Why do people need nails? What are nails for? Why does a person need fingernails?

For You formed my inward parts and knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works, and my soul is fully aware of this. My bones were not hidden from You when I was created in secret, formed in the depths of the womb. Your eyes have seen my embryo; in Your book are written all the days appointed for me, when not one of them was yet. How lofty are Your thoughts to me, O God, and how great are their number! (Psalm 139:13-18)

Heavenly Father created the Human body, which has all the necessary protective functions, because there is a rule that God did not create anything unnecessary.

Why do you need hair on your head?

But even the hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30). How intimately our Savior knows and loves us! But what is hair for?

Hair acts as a protective barrier; it plays a protective function, and a multifunctional one. The hair on the head protects from overheating, as well as from hypothermia of the head and from injury. Curly hair retains air better, which is good thermal insulation and protects against heat stroke.

Why do you need eyebrow hair?

Eyebrows are a part of every person's face and also help us express our emotions. Due to the arched shape of the eyebrows, sweat and dripping rain flows down the edges of our face, preventing moisture from entering the eyes. Due to this, sweat or rain does not interfere with our vision. Without eyebrows it would be difficult for us, because sweat contains salt, which irritates the membranes of the eyes, causing the eyes to hurt and itch. For example, when sweat poured down like hail, eyebrows prevented it from getting into the eyes.

Why are eyelashes needed?

The eyes are a very vulnerable human organ, and it is necessary to protect them because people receive information about the world around them, relying on vision more than on other abilities of the body. (We do not have such a keen sense of smell, that is, the ability to distinguish odors, like dogs, or such excellent hearing as cats.)

Eyebrows protect your eyes from sweat, dust and dirt. Eyelashes do the same thing, protecting the delicate surface of the eyeball.

Why do we need nose hair?

We often have to pull out nose hair, but recent scientific research shows that this is absolutely not possible. Nasal hair is an important air filter for our body.

After conducting an X-ray contrast study, scientists found that the hairs catch and hold dirt, viruses, bacteria and toxins until we blow them away or sneeze.

Scientists from a medical university in Turkey determined that patients with a small amount of nasal hair are almost three times more likely to suffer from asthma than those with dense growth of hair in the nostrils.

Why do we need ear hair and why do we need earwax?

So that flies, mosquitoes, beetles, spiders, ticks and other evil spirits cannot get into the ear. Earwax serves to clean and lubricate the ear canals and also provides protection against bacteria, fungi and insects. And the hair in the ears is also an important filter for our body.

Why do you need groin hair?

First of all, hair in the groin is needed to protect the body from various negative factors. In the groin, a layer of long, coarse hair protects the delicate skin and genitals from damage. The most important thing is from small insects that can get inside.

Why is armpit hair needed?

Hair in the armpits prevents the skin of these areas from tightly fitting, thereby protecting against diaper rash, abrasions, infection, etc.

Armpit hair is also needed to protect the lymph nodes and from infections.

Why do we need hair on our legs?

Hair on the legs is one of the protective functions against insects. Remember the moments when you were in the forest or at the dacha, every time insects or ants try to crawl on you, but your hair holds them back well. For example, there were cases where it was more difficult for ticks to reach the groin or other important organ because of the hair on the legs.

Why do we need body hair?

There are only two places on the human body where hair does not grow: on the palms of the hands and on the soles of the feet. Hair is present throughout the rest of the body. They are needed for touch. This is why each hair has a nerve ending.

Why are fingernails needed?

Fingernails grow 2 times faster than toenails. Men's nails grow faster than women's.

God did it this way because men are more often engaged in hard work and their nails wear out quickly, so the nails must grow quickly to compensate for the losses. For example, in animals, nails, claws and hooves wear down by themselves, since animals constantly use them, and so do men who are busy with labor and work as carpenters, builders, etc.

For many, nails are a very convenient tool necessary for professional or ordinary household activities. In conclusion, let us note another function of human nails – protective. Nails are a kind of armor for our fingers and toes, protecting them from wounds and bruises.

