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  Folds of normal skin that surround nail plate  Form nail groves  Nail 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 –  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