Nails don't need surface access to air because they get oxygen and nutrients from your blood.
Nail professionals recommend letting nails breathe every once in the while, and avoiding back-to-back nail processes that involve gluing or painting on layers of chemical-laden product.
While the duration of break remains controversial, it is widely agreed that you give your nails a break after prolonged use of acrylic. Some experts suggest between three (3) to six (6) months. Going on an acrylic break is beneficial to your nails.
Long nails have the potential to cause a number of health problems since they are a perfect place for germs and dirt to stay. Health experts agree that nails should be trimmed short and kept clean. Many women prefer to keep their nails long either by growing them naturally or by wearing artificial enhancements.
The standard rate of growth of a normal fingernail is between 0.5 – 1.2mm per week, but this differs from one individual to another. On average, this is approximately 0.1mm a day.
Healthy fingernails are smooth, without pits or grooves. They're uniform in color and consistency and free of spots or discoloration. Sometimes fingernails develop harmless vertical ridges that run from the cuticle to the tip of the nail. Vertical ridges tend to become more prominent with age.
Growth Rate
As early as the age of 25, that rate slows by about 0.5% per year. So by the age of 85, your fingernails may only be growing 2 mm in length per month.
Healthy nails are generally pink. Very pale nails may indicate illnesses, such as anemia, congestive heart failure or liver disease. Poor nutrition also may be a culprit. It's a good idea to get very pale nails checked by a doctor.
If you look at your fingers from the side, the whites of the nails shouldn't be so long that they start to divorce the rounded shape of the finger. If the nail is so long that it extends past the fingertips, you're due for a trim.
If you want to wear artificial nails for more than a few weeks, you'll need touch-ups every 2 to 3 weeks to fill in the gaps that appear as your nails grow. Frequent touch-ups can seriously damage your natural nails. In short, artificial nails can leave your nails thin, brittle, and parched.
You: Nails don't actually breathe, though that's a relatively common misconception that surfaces periodically in the industry. The truth is, our nails receive oxygen through our bloodstream, not the air. No external sources provide oxygen or other nutrients to help their growth.
"Leaving your nail polish on for too long can dry out the nails, leaving them brittle," says Dr. Curry. "Thin, brittle nails pose a health hazard because the nail is a barrier to keep out bacteria and fungus."
“Nails do not need to 'breathe,” says Dr. Dana Stern, an NYC dermatologist and nail specialist who also has her own line of nail care products and polishes. “This is a myth! Nails receive their nutrients, oxygen, and blood supply from the blood stream and not from the air.”
Another reason the SNS procedure tends to weaken nails is the removal process. This is an inflexible product, so any breaks or lifting usually takes your own nail with it! People prone to picking or removing can also peel away layers of their own nails with the product.
Nail dust irritates the respiratory passage, potentially leading to asthma. It may also lead to allergic hypersensitivity, which is a long-winded way of saying it can cause an irreversible allergy to nail dust.
In a representative survey, the Deutsches Lackinstitut (German Paint Institute ) found out that men generally prefer blue, but also like grey, black and brown. Both sexes like green about the same, while women are otherwise more fond of red, yellow, beige and orange.
Healthy nails should look pink on the nail bed and white when grown off the nail bed. Any other color could be a sign of a deficiency or disease. For instance, clear, pale nails can be a sign of anemia or poor nutrition. White nails, also known as Terry's nails, are a sign of kidney disease, liver disease, or diabetes.
According to the AAD, nails grow faster during the summer.
With age, there is a rapid decrease in the growth rate for both toenails and fingernails, said Dr. Richard K. Scher, head of the nail section at Weill Cornell Medical College. As a result, both kinds of nail thicken, because of the piling up of nail cells, called onychocytes.
As nails grow longer, the c-curve tends to tighten because the tips are drying out. They start to curl in the same way an autumn leaf curls as it dries out.
Not being able to see a half-moon, or lunula, on the nails may be a sign of a vitamin deficiency, vitiligo, kidney failure, or another health condition, some of which can be serious. Nails grow from a pocket under the skin that doctors call the matrix. The matrix helps make new cells.
Did you know your nails can reveal clues to your overall health? A touch of white here, a rosy tinge there, or some rippling or bumps may be a sign of disease in the body. Problems in the liver, lungs, and heart can show up in your nails.