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In Anatomy , a nail is a Horn -like piece at the end of a human's or an animal's Finger or Toe . See also Claw . PARTS OF THE NAIL Fingernails and '''toenails''', which are made of a tough Protein called Keratin and are a form of modified Hair , are made up of many different parts:
GROWTH Nails grow at an average rate of 0.01 centimeters a day (1 cm every 100 days). Fingernails require 4 to 6 months to regrow completely. Toenails require 12 to 18 months. Actual growth rate is dependent upon age, season, exercise level, and hereditary factors. This growth record can show the history of recent health and physiological imbalances, and has been used as a diagnostic tool since ancient times. Major illness will cause a Deep Horizontal Groove to form in the nails. Miscoloration, thinning, thickening, brittleness, splitting, grooves, Mees' Lines , Small White Spots , receded lunula, Clubbing (convex), flatness, spooning (concave) can indicate illness in other areas of the body, nutrient deficiencies, drug reaction or Poisoning , or merely local injury. Nails can also become thickened ( Onychogryphosis ), loosened ( Onycholysis ), infected with fungus ( Onychomycosis ) or degenerative ( Onychodystrophy ); for further information see Nail Disease s. HEALTH AND CARE Nails can dry out, just like s, specific types of aggressive exercise, tight Footwear and walking unprotected in an unclean environment. Manicure s and Pedicure s are health and cosmetic procedures to groom, trim, and paint the nails and manage callouses. They require various tools such as cuticle scissors, nail scissors, Nail Clipper s, and Nail File s. However, nail salons use tools that potentially infect people. Regarding nail tools such as files, "If they're used on different people, these tools may spread nail fungi, staph bacteria or viruses", warns Rick Lopes, a spokesperson for the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology. In fact, over 100 bacterial skin infections in 2000 were traced to footbaths in nail salons. To avoid this, new improved contactless tools can be used, for example, cuticle removers in gels and creams instead of cuticle scissors. BITING See Also: Nail biting Nail biting often indicates internal tension, Stress , Boredom , Hunger , or it may simply be a habit. Biting the nails can result in the transportation of germs that are buried under the surface of the nail into the mouth. Biting may also result in excessive or abnormal wear of Tooth Enamel . CULTURE Cixi displays long fingernails which reflect her high position in Qing China .]] In western culture, long nails are a symbol of femininity, while short nails are a symbol of masculinity. Nail decoration is usually limited to females. In some Asia n cultures men may also grow long fingernails, or only the nail on the Little Finger , to show that they do not do much manual labor, but instead work in an office setting. In the 19th century in the Balkans , White-collar workers, such as clerks, grew their fingernails long to distinguish them from people in lower classes who worked with their hands.''A History of Western Society.'' John McKay. Some Guitar players, notably Classical and Fingerstyle players, will purposely grow long nails on the hand they use to pluck the strings. Their longer nails serve as small, easily-maneuverable guitar picks (use of acrylic or "gel" nail enhancements is also growing in popularity, because the natural nail sometimes wears off faster by playing than it can grow back). For some serious musicians, daily nail care can become a mark of pride and dedication. In comparison, Pianists must keep their nails trimmed short to avoid clicking noises on the keys, and most String players, such as Violin ists and Guitar ists, must keep at least the nails on their fretting hand short to allow the strings to be fingered correctly. FASHION See Also: Manicure Someone whose occupation is to cut any type of nail, apply artificial nails and care for nails is called a Nailist . The place where a nailist works is called a nail salon or nail shop (also "nailshop"). Painting the nails with Nail Polish (also known as nail lacquer) is a common practice dating back to at least 3000 B.C. Fake nails are sometimes used to put designs on nails such as stars or sparkles. They are also used to make nails look longer. MEDICAL TEST Health care and pre-hospital care providers (paramedics) often use the fingernail beds as a cursory indicator of distal tissue perfusion of individuals who may be in Shock . However, this test is now accepted as reliable in young children only. Procedure: Gently depress and release the fingernail bed with your finger. This act will briefly turn your nailbed white and normally return to a pink colour within 1-2 seconds. Delayed return to pink colour could be an indicator of certain shock states such as Hypovolemia . SEE ALSO REFERENCES |
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