Why do our hair and nail grow?

Do you find cutting your nails and your hair troublesome? Why do they keep growing, what makes them grow, and why don’t we feel any pain when we cut them even though they are part of our bodies?

A Hairy Affair
Hair is made from a tough, waterproof substance called keratin. The cells in our hair are dead and that is why we do not feel any pain when we cut it. The only living part of a hair is at its root, which also explains why we feel pain when our hair is being pulled hard. The root of our hair grows out of a pit in the skin; this pit is known as a follicle. When cells in the root divide and push upward, we say our hair grows.

Did you know that only 80% of our hair follicles are producing hair at any one time? When inactive follicles start producing hair again, they push out the old hair, causing them to drop so that new ones can take their place. We drop about 50 to 100 strands of hair a day.

Tough as Nails
Fingernails, like hair is also made out of a tough protein called keratin. Fingernails start to grow at the nail root. This area is located under the skin at the base of the nail. In the nail root, cells that make up our fingernails multiply. As the new cells multiply, they push the older cells outward. That is what makes our fingernails grow longer.

On average, fingernails grow 0.01 centimeters daily. This is about four times faster than the rate at which toenails grow.

Did you know that if you are right-handed, the fingernails on your right hand will grow at a faster rate than those on your left hand, and vice versa?

Fingernails were used to diagnose sickness in ancient times. A deep horizontal groove can be an indication of major illnesses.