Why are toenails needed?

The nail protects the sensitive top of the fingertip. This is where there are a lot of nerves. Toenails help distribute pressure and make the toes stiffer at the tips. If there were no toenails, they would look like soft sausages. Toenails play an important role and if anyone has never had a toenail or fingernail, they can remember the problems they had to face in everyday life.

Why do Asians have narrow eyes?

Have you ever wondered why East Asians have narrow eyes? Why is their appearance different from the appearance of a European? The fact is that God created an amazing human mechanism that adapts to the climate in which it lives.

The Mongoloid race is not considered ancient. A person needed a narrow eye shape because of the desert area where this race originated. Constant sandy winds narrowed the size of the eyes, and the eyelashes became even thicker.

The Chukchi, who live far from the Mongolian steppes, received thin eyes due to the snowy terrain. As you know, white color reflects the entire spectrum of the beam. And in order not to go blind from the bright light, nature took care of their eyes, making them narrower.

Human hands are very actively involved in his daily activities, so they are often exposed to danger and require special protection. Nail plates give our fingers rigidity; they are needed to protect the delicate skin of the fingertips, perform fine mechanical manipulations, and even for such mundane things as scratching the top of the head or nose. They can be used to pick up and hold objects, and physically sense objects.

In addition, nails reflect the state of our body. For example, excessive convexity of the nail plate and a light halo at the base may be a sign of tuberculosis, white spots may indicate a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism or diabetes, and blueness of the nails may indicate problems with blood vessels.

Without nails, our life would be completely different, so attention to them and care for their condition have existed since ancient times and are filled with special meaning!

Oddly enough, the function of the nail is to protect the end phalanges of the fingers, so as not to damage the soft tissues in which the nerve endings are located. Nails are a hard shell to protect the delicate fingertips, with which we grasp various objects and physically feel the bodies around us. Nails allow us to pick up something; if the object is small, then without such hard formations it is difficult to grasp it at all.

In Central Asia and Persia it was believed that the soul was in the nails. Therefore, cut nails were buried in the ground and burned so that they would not fall into the hands of witches and would not be used for conspiracies and witchcraft. There were a number of customs when it was generally forbidden to trim nails at certain times of the year, month, or week. For example, the ancient Slavs imposed restrictions on shepherds - not to cut hair and nails, not even to make love while shepherding, observing chastity. It is known that the total length of nails trimmed over a lifetime in men reaches 3.9 m, and in women - 4.3 m.

From a physiological point of view, nails actually perform a protective function. And regarding beliefs: the ancient Scandinavians still believed that from the nails of the dead that ended up in Helheim, Hel, during Ragnarok, would build a huge ship on which he would sail to fight the light gods the Aesir. Therefore, it was customary to cut the nails of the dead so that Hel would get less.

In the Ancient East, it was believed that each nail was associated with some organ. In particular, the thumb was associated with the brain, and the index finger could tell about the lungs and respiratory system, the middle finger was a marker of the condition of the intestines, the ring finger indicated kidney health, and the little finger indicated problems in the cardiovascular system and heart.

Animals, unlike humans, can boast of surprisingly functional adaptations: keen eyes, fangs, claws, tenacious tails - all this provides animals with excellent survival even in harsh conditions. A person is deprived of these devices, perhaps only his nails remind him of his kinship with other representatives of the fauna.

It is worth noting that a person is not a unique owner of nails. All primates have this organ. The fact is that primates, which we include, actively use their limbs, and primarily their hands, in their activities. Obviously, based on this, the hands of a primate are the most vulnerable and vital organ, requiring additional protection. Nail folds do not allow pathogenic bacteria to penetrate the growth sector of the nail and protect it from foreign bodies.

Nowadays, nails, having to some extent lost their original purpose, have acquired a number of new properties. For example, manicures and pedicures can be applied to them; based on their condition, one can draw conclusions about a person’s health. Some owners of nails prefer to chew them, trying to attract fresh thoughts to their heads or, conversely, to escape from any thoughts.

