Healthy Toenails

Normal healthy nails appear clear where they are not adhered to the skin and pink where they are attached to the skin. The surface of the nail plate is smooth and thin (about one mm) with only a mild curvature at the sides. Nails are composed of a substance called keratin, similar to that in skin and hair, only harder because of less water content within the nail. They are a hard, resilient structure whose main function is to protect the blood vessels, nerves and bones underneath [1].

Toenails grow from an area, called the matrix, which lies underneath the cuticle. Any disturbance to this matrix may cause nails to grow abnormally; rather than being smooth and flat, they may project upward, grow with lines, grooves, pits, discoloration, or thickening [2]. Because the toenails grow slowly, about 0.05-mm/day, growing a new toenail can take 3 to 9 months [1].