There are some astonishing nail facts which you might be completely unaware of! You might find some of these facts very interesting and some facts weird, other facts are completely superstitious but most of the nail facts are scientific. Read on to find a comprehensive list of facts which will make compel you to wonder and say, “Really”? You might be familiar with some of these facts whereas some of the other facts can be very new and interesting to you.
Some interesting facts about the growth of nails
1. The rate by which the nail grows is approximately 1 cm for every 100 days, so with this rate you can get an estimate that for a finger nail to grow, it will take around 4 to 6 months easily. But on the other hand when we talk about the toe nails, the time duration for their re growth will be around 12 to 18 months. Hence finger nails are considered to grow at a faster rate as compared to the toe nails and this is something which has been proven scientifically.
The most interesting fact about the middle finger is that, its nail grows the fastest whereas the slowest growing nail is that of your thumb.
If I asked you whether the nails of both the hands grow at the same rate, what will be your answer? The answer is a no, since nails of different hands are considered to grow at different speeds, for example if you are right handed, then you will observe that the nails of your right hand will actually grow at a much faster rate as compared those of other hand and vice –versa.
Nails tend to grow at a faster rate in younger people as compared to old people. Also it is observed that the nails grow faster when a women is pregnant.
A very common myth among people is that the nails continue to grow even after death. However the truth is that once an individual dies, the body tends to shrink while the nails do not. Thus it gives an impression that the nails are still growing after the death.
The longest nail to be recorded was of 48 inches and was that of an Indian.
The growth of nails is also affected by the variation in temperatures to a great extent. For example, nails are considered to grow faster in summers and warmer conditions, generally during the day as compared to the growth rate in winters and cooler conditions where it is slow.
Your nails will grow at a faster rate during the day than at night.
Massaging your finger tips will stimulate the growth of your nails. A proof to substantiate this fact is the people who work for longer hours on keyboard experience faster growth of nails.
It is also observed that the nails of your longer fingers actually tend to grow at a fast pace as compared to those of shorter fingers.
It is generally seen that after an illness, the nail growth increases considerably.
The growth of the nails is also affected by hormonal imbalance and with the factor of aging.
Men tend to have a better growth rate of nails as compared to women. This doesn’t mean that by any chance females are inferior.
There are some everyday facts about nails, which you might have observed but never pondered over them. We state some interesting everyday facts about your nails-
We tend to believe that our nails sweat. But nails do not sweat and the reason is that they do not have any sweat glands. However there are occasions when you actually see sweat around the nails and this is because the skin around that area actually gets sweaty.
The thickness of the toe nails is actually two times more than that of the finger nails.
Nails are very strong as compared to the skin, as the skin is considered to be very sensitive in nature. But in spite of this fact, nails can actually dissolve in only four days, if you experiment by putting them in coke because coke is highly corrosive in nature.
Nail manicure is one activity which came into existence around 4000 years back, which means that our ancestors were familiar with it too!
Drinking water is very essential for a healthy body, this is indeed true. If your body is deprived of water then in such a situation, your nails might also dry, which is not a very healthy sign.
You might have also come across a very common superstition that people should not cut their nails after dark because it brings bad luck. There is no scientific theory to form its basis and a possible explanation of this theory is that you might end up injuring yourself if you do not cut your nails in sufficient light.
Some people have a habit of biting their nails, there is absolutely no medical cure to this problem. Rather the individuals who posses this habit should try hard to put a stop to this habit.
Some do’s and don’ts for healthy nails
Trim your nails regularly –Long nails can carry harmful bacteria, which can be very unhealthy and unhygienic for your body .Hence you should regularly cut and trim your nails and this habit of yours will help you to get rid from all kinds of dirt, germs and also all the harmful elements which accumulate beneath your nails.
Disinfect the nail tools after every use regularly- You should follow this practice without fail. You should clean the finger nail clippers and the other cuticle instruments very carefully, so that the bacteria is not transferred form person to person ,in case the same instrument is used by other people in a family.
File nails very carefully – You should file your nails very carefully and you should not have any ragged nails. You might end up scratching yourself or your loved ones. You must ensure that your nails should have a smooth edge so that your nails do not harm your body in any way.
