Bliss Kiss

Why is the Nail Bed Pink?

Do you ever wonder why your nail bed is pink? I have to admit that I never thought about it. I’m very fair and have lots of pink in my skin, so I just figured I was pink under my nails, too. 😂😂
Doug Schoon has the answer for us.

“Arteries carry blood from the heart to the nail bed and other surrounding tissues, including the matrix. Two different arteries supply the nail unit and are located on the side of the finger. “
“These pass through the lateral nail fold and run deep into the tissue of the nail bed. The pinkish appearance of the nail bed is due to its rich supply of tiny capillaries that constantly feed, clean, and supply oxygen to these living cells. These capillaries are the smallest blood vessels.
They are arranged parallel to the length of the finger (or toe), looping back on themselves to ensure efficient blood flow. Their job is to maximize the amount of nutrients and oxygen delivered to the tissue. They connect with other capillaries that join veins. The veins remove waste products and carbon dioxide created by metabolism in the cells, which keeps these tissues clean and healthy. The blood-filled capillaries are the reason that healthy nail beds have a pinkish coloration. Changes in the appearance of the nail bed can indicate various internal diseases or local conditions. For example, a pale or white nail bed may suggest anemia, while a bluish nail bed can indicate low blood oxygen. The nail bed and surrounding areas also have a rich supply of nerves, contributing to the high sensitivity of the fingertips.”

Doug Schoon Advanced Chemistry of Nails: A Modern Education Guide to Products and Nail Structure

When you break a nail but it is still attached, how do you fix it? I usually use the tea bag method, but it is indeed a hassle.

The ridges in our nails are the strongest part of the nails. The grooves are the weaker part of our nails where the matrix isn’t producing as many cells. This can be due to age and other factors. I have ridges on most of my nails and know that it can be aggravating. The best thing to do is rock your ridges and use a ridge filler. (should be a groove filler, right? 😂😂)

For me, it’s walking. I walk my Mom’s dog and my two dogs every day for 60 minutes. I don’t really do gardening but do take care of my front and back yard.
How about you? Gardening or walking? If it’s gardening, what do you plant?

One for your purse, one for your desk, and one for your car 💅✨

Sometimes problems arise simply because people don’t really know nail anatomy. Natural nails can sometimes look dirty underneath when what they are seeing is normal. This can lead people to clean aggressively under the nails. I’m a picker myself, so I absolutely understand that temptation.

The slightly darker line near the free edge is called the Onychodermal Band. “The Onychodermal Band is a narrow band of translucent grey or dark pink tissue located at the junction between the nail bed and the hyponychium. This marks where the nail bed ends and the hyponychium begins.“ Doug Schoon from his book Advanced Chemistry of Nails.

Because the nail becomes more translucent at the free edge, we might see skin and blood vessels. We all are unique so this area can show through and look differently from person to person. This is completely normal.

Aggressively cleaning underneath the nail near that area can and often does irritate the tissue, cause separation, and creates problems. The hyponychium is “a protective barrier that prevents pathogens from causing nail bed infections by sealing out potentially harmful substances from seeping into the nail bed area.” Doug Schoon Advanced Chemistry of Nails.

If we break the seal under the nail through aggressive cleaning or picking underneath the nail, we can get infections and/or onycholysis, which is the lifting of the nail plate from the nail bed.

Some may expect their natural nails to have bright white free edges. In reality, natural nails are not perfectly white. Many people have become used to seeing heavily edited photos, filters, and close-up videos where nails look perfect due to the editing of the photo or video.

As a result, when people see nails with a little translucency, they may see uneven coloring, their hyponychium, the onychodermal band, or other things that look like ‘dirt’. Their brain may incorrectly label it as dirty simply because it does not match the polished mannequin-like images they’ve been shown for years.

Healthy tissue does not always look clean. Our bodies have natural variation in color.

I have weighed and measured food off an on for years. I’ve tried to eat an healthy diet and to get all the nutrient. I have found it hard to impossible. In all honesty, while I probably could actually eat that much because being full doesn’t always stop me from eating, I couldn’t eat that much and be an healthy weight. It was way too much food. Plus, who has the time to plan out every meal you eat so as to make sure you get all the nutrients? So I always take a high quality multivitamin along with Biotin. Kirsten told me about Methyl Folate, which I now take as well.

http://www.nailcarehq.com/vitamins-for-nails/

Hello Blissettes!! This is from Doug Schoon’s book Advanced Chemistry of Nails: A Modern Education Guide to Products and Nail Structure.

WHAT IS THE NAIL BED?

“The nail bed is the underlying support structure for the nail plate. Many confuse the nail bed with the nail plate and erroneously use these words interchange-ably. However, they are completely different. The nail bed extends from the nail matrix to the onychodermal band, which is a narrow zone that serves as a border between the nail bed and hyponychium. The nail bed provides no nourishment to the nail plate at all. Other than acting as a supporting base, it also helps to ensure smooth growth.”

Doug Schoon from his book Advanced Chemistry of Nails.

A quote Doug Schoon put in his book that I love : “when you know better, you do better.” Maya Angelou.