Author: Julia, Middle School student writer

Guess what? Did you know that what your nails are made of also makes up your hair? Your nails are made of something called keratin.

• Cuticles
• Lunulas
• Clipping Nails
• Biting Nails
• Fake Nails

Cuticles

• Each one of your fingers and toenails has a cuticle.
  
• You will find your cuticles where your skin stops and your nails start.
  
• When your nails grow, the cuticles shield the new cells that make up your new nails.

Back to top

Lunulas

• You also have a lunula on every one of your nails.
  
• These are the white parts at the bottom of your nails.
  
• They look like a piece of a moon.

Back to top

Clipping Nails

• Your fingernails grow much faster than your toenails, so make sure to clip them every week.
  
• When you do clip your toenails, clip straight across. This helps keep your nails from growing into your skin.
  
• Never clip your nails too short!

Back to top

Biting Nails

• Nails do important things for you, such as:
  
  • Helping you pick up tiny things
    
  • Protecting your fingers (for example, if something hits your nail, it hurts much less than having it hit the tips of your fingers)
  
  
• If you bite your nails, you could also get an infection in your nails and the skin that surrounds them.
  
• When you put your fingers in your mouth, you also put dirt in your mouth. Everything you touched that day is now inside your body!

How to stop biting your nails

If the reasons above don't convince you to stop biting your nails, here are a few other suggestions:

• There are special nail polishes that taste so bad, most people would think twice about putting their fingers in their mouth while wearing them.
  
• You can paint your nails a pretty color, so you won't want to bite off the polish and ruin your manicure.

Back to top

Fake Nails

• Fake nails are put on with nail glue. The nail is applied on top of the glue.
  
  
• If you decide to use fake nails, make sure you do them when you have time to let the glue dry.
  
  
• If you need to type or if you play piano, do not use fake nails, or at least not long ones, which can get in the way of your fingers.

Nails are important to your appearance and to your health. Take care of them, and you will have healthy, beautiful nails.

---

References

Rutherford, Kim. "What's Wrong With Biting My Nails?" Kids Health. Accessed July 2004.
Back to top