The nail bed is several layers of tissue that serve to connect the germinal epidermis and the nail. The end of the phalanx of each finger is completely covered by capillary and nerve endings, which are very thin and vulnerable.
The nail begins to grow thanks to epithelial tissue.
Every woman dreams of long and beautiful nails. In the modern world, it is fashionable to have sharp and elongated nails covered with a variety of varnishes. But not everyone can boast of such a manicure and nail length. But this is not a reason to give up. There are quite a large number of ways to get your nails in order, growing them to the required length, while the nail plate itself will be strong and shiny.
The structure of nails and their growth
Nails are keratinized plates, the function of which is to protect the delicate tissue underneath from mechanical, chemical, thermal and other influences.
The structure diagram is shown in the figure, where:
- A – nail plate.
- B – nail hole.
- C is the root.
- D – sinus (sinus) of the nail.
- E – matrix.
- F – nail bed.
- G – hyponychium.
- H – free edge.
The lateral edges of the nail are surrounded by ridges of skin, and the root part is covered by a posterior ridge of skin that passes into the cuticle.
Nail growth occurs due to the formation of keratin, which, as it grows and is pushed out, becomes denser, becomes smooth and flat. This process is influenced by nutrition, body condition and even the time of year. On average, growth occurs by 0.6-1.6 mm per week.
Nail bed lengthening: methods and tips
A short nail bed causes a lot of inconvenience and discomfort to its owner. You can get rid of many of the reasons characteristic of a short nail bed structure and find a way out of the situation by properly caring for your hands.
Nowadays, not every woman has the opportunity to carry out painstaking hand care at home. In this case, beauty salon specialists will help you tidy up your hands. The presence of modern equipment, all kinds of products in the form of ointments, gels, creams can restore the affected nail elements and make a woman’s hands soft and velvety.
An ideal line and a beautiful “smile” on the plate can be created by lengthening the bed. Cosmetologists will tell you which methods are most suitable for lengthening the nail bed, and how to lengthen the nail bed. Today, a girl can pamper her hands in the salon, strengthen her nails, adjust their shape and create a unique design in the following ways:
- manicure;
- building up;
- SPA treatments.
A long nail bed can be visually enlarged by doing an appropriate manicure. The most popular means of extension is camouflage acrylic or gel. Thanks to this material, nails become strong, elastic and beautiful. Gel or acrylic extensions are carried out in order to level the nail to the desired level.
Reasons for reducing the nail bed
Over time, the nail grows to the skin underneath it. However, bad habits or other factors can interfere with this fusion and contribute to a decrease in the distance of the nail bed. These include the following bad habits:
- Gnawing, biting and biting nails with teeth.
- Tearing off, breaking off, twisting nails with your hands or on other objects.
- Scratch, rub, scratch with your nails.
- Clean dirt under the nails with the wedge-shaped edge of a nail file, a pusher or any other tool. Any sharp objects “tear” the skin from the nail, reducing the bed.
You should clean your nails with a small brush, gently moving underneath them.
Why do this?
In most cases, this is a cosmetic defect that you can live with. There is no physiological need for this procedure, although aesthetically a longer nail bed looks more attractive.
The nail bed is the area from the base to the “smile line,” that is, to the beginning of the whitish process that is not attached to the finger. The length of the stock depends on genetics and is considered to be given at birth. But this is not entirely true, because as you grow older and other factors, the shape may change. To a lesser extent, this happens if there is a habit of biting nails. Oddly enough, this habit leads to a significant shortening of the bed.
In addition, injuries and the habit of removing dirt under the nails with metal objects, in particular a nail file, help reduce it. Difficulties faced by those with short nail beds:
- Difficulties with manicure, especially if you do a French one - it looks less impressive.
- Growing nails is difficult because they constantly break.
Options for lengthening the nail bed
You can give it a beautiful shape using home care and cosmetic procedures, special manicures, and surgical methods. Doctors are consulted in case of ingrown nails or finger injuries, since it is not possible to lengthen the nail bed on your own. If there are no such problems, then you can achieve a good result on your own.
Beauty salons also offer spa treatments to reshape and strengthen nails.
A special type of manicure that allows you to create the effect of a long bed is performed by applying an opaque varnish of a color close to natural. After this, a new “smile line” is drawn above the existing one with a different contrasting color at the top of the edge, thereby visually lengthening the nail. The advantage of this manicure is naturalness and neatness.
Another way to lengthen your nail bed? A good option would be to use a bright varnish through which the outlines do not show through.
Surgical method for lengthening the nail bed
In addition to the home method of caring for the nail bed, there is another method - plastic surgery. Often, women suffering from the problem of ingrown toenails resort to this method. In addition to this problem, some specialized salons are engaged in straightening and improving the appearance of the nail using plastic surgery. Before starting the procedure, the specialist must perform capillaroscopy. This will be required to examine the functionality of the capillary vessels of the nail plate under a microscope. This procedure can give a detailed picture of existing vascular diseases. The doctor immediately informs the patient of the diagnosis and prescribes the required treatment.
