The Anatomy of the Nail
The hardened keratin plate that sits on and covers the nail bed.
What is the Nail Plate?
This is the highest point on the top of the head.
What is the Apex?
A section of hair that determines the length the hair will be cut.
What is a Guideline?
The whitish, half-moon shape at the base of the nail, which is the visible part of the matrix.
What is a Lunula?
The technical term for the nail itself.
What is the Onyx?
The area where the nail plate cells are formed; this determines the thickness and width of the nail.
What is the Matrix?
The angle or degree at which a subsection of hair is held from the head when cutting.
What is Elevation?
This guideline moves as the haircut progresses and is used often in layered haircuts.
What is a Traveling guide?
This part of the nail unit supports the nail plate as it grows toward the free edge; it is richly supplied with blood vessels.
What is a Nail Bed
The visual line in a haircut where the ends of the hair hang together.
What is the weight line?
The slightly thickened layer of skin that lies between the fingertip and the free edge of the nail plate.
What is the Hyponychium?
This widest area of the head starts at the temples and ends at the bottom of the crown.
What is the Parietal Ridge?
A technique performed on the ends of the hair using the tips of the shears to create a feathered effect.
What is Point cutting?
The fold of skin that overlaps the side of the nail.
What is the Sidewall (or Lateral Nail Fold)?
The part of the nail plate that extends over the tip of the finger or toe.
What is the free edge?
The dead, colorless tissue attached to the natural nail plate; it is incredibly sticky and hard to remove.
What is the Cuticle?
These are the three types of straight lines used in haircutting: horizontal, vertical, and ______.
What is Diagonal?
This is the process of thinning the hair to graduated lengths with shears; the blades are kept partially open while sliding along the edge of the section.
What is Slithering
Living skin at the base of the natural nail plate that covers the matrix area.
What is the Eponychium?
The technique of combing hair away from its natural falling position, rather than straight out from the head.
What is overdirection?
The average rate of nail plate growth per month for a normal adult.
What is 1/10 to 1/8 of an inch?
A zero-elevation cut is also known by this common name.
What is a Blunt cut (or One-length cut)?
When cutting, this is the rule of thumb to prevent cutting your own hand and ensuring a straight line.
What is Cutting palm-to-palm?
Slits or furrows on the sides of the sidewall that guide the nail as it grows.
What are Nail Grooves?
While a nail takes 4–6 months to replace, hair grows on average this much per month.
What is 1/2 inch?