Natural Nail Shapes
A shape of natural nail that grows backward, rounded outward
What is a concave nail?
Depressions running across the width of the nail plate due to a slowing production of matrix cells, which causes the nail plate to grow thinner.
What are Beau's lines?
What is onycholysis?
Bacterial inflammation of tissues surrounding nail plate. Causes pus, redness, swilling. Often seen in dry or chapped hands.
A nail shape that grows with a downward and typical arched shape.
What is a convex nail shape?
This noticeably thin, white nail plate is more flexible than normal, usually caused by improper diet, inherited genes, internal disease, medication, or overfiling.
Abnormal split or brittle nails appearing as surface roughness, and caused by genes, injury or excessive chemical exposure.
The technical term for ingrown nails, wherein the nail grows into the sides of the tissue around the nail.
What is onychocryptosis?
Rapidly growing and contagious bacteria that can cause infection. Seen as yellow-green spots that become darker in advanced stage.
What is pseudomonas aeruginosa?
A shape in which the nail grows wider at the free edge and narrower toward the matrix.
What is an angular nail shape?
Whitish spots of discoloration of the nails, usually caused by minor injury to the matrix. This disorder does not indicate disease and grows out as nail grows.
What is leukonychia?
A condition in which the nail curves abnormally and can cause pain. Also known as a trumpet nail.
The separation and falling off of the nail plate. Different from onycholysis, ths causes the nail to fall off and is caused by injury to matrix, systemic illness, or a medical procedure like chemotherapy.
What is onychomadesis?
Severe inflammation in which a lump of red tissue grows up from the nail bed to nail plate.
What is pyogenic granuloma?
A shape of the natural nail in which the free edge rounds more than normal, creating an overly defined C-curve.
What is a tubular nail shape?
Significant darkening of the fingernails or toenails caused by increased pigment cells. Visible as a black band, but could also affect entire nail plate.
What is melanonychia?
A type of pincer nail in which the nail folds over, possibly leading to ingrown nails.
What is a plicatured nail?
A condition in which the nail is infected with fungus. Causes white patches that can be scraped off the surface of the nail or as long whitish-yellowish streaks within the nail plate. Can cause the free edge to crumble. Typically begins at free edge and spreads toward the matrix.
What is onychomycosis?
A fungal infection of the feet which affects all over or in between toes. Also known as athlete's foot.
What is tinea pedis?
A nail shape in which the free edge of the nail and the base near the matrix are the same width, creating the shape from which the name is inspired.
What is a square nail?
Abnormal stretching of the eponychium or hyponichium around the nail plate.
What is nail pterygium?
Lengthwise grooves in the nail plate, typically seen with aging. Not caused by chemicals or damage.
Inflammation and/or shedding of the nail plate caused by inflection or injury.
What is onychosis?
What is onychia?
A condition in which a service should not be provided by a manicurist. These require medical referral.
What is a nail disease or nail infection?