A number of scientists consider nails to be an atavism, and on the feet they also consider the fingers to be an atavistic remnant.

Atavisms are signs that arise in a person that were characteristic of his distant ancestors; their appearance in our time is explained by the fact that any human DNA contains genes responsible for this trait, but they are suppressed by others and do not function. A genetic failure at some level of development contributes to the manifestation of these genes, which results in some unusual property for modern humans.

At the same time, nails perfectly protect the nerve endings located on the fingertips.

The nail, or horny plate, is related in origin to the hair or outer layer of human skin, claws and hooves of animals.

The color of your nails can also tell you about your health. A healthy person should have shiny, pink, smooth nails that completely conform to the shape of the finger. With heart disease, nails become unnaturally pale or bluish in color. A pale nail hole is evidence of anemia. Opal-colored nails (also yellow) are a symptom of serious liver problems. Nails react to various medications. Long-term treatment with antibiotics gives yellow-brown stains on the nails, X-ray irradiation makes the nails dark brown, the same result is observed with Addison's disease. In the case of diabetic thrombosis of the arteries of the upper extremities, the nails acquire a mournful hue.

The shape of the nail plate is used to judge a person's character. Fortune telling by nails is called onychomancy. Long nails are for those who are slow, thoughtful, and distrustful, while short nails are for those who are logical, prone to criticism and control. Those who are irreconcilable and hot-tempered have the shortest nails. People with short nails are characterized by rapid career growth and are prone to leadership. Hooked and curling nails are characteristic of tight-fisted and greedy people.

Strong, spatula-shaped nails indicate intelligence in their owner, and his logic is clearly stronger than his emotions.

Those who are philosophically minded have angular or quadrangular nail shapes; they are strong in the field of literature and art, the humanities, but the sphere of precise calculations and numbers is also not alien to them.

The conical or pointed shape of the nail indicates abilities in the field of art; these are artists, sculptors, architects, and figures in other plastic arts.

Many people are sure that beautiful nails require a complex and elaborate manicure, bright varnish and multi-colored sparkles. All this, no doubt, looks impressive, but beautiful nails, first of all, are healthy. Their painful appearance (delamination, fragility, discoloration) indicates serious problems with the body that need to be addressed urgently.

Have you ever wondered what nails are for, how they are structured and why they grow?

Why does a person need nails?

In the first stages of human evolution, his nails were much denser. They were something between the claws of an animal and the horny plates of modern people. At that time, nails were an additional means of protection. In addition, in ancient times they were a natural “tool of labor”: they were used to tear raw meat, to dig up edible roots, to search for insect larvae.

Time passed, and the functions of nails changed somewhat. Today they help to manipulate small objects, but their main purpose is to protect the fingertips from mechanical damage.

How is the nail structured?

Let's try to figure out how a nail grows and what it consists of. This knowledge can be useful not only to specialists in beauty salons, but also to every person who wants to maintain a healthy and beautiful appearance of their hands.

A little more complicated than you might imagine. It consists of such elements as:

Nail root. This is the germ part, consisting of living cells. It is she who is responsible for how the nail grows. The root produces new cells that slowly move forward and ensure growth. It is located slightly below the visible part of the nail, under the skin. This element is sometimes called the matrix (or matrix). If for some reason the root is injured, the nail loses its aesthetic appeal, acquiring an unnatural shape.
Nail hole (or lunula). This is a small area in front of the root. It is located on the visible part and has the shape of a crescent. In the nail hole, keratinization of living cells produced by the root occurs. The hole itself grows tightly together with the nail bed; it is slightly lighter than the main plate. How the nail grows also largely depends on this part, since the shape of the hole determines the future configuration of the entire nail.

