Why do we have white half-moons at the base of our fingernails?
13-6-2024
Translation: Eva Francis
Some people have them on all their fingernails, others on none – the little white half-moons at the bottom of the nail. What’s their purpose, and do we really need them?
Not long ago, I took a closer look at my fingers while cutting my nails. I’d never before noticed that I only have a white half-moon at the base of my thumbs’ and my left index finger’s nail. Not on any of the other fingers. Even on my toenails, I can only see a white crescent-shaped area on the two big ones. Does that mean there’s no half-moon on the other fingers and toes? And what’s its purpose anyway?
If you’re staring at your fingers now and panicking because there’s no lunula (Latin for «little moon») to be seen, I can reassure you. As long as your fingernails grow as they should, they’re sure to have little white half-moons. They’re essential, but not always visible.
Source: Shutterstock
Where the nail’s created
The reddish part, which is certainly visible on all your fingernails, is the nail plate. It consists of 100 to 150 layers of corneal cells stacked on top of each other, which are formed in the nail matrix from hard keratin. The lunula is the visible part of the nail matrix. It covers the underlying blood vessels, which is why you can (or can’t) see a white crescent-shaped area shine through the transparent nail.
Source: Shutterstock
Therefore, if there’s a nail, there’s a lunula. If you can’t see it, it’s probably covered by the cuticle. As is the case with most of my fingers and toes. Unhappy with your boring, moon-free nails? Spice them up by glueing some fake ones on. It’s fun and looks cute!
Header image: Shutterstock
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