nail, just above your cuticle. Lunulae are part of your nail matrix. The matrix refers to the tissue just beneath your nail.
Where is your nail bed located?
The nail bed is the skin underneath the nail plate. It contains blood vessels that supply nutrients to the fingertip. Sometimes, people confuse the nail bed with the nail plate, as in, “Oh, you have such pretty nail beds,” but the compliment is likely meant for the nail plate, rather than the skin it rests on.
Is nail a bone or skin?
Nails are made of dead keratin, which is a hard protein. Keratin isn't technically skin, although it's found in the skin (as well as the hair).
What is the skin around your nails called?
The cuticle is a layer of clear skin located along the bottom edge of your finger or toe. This area is known as the nail bed. The cuticle function is to protect new nails from bacteria when they grow out from the nail root. The area around the cuticle is delicate. It can get dry, damaged, and infected.
Are fingernails alive?
Your visible nails are dead As new cells grow, they push old ones through your skin. The part you can see consists of dead cells. That's why it doesn't hurt to cut your nails.
How do you know if your nails are unhealthy?
See your doctor if you have any of these symptoms:discoloration (dark streaks, white streaks, or changes in nail color)changes in nail shape (curling or clubbing)changes in nail thickness (thickening or thinning)nails that become brittle.nails that are pitted.bleeding around nails.swelling or redness around nails.More items...
What do nails look like with anemia?
Spoon nails (koilonychia) are soft nails that look scooped out. The depression usually is large enough to hold a drop of liquid. Often, spoon nails are a sign of iron deficiency anemia or a liver condition known as hemochromatosis, in which your body absorbs too much iron from the food you eat.
Can your fingernails show signs of illness?
Ripples on nails or pitted nails may be caused by a skin disorder, psoriasis, eczema, or arthritis. Nail clubbing is when a nail curves under at the tip of the finger. It could indicate heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, lung disease, liver disease, thyroid disease, or HIV/AIDS.
What does it mean when you have no lunula?
Though the connection is not completely understood, an absent lunula can indicate anemia, malnutrition, and depression. Make an appointment with your doctor if you're experiencing any of the following symptoms along with an absence of lunula: lightheadedness or dizziness. unusual cravings, such as dirt or clay.
What is the site of hangnails, ingrown nails, and paronychia?
The paronychium is the site of hangnails, ingrown nails, and paronychia, a skin infection. Hyponychium: The hyponychium is the area between the free edge of the nail plate and the skin of the fingertip. It also provides a waterproof barrier.
What is the cuticle of the finger?
The cuticle is situated between the skin of the finger and the nail plate. It fuses these structures together and provides a waterproof barrier. Perionychium: The paronychium is the skin that overlaps onto the sides of the nail plate, also known as the paronychial edge.
What happens if your nail doesn't grow?
When the nail grows properly, the nail bed is smooth, but if the nail doesn't grow correctly, the nail may split or develop ridges that aren't cosmetically attractive. Nail plate: The nail plate is the actual fingernail, and it's made of translucent keratin.
How fast do fingernails grow?
Fingernails grow faster than toenails, at a rate of 3 millimeters per month. It takes six months for a fingernail to grow from the root to the free edge. Toenails grow much more slowly, at just 1 millimeter per month.
Why do nails look pink?
The pinkish appearance of the nail comes from the blood vessels that are underneath it . The underside of the nail plate has grooves that run along the length of the nail and help anchor it to the nail bed. Eponychium: The eponychium is more commonly known as the cuticle.
What are the parts of the nail?
The nail structure is divided into six parts: root, nail bed, nail plate, eponychium, paronychium, and hyponychium. Each of these six components has a specific function, and if a component of the nail structure is disrupted, the nail can look abnormal. Nail root: The root of the nail is also known as the germinal matrix.
What is the function of the nail?
They enhance the sensation. The fingers and toes contain nerve endings that allow the body to process the volumes of information that it receives every time something is touched—and the nail acts as a counterforce, providing even more sensory input after a person touches something.
What is a nail bed?
: the vascular epidermis upon which most of the fingernail or toenail rests that has a longitudinally ridged surface often visible through the nail.
Can a nail bleed from a nail plate?
Recent Examples on the Web Most fingernail injuries affect the nail plate (the hard part of the nail that grows out), which can crack and potentially fall off, and the nail bed (the skin underneath the nail plate), which can bleed and bruise. — Jessica Cruel, SELF, 23 Sep. 2020 The secret to strong natural nails: a hydrated nail bed. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, 28 May 2020
What is a nail bed avulsion?
A nail bed avulsion is when your nail and part of your nail bed are pulled away from the rest of your finger. It commonly happens to your ring finger and is caused by your finger getting stuck or jammed in something. Nail bed avulsions are very painful and cause your finger to swell. Finger fractures are also common with this type of injury.
What happens when your finger is crushed?
When your fingertip or your nail bed is pinched, crushed, or cut, it causes a nail bed injury. Crushing can happen when your finger gets caught between two objects or in a doorway. Heavy objects falling on your finger can also cause injuries to the nail bed, as can being hit by a hammer. Cuts to your fingertip, nail bed, ...