Before carrying out the surgical method, you must undergo tests, read the documents and give your consent to the surgical procedure. The operation is performed under local anesthesia, since the stitches dissolve quickly, the patient is sent home
After the operation and all subsequent measures are completed, the nails acquire the shape that the patient wanted.
Cuticle treatment
This is the first place to start. Even this one operation will lead to the expansion of the nail bed. There are a large number of cosmetics to soften the cuticle: oils, creams, remover gels. You need to apply one of them to the cuticle, wait 1-2 minutes, then move it with an orange stick and remove unnecessary skin.
Orange sticks help avoid injury to the skin and nail plate.
It happens that at the initial stage the cuticle begins to grow and become shaggy. This is a transitional period that is worth enduring. Over time it will become thinner and softer.
Before lengthening your nails at home, you can take a warm bath with sea salt.
Pushing back the cuticle
By constantly pushing back the cuticle with an orange stick or pusher, you will visually increase the length of the nail bed. To make this procedure painless and pleasant, prepare a warm salt bath for your hands by adding a few drops of aromatic oil to the water. Now, using gentle movements, push the softened cuticle away from the surface of the nail. Girls who prefer edged manicure can easily cut the skin using scissors or nippers. Now the regrown cuticle, which occupies part of the nail plate, has freed up space, making the bed more elongated. By conducting such sessions systematically, over time you will increase the area from the base to the smile line.
Shaping
Trimming nails with scissors is highly undesirable. You should only use a nail file to give your nails an elongated shape. This is the correct method. There is an opinion that metal files are harmful, so it is recommended to use glass and ceramic ones.
The shape itself can be any, but for short nails at the initial stage, an oval shape is better - it is closer to natural and will promote greater fusion of the skin and nail, that is, the effect that needs to be achieved. Only dry nails should be filed. Therefore, do not start doing this immediately after water procedures.
Visual enlargement of the bed
If you don’t have time to carry out such a thorough procedure, then you can visit a salon, where a specialist can advise the following options for a visual solution to the problem:
- Long stock effect. This is a special manicure method in which the nails are covered with an opaque composition of a natural color, which masks the “smile line”. Next, a new line is drawn, which will be higher than the existing one, thereby visually lengthening the bed. A fixing layer is applied on top. This manicure looks natural and natural. You will not be able to achieve this effect on your own.
- Covering the nails with a bright varnish through which its outlines are not visible. To do this, you need to first grow your nails and give them a natural shape. Then apply the chosen varnish.
Caring for the nail plate when lengthening the bed
Since we are talking about how to lengthen the nail bed, an important point is to protect it from drying out. In addition, nails need to be saturated with vitamins and given strength. Firming oils and creams are suitable for this. A drop of the product is applied to the nails and rubbed into each nail with soft circular movements for 30-60 seconds. You can use both professional products and simple oils:
- apricot;
- olive;
- peach;
- rosehip;
- bergamot;
- cocoa.
Ampoules from the pharmacy with vitamin A and E and lemon juice are perfect for this. Constant use will lead to the creation of a dense structure of the nail plate, accelerated growth and a healthy appearance.
Visual trick with French manicure
How to lengthen the nail bed by a few millimeters using a special coating? To do this, you need to do a classic French manicure using thick biogel or gel polish. First, apply a layer of opaque coating in a natural shade to the entire surface of the nail, which will hide the natural smile line. Then, stepping back a few millimeters from the border of the free edge of the nail plate, a clear white crescent is drawn. Such a spectacular and natural manicure is a classic technique of many masters who, using such a trick, lengthen the nails, giving them perfect features.
Regularity of caring procedures
It is worth removing the cuticle as it grows, as well as shaping your nails with a nail file. The use of creams, oils, salt baths and other caring procedures should be performed daily, saturating, nourishing, moisturizing, making the nail plate elegant and elongated.
To monitor how your nail bed is lengthening, photograph the progress and changes every one to two weeks. This will give you confidence in your actions, because it is difficult to notice daily changes of up to 1 millimeter per week, although this is precisely the goal of care.
Building up
For this procedure, you need to contact professionals. High-quality nail extensions will hide the imperfections of your own nail bed and increase their length. Such nails are always the center of attention - they will never be in the shadows. But do not forget that extensions are not entirely safe for natural nails, so you need to take breaks.
Women's hands should look impeccable. Insufficiently well-groomed nails can ruin the highest quality and most exquisite manicure. To prevent this from happening, it is enough to apply and follow all the above tips.
- For examples of how to visually increase the length of your nails, see additional interesting ideas.
- Manicure ideas for short lengths - handles will look like a queen's.
