Are your Nails Healthy?
You can usually tell by simply looking at them. Healthy nails are smooth and free of spots and unusual shapes and colour. Signs of nail problems and diseases, on the other hand, can include pitting, ridges, streaks, yellowing and other forms of discolouration.
Nails are made of keratin, a hardened protein that is also in hair and skin. Their role is to protect the delicate tissues at the ends of fingers and toes. Nails grow from the base toward the tips of fingers, so the tips are the oldest part of your nails. The appearance of your nails depends on a number of things including nutrition, health, as well as contact with various substances (e.g. soap, chemicals).
Healthy nails can be a sign of overall good health, whereas nail troubles can betray a systemic disease or infection, such as diabetes, anemia and thyroid disease. Nail problems can also result from various medications used to treat diseases, such as antibiotics and chemotherapy.
Did you Know That Nails
Grow at a rate of 2.5 mm on fingers and 1 mm per month on toes?
Grow faster in summer than winter?
Take 6 months for fingernails and a year for toenails to grow back if you lose one?
Absorb more water than skin?
Will not grow any faster if you eat or apply gelatin?
