6 Things You Should Be Doing for Healthier Nails

Your nails are the hard, protective covering over the soft tips of the fingers and toes. Fingernails and toenails are a type of skin appendage, meaning they are made with skin cells. The nails act like a tool to help you scratch and improve your sense of touch. There are three main parts that make up your nail anatomy: the nail plate, the underlying nail bed, and the skin around the nail. In some cases, health conditions can affect the structure and health of your nails, increasing your risk of infection and abnormal nails. The nails are slightly curved and about 1 millimeter thick—not even thickness of a credit card. The length and width of your nails will depend on the size of your fingers or toes and how long you let your nails grow. Nails constantly grow, but aging and poor circulation can slow nail growth. Fingernails grow about 3 millimeters every month. Toenails grow slightly slower. If you damage or lose a fingernail, the nail can take four to six months to grow back. Toenails...