From opening lids to digging in dirt, your fingernails are part of a lot of tasks. This makes the nails a common spot to find dirt, bacteria, lint, dead skin cells, and other unwanted material.

If your nails are brittle, thin and easily breakable, you may be wondering if it’s time to pay a visit to your dermatologist. While changes to the color, texture and shape of your nails aren’t always ...

Healthy nails are smooth, with no spots or discoloration. They don’t have pits or grooves, although they may have vertical ridges. Nails that are cracked, split, or brittle can sometimes be a sign of ...

Paws and claws: Many experts believe fingernails and toenails have evolutionary similarities to these structures. Since fingernails must have more of a purpose than for creating cool manicure styles, ...

Vertical fingernail ridges are usually harmless and often appear due to aging. Horizontal ridges might indicate health issues ...

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their ...

Human fingernails serve many purposes. This strong coating on our fingertips helps protect our fingers during gripping, which also shields us from infections since we're less at risk for injury. They ...

I bite my fingernails. It’s something I’ve done my entire life. I’ve been able to quit for periods of time, and at other times it seemed like I always had a finger in my mouth, biting my nails to the ...