The Elements of Healthy Nails

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The Elements of Healthy Nails

The chemical composition of a healthy nail plate can be broken down into three basic categories: proteins, moisture (or water) and vitamins / minerals. These are the elements essential for healthy nails. Recognizing the relationships between these components can help us to accurately visualize what the nail plate is made of, how it is structured and how the elements work together for nail plate production and vitality.

Proteins are the primary component found within the nail. The three proteins found in the nail are fibrillar, globular and glycine. The first two join together forming parallel protein chains, while the third cross-links these chains together creating tensile strength. Tensile strength is how much pressure or stress the nail can take before it tears.

Evaluation Hint: A nail lacking in protein will tear, leaving a rough edge.

Water makes up 10-20% of the nails content. Proper moisture balance is the key factor in maintaining healthy, resilient nails. Moisture is stored in the lipids found primarily in the dorsal and ventral layers of the nail. Lipids are fatty acids and act much like sponges to retain this vital moisture. These lipids are found in two places: intracellular (within the cells) and intercellular (between the cells). Intracellular lipids are responsible for flexibility. Intercellular lipids are responsible for holding the cells together, like mortar between bricks. Frequent immersion in water or exposure to soaps and detergents washes away these lipids between the cells, causing the nail to layer and peel. The moisture content found in the nail is the key determining factor in nail analysis and the easiest to control.

Evaluation Hint: A nail lacking moisture becomes brittle and will snap on impact, leaving a smooth edge.

A healthy nail contains 10-20% water, at least 80% proteins and 1-2% vitamins/minerals. There are many minerals found in the nails, however our primary concern is calcium. A comparative chemical analysis of the composition of hair and nails would reveal that both are made of the same proteins and have the same amount of moisture, but that nails contain ten times more calcium than hair. Calcium binds to the lipids in the nail for the hardness or firmness we associate with strong nails.

Evaluation Hint: Soft nails need calcium for hardness.

The nail plate consists of three layers: the dorsal (top), intermediate (middle) and ventral (bottom), designed to flex together in unison on impact.

What's Your Nail Type?

Nails can be cataloged into five categories, their specific moisture levels being the key determining factor.

* Healthy / Normal Nails contain 10-20% moisture, allowing the nail plate to flex and move away upon impact instead of breaking. The intercellular lipids hold the cells together with no signs of layering or peeling.

* Brittle Nails contain less than 10% moisture; they no longer have the ability to flex on impact. One of the more common nail problems, they snap on impact, leaving a smooth edge.

* Eggshell Nails have a tendency to hold even more moisture. The lipids maintain a higher level of moisture, putting it over the 20% range. The additional water content swells the nail plate, causing it to become less firm. The free edge of the nail will have a tendency not to hold its shape, becoming quite pliable. When pressure is applied over the nail bed, it has a soft, pliant feel. This nail tears, leaving a rough edge.

* Soft Nails have a tendency to hold an even higher level of moisture. The soft nail looks and acts much like an eggshell nail, but has a lacy or transparent quality to the free edge. Soft nails will have a tendency to layer when used as tools or levers.

* Layering / Peeling Nails - With frequent or prolonged immersion, the nails expand and contract. Over time, the intercellular lipids, those that act as mortar to hold the nail cells together get washed away. The loss of this natural "glue" reduces the nail's ability to maintain the correct moisture content, taking the condition of the nail full circle, compounding the layering condition with brittleness.

Common Nail Problems

Current medical research shows that common nail problems are neither hereditary nor congenital. This means that you cannot be born with bad nails. Something has happened to cause the problem. The good news is that if we can determine the cause, we can eliminate it, putting the nails on a path to recovery.

There are actually two ways to negatively affect the nail's ability to hold and maintain its moisture content. The first is constant or prolonged immersion in water. The nail plate is extremely absorbent, having the ability to hold many times its weight in water. Frequent wetting and drying causes the nail to expand and contract, ultimately washing away the mortar that holds the layers of the nail together.

The second cause is chemical damage. Or more specifically, exposure to dehydrating chemicals: like soaps, detergents and anhydrous ingredients that pull vital moisture out. Strangely enough, one such anhydrous ingredient, and the most common culprit when it comes to dry, brittle dehydrated nails is formaldehyde. And it's a very common ingredient found in many nail products.

Formaldehyde acts much like a humectant, drawing moisture to itself like a magnet. However, instead of holding it, it separates the hydrogen from the oxygen and throws away the oxygen, thus chemically eliminating the natural moisture content of the nail plate. With prolonged use, this causes the nail to degrade becoming brittle.

Because so many nail care products contain formaldehyde, or its resins and derivatives, it is vital that we be able to detect when the client's nails are experiencing formaldehyde friability. There are five stages of formaldehyde damage.

5 Stages of Formaldehyde Damage

1. Pitting - little divots in the surface, as if you took a straight pin and bounced it off the surface of the nail several times. There is no discoloration.

2. White Spots - these are the spots we see on the surface of the nail. When the nail is wet, they disappear. When the nail dries, they return. Seen quite often on toenails, where the polish is worn for a longer period of time. It looks as if the center of the nail was scraped repeatedly with the edge of a file. Medical test books refer to this as "formaldehyde friability", meaning that the formaldehyde based polish has leached vital moisture from the nail plate.

3. Stress Fractures - enough moisture has now been leached from the top (dorsal) layer of the nail plate that the individual layers are no longer able to flex in unison. On impact the layers shift, creating a fracture. (Ever see a documentary on how earthquakes happen?)

4. Lifting - a separation of the nail from the nail bed. The nail has been exposed to the point that the formaldehyde is now drawing moisture from the nail bed. A general rule of thumb is that the line of demarcation will have an irregular shape. Generally, mechanical damage, or physical separation, will have a smooth line of demarcation.

5. Contact Dermatitis - as with the skin, use of the offending agent should be discontinued immediately and the client should be referred to her physician.

Creating a Balance

By understanding the importance of the unique balance of the protein / moisture composition of a healthy nail, we gain a new perspective on natural nail care. Because the nail environment is constantly changing, whether it is seasonal weather or chemical exposure we must continuously be on the look out for their effects on the nail. Poshe' Professional Nail Care Products will enhance strength and flexibility, utilizing the essential elements required for healthy nails. With regular use in salon and at home, you will begin to notice the restoration of the nail's proper balance. The result - healthy, beautiful, natural nails that flex on impact instead of breaking.