In the Classroom: Nails (Part Three)

Credit to aafp.org

Hello, my lovelies! It has been a long, hard week, and I'm so glad it's finally Saturday so I can rest, relax, and do what I love most; blog! I had been debating in my head what topic to cover for the last part of the In the Classroom: Nails feature. Then I realized I'd been leaving out an important member of the nail family! In the last two parts, Part 1 and Part 2, I focused on the fingernails. But what about toenails? They're important to, and I bet you don't know as much as you should!

You'll be happy to know the anatomy of the toenail is exactly the same as the fingernail, it's just shaped like, well–a toe. And did you know, the toenail is twice as thick as a fingernail? And don't worry about the lunula by the way, not all nails have an easy to see lunula. I sure don't, neither on my fingernails nor my toenails!

Caring for your toenails is the same as well. The same concepts apply; clip the free edges of your toenails regularly, moisturize the nail and cuticles, do NOT cut your cuticles, push cuticles back after a shower while they're soft, etc. Did you know gorilla mothers cut their babies' toenails with their teeth? Luckily, we have nail clippers for that job. =)

I'm sure you're wondering now, if all the information is the same, why is it important? Toenails are often forgotten, especially in the fall/winter seasons. They're covered with socks and stylish shoes; no one's going to see them, so who cares, right? WRONG. Toenails are still an important part of the body that, you guessed it, protects the body from infection and disease. Don't forget about them! Plus, they're so easy to paint because you don't have to worry about the whole "left-handed, right-handed" thing.

Stay beautiful!