So, after a recent sword hit to my thumb, my finger broke (I was wearing gloves, it is fine) and there was a new finger nail growing beneath it. It is going well and my old nail is almost falling off, just holding onto the skin with the last bit. Last week when I bended the nail too far it put stress on my skin and hurt, this week I was able to simply take it off without any harm after showering.
So my question is: how does it stick to the skin? Is it glued? Does it work with vacuum/low pressure? Simply friction?
(NSFW because of the description of my nail/finger)
In: Biology
Your nail starts growing from a part at the base of your nail called the “root.” This is like the starting point of your nail. As your nail grows, it slides over layers of skin. The top layer of skin under your nail (called the nail bed) has tiny ridges and grooves that match up with your nail. Your nail fits snugly into these ridges and grooves, kind of like how puzzle pieces fit together. This tight fit helps keep your nail in place. There are also special cells that help connect your nail to the skin underneath. They work a bit like tiny hooks or anchors.
When you hurt your finger and a new nail started growing, the old nail began to separate from these connections. That’s why it started to come loose. After a shower, your skin and nail get softer, which made it easier to remove the old nail without hurting. So, it’s not exactly glue, vacuum, or just friction – it’s a combination of your nail growing from your skin, fitting tightly with the skin underneath, and being held in place by special cells.
The area underneath your nails is called the nail bed. As your nail grows, it will fuse to the nail bed to make it more durable. The nail and the bed beneath it literally grow together.
As you’ve learned, though, they’re only lightly attached, and can un-fuse if needed (for example, if the nail is damaged). It hurts because you’re tearing tiny bits of skin when you pull the nail away from it.
The reason why it fuses is surprisingly obvious – if you use your fingernails to scratch yourself with firm pressure, it’s immediately obvious why the nail fuses to the nail bed – otherwise you wouldn’t be able to exert any pressure with the nail at all without it lifting up!
The same way your skin sticks to your body?
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