Toenails grow from the matrix. The nails are composed largely ofkeratin, a hardened protein (that is also in skin and hair). As new cells grow in the matrix, the older cells are pushed out, compacted and take on the familiar flattened, hardened form of the toenail. Are nails alive? Mos...
The nails thicken upward but can also sprawl outward and may be yellowish to white, with crumbling edges in some patients. The thickness of the nails makes them difficult to trim safely and evenly. As a result, the nails are often allowed to grow out and they can start to curl as they...