Test Your Nail Know-How Now!

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  • Question 1/10
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    Your fingernails are made of:

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    Your fingernails are made of:

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    You have a specific kind of protein called keratin to thank for your hair and the top layer of your skin as well. The cells that make up the part of your nails you can see are dead -- live cells you can’t see push them forward.

  • Question 1/10
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    Humans have nails to:

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    Humans have nails to:

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    They help you scratch that itch or pick lint from your shirt, but they’re really there to keep the tips of your digits safe from injury. They may be what we have left of the claws many animals use to grab prey, climb trees, or dig holes. We humans lost ours so we could hold onto smaller things.

  • Question 1/10
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    Your nails grow after you die.

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    Your nails grow after you die.

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    Human tissue dries, shrinks, and pulls back from the nails after death, which can make them look longer. They need hormones to grow -- and you stop making those when you go.

  • Question 1/10
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    Which grow more quickly?  

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    Which grow more quickly?  

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    These grow almost 3 times faster, according to some estimates. It takes about 3 to 6 months to completely replace one of your fingernails -- and 9 to 18 months to make a new toenail. 

  • Question 1/10
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    Your nails are at higher risk for infection if you:

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    Your nails are at higher risk for infection if you:

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    You also can damage the tissue that makes your nails grow, which can make them look a little weird. Here are few ideas if you need to break the habit: Keep them trimmed short and filed down, get manicures, use a nail polish that tastes bad, or play with a stress ball instead.

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    You should give your toenails a break from polish:

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    You should give your toenails a break from polish:

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    It can soak into the top layers of your nail and dry it out. That lets yeast, bacteria, mold, and mildew grow underneath, and that can cause problems. Let your toenails breathe free for a week or so between pedicures to keep them healthy.

  • Question 1/10
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    A cuticle is:

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    A cuticle is:

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    It may look like your nails grow directly from the edge of your cuticle, but they actually start in the nail root, a little farther back under the skin. Your cuticles protect that area from infection.

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    A hangnail is:

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    A hangnail is:

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    They don’t look like much, but these can really hurt. The best way to treat one is to carefully trim it with clean scissors or nail clippers. Don’t pull on it! You can tear away the top layer of skin, and that can cause bleeding and possibly infection.

  • Question 1/10
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    Your nail can fall off your toe.

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    Your nail can fall off your toe.

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    The most common reason for this is infection. The fungi that cause athlete’s foot feed on keratin and can get in your nails. It also can happen if you hurt your toe -- drop something heavy on it, for example. In both cases, you may have pain, swelling, and it can turn a different color. With infection, you also may have a bad smell and pus, and your nail may get thicker.

  • Question 1/10
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    This can make your nails weak:

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    This can make your nails weak:

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    To help keep your nails strong, be gentle with them. Wear gloves when you do the dishes and clean the house, and use a nail-polish remover that doesn’t have acetone. A daily moisturizer can also help make your nails less brittle if they’re dried out.

  • Your Score:

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    Share your score:
    Your Score:

    You correctly answered out of questions.

    Results:

    You can stop biting your nails -- you did great!

    Results:

    Well, you didn’t exactly nail it, but you did OK. Good job!

    Results:

    You should polish up on what you know about your nails.

Sources | Reviewed by Debra Jaliman, MD on October 17, 2018 Medically Reviewed on October 17, 2018

Reviewed by Debra Jaliman, MD on
October 17, 2018

IMAGE PROVIDED BY:

1) Petardj / Thinkstock

 

SOURCES:

American Academy of Dermatology: “Dermatologists share tips to stop nail biting.”

Cleveland Clinic: “Why You Should Give Your Toenails a Break from Polish.”

Footvitals: “Toenail Falling Off — Causes, Treatment, and Prevention Tips.”

KidsHealth.org: “Your Nails.”

National Institutes of Health: “Medical Myths,” “Growth rate of human fingernails and toenails in healthy American young adults.”

Mayo Clinic: “Q and A: Self-Care Can Strengthen Weak Fingernails.”

This tool does not provide medical advice.
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