Keratin is a tough protein that makes up the nail.
The cuticle or Eponychium is a fold of skin at the proximal end of the nail.
The paronychium is a fold of skin on the sides of the nail.
Hyponychium attaches the skin of the finger to the distal end of the nail.
A nail plate is the hard and translucent portion composed of keratin.
The nail bed is an adherent connective tissue that is underlying the nail, often referred to as the "quick".
The whitish area of the nail bed that is crescent shaped is called the lunula.
The nail fold is a fold of hard skin overlapping the base and sides of the fingernail, and free edge is the part of the nail that extends past the finger and the nail plate, this is the growing part under the skin that contains no nerve endings.
A common usage of the word nail refers to the nail plate.
About 3mm of nails grow per month.
And fingernails are required 3~6 months to regrow completely, but the actual growth rate is dependent upon age, gender, season, exercise level, diet and your genes.