Nails also clearly indicate your health and overall well being. We list a few signs which you cannot ignore as your nails can speck a lot about your health:
If your nails have a spoon shape with an upward curve, then it is a clear indication that you have iron deficiency and might be anemic, whereas on the other hand if the shape of your nails is round, then it is an indication that you might be suffering from a lung disorder.
Also if a person has downward curve nails, then your doctor might conclude that you are suffering either from heart, liver or some kind of respiratory disease.
If a person is found to have yellow nails or if any kind of elevation on the nail tips is observed, then it is a clear indication that the person is suffering from problems like lymphatic system disorders, diabetes, liver disorders etc.
If the individual is seen to have white nails with pink color at the tips, then it is a clear symptom of cirrhosis.
The white lines if seen across the nails of the person, then there is a fair possibility that the person is suffering from a liver disease.
If you feel that your nails easily chip, peel and crack, then you are basically suffering from nutritional deficiency and may be lacking the right amount of hydrochloric acid and proteins.
If a person develops bumps on the nail surface, then the person might be suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
Also if you observe a person who has half white nails with dark spots, generally seen at the tip of the nails, then it is quite evident that the person is suffering from a kidney disease.
If you have nails which are very wide and square shaped, then you might be suffering from a hormonal disorder.
Thick cuticles actually indicate that the person is suffering from the problem of poor digestion of proteins.
If you observe that your fingernails have white spots then you might be suffering from zinc deficiency.
Brittle nails are an indication of silicon, calcium and zinc deficiency. They also chances that you might be suffering from thyroid, kidney or circulation problems.
If your nails are found to be thick and dark at the same time, then there are chances that you might be suffering from some kind of fungal infection.
Deep blue color in the nails is an indication of lack of oxygen in the tissues as a result of emphysema and asthma.
Do not always confuse greenish nails to be indicative of fungal infection. It can be a case of bacterial infection.
Malnutrition, dieting and bad food habits can have worse affects on the nails.
Healthy nails are very essential for carrying out the daily routine jobs easily. Below we list a few great facts about nail care.
Applying nail polish regularly, which contains hardeners will actually make your nails stronger and also prevent the nails from splitting. Also applying gelatin will help to a great extent.
You should never try and remove your nail extensions yourself, because the nail extensions can damage your nails. You must consult a professional for doing this task for you.
Nails do not breathe as they are dead thus they do not get tired. Contrary to the nails, nail beds and the cuticles are made of live tissue and hence need oxygen, vitamins and minerals.
If you apply dark colored nail polish on your nails for a considerable time , then it might result in the discoloring of your nails.
If you have brittle and thin nails. The best way to make them grow thicker and stronger is by taking biotin supplements.
You must try and keep your nails moisturized because the nails can dry, when they are exposed to harsh chemicals or detergents. The nail polish remover is supposed to contain alcohol and so one should always make it a point to apply moisturizer after using the nail polish remover.
Finger nail infection is just like any other infection .This infection should be treated immediately, if left unattended for a longer duration, it might cause severe problems.
The finger nail infections will actually not go by themselves. Hence you should be proactive in getting the treatment done. If you ignore the infection for a longer duration, it might even infect the other parts of your body. The pain is too unbearable and as a matter of fact your daily routine might get disturbed, if you do not take care.
Nail infections basically tend to worsen in dark, warm and damp situations. Hence it is always suggested that you should try and keep your nails dry and warm and also avoid wearing shoes, so as to recover fast. If the nail infection remains untreated for a longer duration, the nails will basically become thick and completely deformed.
Never try and cut a thickened toe nail yourself, because firstly it is very difficult and secondly it might damage the skin around the nail which might actually take a long time to ultimately heal up completely.
People who suffer from the problem of diabetes can suffer from more severe fungal infections. If the problem of nail fungus goes worse, then in such a circumstance a podiatrist will actually recommend the removal of the entire nail and then only he will prescribe the other anti fungal medication.
Now that you are aware of the basic nail facts, you can take the best care to help them grow faster and keep yourself healthy.