What happens if you get a nail bed injury?
Nail bed injuries can cause: 1 blood to pool under your nail 2 your nail to crack into pieces 3 your nail to be torn off
Why does my nail bed bleed?
It’s usually caused by a saw or knife but can also be caused by a crushing injury. If you have a nail bed laceration, it’s likely to bleed. You’ll be able to see the cut through your nail. As it heals, you might have a large bruise.
How long does it take to get a splint for a nail bed avulsion?
This injury requires removing your nail. If you also have a finger fracture, it will need to be splinted. You might need a splint for up to three weeks, depending on the seriousness of the injury.
What causes blood to pool under your nail?
Types of nail bed injuries. Nail bed injuries can cause: blood to pool under your nail. your nail to crack into pieces. your nail to be torn off. There are many types of nail bed injuries, including:
Why do my nails split?
A split nail happens because your nail can’t grow over scar tissue. It’s treated by removing the nail that’s already grown and treating or removing the scar so new nail can grow properly. If all or part of your nail is removed, it will grow back.
What is the purpose of stitches in a nail?
A doctor uses stitches to repair any laceration to the nail bed and reattaches the nail, if possible, to provide protection and support while the new nail grows. Doctors treat avulsions in a similar way, but the nail is sometimes too badly damaged to be reused.
What is the term for the nail bed pulling away from the rest of the nail bed?
Avulsions. A nail bed avulsion involves the nail and part of the nail bed pulling away from the rest of nail bed, either partly or entirely. This typically results from the nail being crushed or sustaining a high impact injury. Avulsions can cause significant pain.
What does a subungual hematoma look like?
A subungual hematoma looks like a bruise. It forms when small blood vessels under the nail bed leak, and blood pools between the nail and the nail bed. This leakage usually occurs when the tips of the fingers or toes have been crushed or subjected to a heavy impact.
How to treat subungual hematoma?
A doctor may treat a more severe subungual hematoma by making a small hole in the nail and draining the pooling blood. This is known as trephination. However, a doctor will not use this method if the nail is damaged.
How long does it take for a nail bed to heal?
Depending on the severity of the injury, it may take 6–9 months to fully recover.
How to treat a nail bed injury?
A person can often treat a minor nail bed injury at home by: removing all jewelry. washing the injured area gently with fragrance-free soap. bandaging the injury gently, if there is an open wound. applying an ice pack for about 20 minutes at a time. elevating the injured hand or foot.
What is the nail bed?
The nail bed is the skin underneath the nail. Injuries to this area are common, and they often occur when a heavy object crushes or hits the fingers or toes or when a person sustains a cut from a sharp object.
How to get your cuticles back?
Before pushing back your cuticles, soak your nails in warm water to soften your cuticles. Add a few drops of essential oil or cuticle oil to the water. Soak your nails for about five minutes, dry with a clean cloth, and then use a cuticle stick to gently push back your cuticles.
Why aren't nail beds one size fits all?
Some people have shorter nail beds while others have longer ones. Some people are unhappy with their shorter nail beds because they feel it makes their nails look too short.
Why is my nail plate shorter?
Fungal infections. Your nail bed can also appear shorter if you develop a nail fungal infection. This also causes your nail plate to separate from the nail bed.
Why do my nails have a longer white section?
Biting your fingernails or cutting your fingernails too short can give the appearance of a shorter nail bed. This is due to little or no whiteness at the tip. Fungal infections.
What determines the size of a nail bed?
Genetics mostly determines the size and shape of nail beds. So, if your mother or father has a short nail bed, you might have a short nail bed, too. Although genetics is the biggest determining factor in the shape and length of your nail bed, other factors may affect the size of this area. Some of these factors can make your nail beds appear ...
What is the most visible part of the nail?
The nail plate is the most visible part of your nail. The nail bed supports the hard part of your nail as it grows. It includes the hyponychium and the onychodermal. These are layers of tissue that prevent pathogens from infecting the skin underneath your nail plate. Nails also consists of the nail matrix.
How fast do nails grow?
Nails grow at a slow pace. Typically, they grow about 2.5 millimeters a month.
What is the diagnosis of discoloured nail bed?
Distinguish a discoloured nail bed from a discoloured nail plate. The most important diagnosis to exclude is subungual melanoma, which presents as a pigmented linear band in the nail plate, which slowly expands at the proximal border and may extend to involve the proximal or lateral nail fold or eponychium.
What causes a linear depression in the nail plate?
Common skin lesions may arise on the skin close to nails. Benign lesions such as myxoid cyst in the nail matrix area can affect nail growth thus causing a linear depression in the nail plate. Malignant tumours such as squamous cell carcinoma or melanoma can destroy the nail plate.
What is the cuticle of a nail?
The cuticle (eponychium) is an area of keratin joining the skin of the posterior nail fold to the nail plate. Loss of cuticle results in paronychia: an acute or chronic inflammatory reaction involving nail fold (swelling, tenderness, sometimes pus ).
