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SOURCE: MayoClinic.com

Your nails are composed of laminated layers of a protein called keratin, which is also found in your hair and skin.

Your nails grow from the area under your cuticle (matrix). As new cells grow, older cells become hard and compacted and are eventually pushed out toward your fingertips. Nails grow about 0.1 millimeter a day, which means that it takes a fingernail about four to six months to fully regenerate. Healthy nails are smooth, without ridges or grooves. They're uniform in color and consistency and free of spots or discoloration.

Your fingernails hold clues to your health. Learn to recognize the signs that might indicate a health issue. Some nail conditions are harmless. These include vertical ridges, which may become more pronounced as you age, and white lines or spots. Spots usually result from injury to the nail plate or nail bed. In time the white spots will grow out.

Other nail conditions can indicate disease. For example, yellow or green discoloration in your nails may result from a respiratory condition, such as chronic bronchitis, or from swelling of your hands (lymphedema). Indentations that run across your nails, called Beau's lines, appear when growth at the area under your cuticle is interrupted. This might occur because of an injury or severe illness, such as a heart attack.

If you have a nail problem that persists or is associated with other signs and symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor to get it checked out. The doctor's visit typically includes an examination of your nails along with other observations and tests to make a diagnosis.

If you rely on manicures to make your nails look good, keep a few things in mind. Don't have your cuticles removed — it can lead to nail infection. Also, check to be sure that your nail technician properly sterilizes all tools used during your manicure. Using unsterilized tools may transmit viral infections, such as hepatitis B or warts.

Weak or brittle fingernails can be a challenge to toughen up. The following tips can help you protect them, making your nails less likely to split or break.

Keep your nails short, square shaped and slightly rounded on top. Trim brittle nails after a bath or a 15-minute hand-soak in bath oil. Then apply a moisturizer.
Moisturize your nails and cuticles at bedtime and cover them with cotton gloves.
Apply a nail hardener, but avoid products containing toluene sulfonamide or formaldehyde. These chemicals can cause redness or irritate the skin.
Don't use nail polish remover more than twice a month. Instead, touch up the polish. When you do need a remover, avoid those that use acetone, which dries nails.
Repair splits or tears with nail glue or clear polish.

Dietary changes that supposedly strengthen nails don't work. Unless you're deficient in protein — rare among people in the United States — adding protein to your diet won't strengthen your nails. Similarly, soaking your nails in gelatin won't help either.

It's easy to neglect your nails. But a little basic nail care can go a long way to keeping your nails in healthy condition.

SOURCE: MayoClinic.com

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