What does it mean if you can see your lunula?

What does it mean if you can see your lunula?

Sometimes, you may only be able to see lunula on your thumbs, or possibly not on any fingers at all. In these cases, the lunula is most likely hidden under your skin. Though the connection is not completely understood, an absent lunula can indicate anemia, malnutrition, and depression.

What is the light part of the nail?

The lunula is the white crescent-shaped area at the base of a nail. The lunula, or lunulae (pl.) (from Latin ‘little moon’), is the crescent-shaped whitish area of the bed of a fingernail or toenail.

Why is the white part of my nail see through?

Most people can see the lunula on their thumbnails. As soon as those keratin cells pass the lunula area, they die. They dry out, loose their opacity—becoming translucent, and flatten becoming the 50’ish layers of keratin cells that make up our “fingernails.”

What does healthy nails look like?

Healthy fingernails are smooth, without pits or grooves. They’re uniform in color and consistency and free of spots or discoloration. Sometimes fingernails develop harmless vertical ridges that run from the cuticle to the tip of the nail. Vertical ridges tend to become more prominent with age.

Why is my lunula getting bigger?

The size of the lunula An excessively large lunula may be an indication of problems with your cardiovascular system, heartbeat and low blood pressure. A large lunula is common in athletes but if it’s present in a person who doesn’t exercise, it could be an indication of stress.

What is a lunula nail?

The lunula is the visible portion of the distal nail matrix that extends beyond the proximal nailfold. It is white, half-moon-shaped, appears by week 14 of gestation, has unique histologic features. The lunula has a primary structural role in defining the free edge of the distal nail plate.

What does a healthy nail look like?

Are white nails healthy?

Random white spots that appear on the nails are generally harmless and caused by an injury, such as striking the fingertip or repeated trauma to the nails from frequent manicures. Other potential causes include zinc deficiency, calcium deficiency, fungal infections or allergic reactions.

What color should your nails be?

Healthy fingernails and toenails should generally be a pink color – with the healthy nail plate being pink, and the nail being white in color as it grows off the nail bed. Fingernail color and condition changes are rarely the first clue of serious illness.

What are the different parts of a fingernail?

NAIL ANATOMY – Different Parts of Fingernail 1 Nail Anatomy – The Different Parts of the Fingernail. 2 Matrix. Where new nail plate cells are created and the nail plate begins to form. 3 Lunula. A bluish-white, opaque area that is visible through the nail plate. 4 Eponychium. Living skin at the base of the nail plate that covers the matrix area.

Where is the lunula located on a nail?

If you look at a nail, you will see a light half-moon-shaped area shimmering through the nail plate at the base of the nail. This is the visible part of the matrix. It is called the lunula (Latin for “small moon”) because of its shape.

Which is part of the nail supports the nail plate?

The nail folds surround and supports the nail plate on all 3 sides. It is the junction of the skin and nail plate and may sometimes be slightly darker in color thereby forming a clearly demarcated margin from the surrounding skin. The proximal fold lies over the nail root and matrix.

How is the shape of your fingernail determined?

The flat or curved shape of your nails is determined by the shape of your fingertip bone. Knowing your nail anatomy is important for the home manicurist and can actually help you find an excellent nail professional if you’re wanting to be pampered. Ask her how she removes the cuticle.