What is the name of the condition that causes irregular pitting, ridging, and paronychia?
Eczema is associated with irregular pitting, ridging and paronychia.
Why is proper use of language important?
Proper use of language is necessary for diagnosis and to communicate with other health professionals. Nails are a specialised form of stratum corneum and are made predominantly of keratin. Their primary functions are for protection, scratching, and picking up small objects.
Is onychomycosis a fungal disease?
If the patient presents with a nail problem, it is important to ask about skin disease elsewhere and examine them generally. Fungal nail disease (onychomycosis) is nearly always associated with fungal skin disease (check feet, hands, groin).
What causes redness and swelling around the edges of a nail bed?
Paronychia is an infection that causes redness and swelling around the edges of a nail bed.
What is it called when your toes separate from your nail bed?
Onycholysis is when the toe or fingernail painlessly separates from the nail bed. It typically occurs slowly over time and could result from an underlying health condition or injury.
Why do my toes break?
Nail fungal infections are a common condition that causes the nails to become thick, discolored, and easier to break. Nail fungus is more common in the toes than fingers.
Why do my nails dent?
Nail psoriasis can cause nail denting or crumbling.
What causes a big toe to grow longer?
Onychogryphosis is a condition where the nail becomes overgrown and thick, often affecting the big toe. It can cause one portion of the nail to grow longer than the other part.
What are the symptoms of onycholysis?
Symptoms. The main symptom of onycholysis is the separation of the nail from the nail bed. This can result in discoloration of the nail, turning it green, yellow, or opaque. It can also cause additional skin tissue under the nail, nail pitting, nail thickening, or bending of the nail edges.
What does it mean when your nail grows thick?
Symptoms. When a person has onychogryphosis, the nail grows very thick. In other cases, a portion of the nail may grow larger than the other part. The growth can resemble a ram’s horn, so people often refer to it as Ram’s horn nails.
How to repair a nail bed?
Exposed nail bed lacerations of the matrix, caused by blunt trauma, are repaired by careful reapposition of the wound edges and suturing with 5-0 or 6-0 absorbable suture material. If intact, an avulsed or removed nail can be replaced, for temporary splinting purposes, under the eponychium (Fig. 13-21 ). The main reason for using the nail as a splint is to prevent adhesions and granulation tissue buildup between the eponychium and the germinal matrix of the bed. The nail also serves to splint any accompanying fracture and to mold the healing wound site. To maintain the nail in place, two 5-0 nonabsorbable sutures can be placed through trephined holes (see Fig. 13-21 ). If the nail cannot be used, a small piece of nonadherent dressing, such as Adaptic or a Penrose drain, can be tucked under the eponychium ( Fig. 13-22 ). The nail or packing is usually left in place for 7 to 10 days.
How to fix a laceration in the nail bed?
Administer a digital block using lidocaine or bupivacaine without epinephrine. Area should be prepared with Betadine and covered with sterile gauze. Tourniquet may be required to decrease bleeding to ensure a clear view of the area. Elevate the nail by placing scissors underneath it until you reach the nail fold. When the nail is separated from the nail bed, remove it completely with hemostat. Nail bed lacerations are repaired with 6-0 absorbable sutures.
Why do you use a nail as a splint?
The main reason for using the nail as a splint is to prevent adhesions and granulation tissue buildup between the eponychium and the germinal matrix of the bed.
What is a subungual hematoma?
Nail bed injuries/subungual hematoma#N#Nail bed injuries are usually associated with crushing injuries of the distal phalangeal region of the digit. They can also be caused by a sharp laceration. If a subungual hematoma covers more than 50% of the nail bed, research has shown that there is a 60% incidence of nail bed laceration, and many suggest that the nail plate be removed to allow for repair of the often significant nail bed injury.124 Other studies have shown that trephination may be as effective at relieving the discomfort and providing long-term acceptable comesis, without an increase in complications. 125
Why does onycholysis occur in nail beds?
Onycholysis occurs because the nail bed epithelium has limited regenerative capacity. Small defects usually heal without sequelae, but defects larger than 4 mm in the nail bed or significant damage to the hyponychium are particularly at risk for onycholysis.
What is the best treatment for nail bed injuries?
Nail bed injuries are among the most frequent hand injuries and often occur in conjunction with distal phalangeal fractures.62,114–116 Initial treatment generally consists of protecting the fingertip with a DIP extension immobilization splint, type 0 (1) ( Fig. 15-28, A ). Once the nail bed wound is healed, a dorsally applied nonarticular distal phalanx splint may be applied at night to apply gentle pressure to aid in the flattening/remodeling nail bed scar tissue to minimize deformities of the fingernail as it regrows ( Fig. 15-28, B ). Periodic splint adjustments are necessary to accommodate changes in the developing nail. 17
What causes pain in the nail bed?
Nail bed injuries cause bleeding from ves sels in the nail bed, which results in hematoma formation and increase in pressure underneath it, which causes pain.
