A nail is a horn like envelope that not only protects the tip of your fingers and toes from injuries, but also helps doctors get clues about your health condition. The nails, are made of a material called keratin. Keratin is the same protein that makes up hair and outer layer of the skin.

But how do the nails grow?

Nails start growing behind your U shaped cuticle in the root area of the nail called the matrix. The matrix is loaded with specialized cells that keep dividing and creating nail cells. These nail cells grow and produce the protein called keratin. Then, these proteins filled with new cells force the old ones to get packed together and pushed up through the skin as the new cells continue to form behind them.

Eventually, once they come out, they lose the ability to multiply and die…and form the visible part of your nail known as the nail plate that lies on the nail bed, the part underneath your nails. The small whitish half-moon shape that you sometimes see at the bottom of your nails is called the linoola. It gets its name from the Latin word for moon, Luna.

It is necessary to trim your nails on a regular basis because, when you dip your hand in dirt or mud or scratch your skin, little dust and dirt particles get under the nail and skin. This dirt may mix with your food if you fail to clean your hands thoroughly and cause diseases.