Nail plate. This is the most noticeable element because this is what they describe when they talk about their nails. The plate is formed by a special type of cell - keratinocytes. As they grow and thicken, they form a protective layer.
Nail bed. This is the area under the nail plate, penetrated by a dense network of capillaries. Needs protection because it has a large number of nerve endings.
Cuticle. A thin strip of dead skin that protects the nail fold from bacteria and dirt. It grows quickly, pushing new cells forward.
Nail fold. Covers the nail bed and the invisible part of the horny plate, protects against dirt and germs. Sometimes this element is called a side roller.
A nail ingrowth is a movable part connected to the nail to the very edge.
Free edge. This is part of the nail plate that has grown beyond the edge of the bed.

Information about how a nail grows (we examined the structure of its elements) will help you avoid serious mistakes when caring for your hands. For example, many people refuse trimmed manicures because they injure the cuticle and deprive the nail fold of natural protection. The outdated type of manicure is gradually being replaced by cosmetic cuticle care and hardware manicure.

How long do nails grow?

In fact, a healthy person's nail could grow indefinitely if it were not filed, trimmed, or broken during any activity. The growth rate depends only on the state of health. If a person has a normal metabolism and does not have chronic diseases or circulatory disorders, then his nails grow by about 1 cm per week.

Today, Las Vegas resident Chris Walton is considered the owner. Her nails have different lengths; on her left hand, one of them grew to 91 cm. The total length is more than 6 m. It is difficult to say how aesthetically pleasing it is, but Walton is not the only person in the world who grows her nails in the hope of getting into the Guinness Book of Records .

Do nails always grow the same?

There is no single rule for nail growth. The way a nail grows depends on many reasons, the main one being the person’s physical condition. But it has long been noticed that in summer the growth of nails accelerates, and in winter the growth becomes slower. It is also believed that during the day they grow more than at night. Men have a faster growth rate of nails than women, and they have to trim the free edge of the plate more often. Although there are some nuances here. Before the age of 30, nail growth occurs faster in women, but after forty - in men. But the highest growth rate of marigolds is observed in children.

Oddly enough, but this indicator is also affected by climate. In cold regions, nail growth is significantly lower than in warm climates.

What slows down nail growth

Sometimes the process slows down unconsciously. This happens because a person goes on an unbalanced diet. The process slows down due to a lack of fats, proteins, amino acids and vitamins in the diet.

Often nail growth is slowed down due to chronic stress. If a person is nervous and worried, then the whole body suffers, and nails are no exception.

For some, the cause of slow growth is an overgrown cuticle. It stops passing nutrients to the matrix in the required volume.

Another common reason for slow growth is poor circulation and metabolism. These conditions can be symptoms of many diseases.

A question that bothers many

It turns out that the nail plate is dead keratin cells, but can dead things grow? So why do nails grow? There is no contradiction here. Remember how the structure of the nail was described above? So, under the skin the nail is alive, it is these cells that grow, and the dead (keratinized) ones are simply pushed up.

What the doctor will see

For doctors, the condition of a patient's nails speaks volumes. So, for example, if the color of the plate changes from pink to pale blue, then the person has a disease of the cardiovascular system. Dark spots on the surface of the nail, not associated with mechanical injuries, may be a symptom of endocarditis.

A very light nail bed is a symptom of anemia, while a dark nail bed indicates an excess of red blood cells.

The well-known white spots and stripes on the nails can be evidence of metabolic disorders, anorexia, hepatitis, heart failure, kidney failure, fungal infection and other problems.

First of all, nails are necessary to protect the phalanges of the fingers from mechanical damage. Humans are not a unique owner of nails, and this organ can be observed in all primates, and this is due to the fact that all of us (primates) use limbs in our activities, and hands primarily.

Toenails and fingernails

The hands are thus a vital and very vulnerable organ and require additional protection. Nails allow a person to carry out fairly precise, subtle and labor-intensive movements.

And some still believe that the main function of nails is to protect the end phalanges of the fingers from mechanical damage.

A number of scientists consider nails to be an atavism, and on the feet they also consider the fingers to be an atavistic remnant.

At the same time, nails perfectly protect the nerve endings located on the fingertips.

The nail, or horny plate, is related in origin to the hair or outer layer of human skin, claws and hooves of animals. In fact, this is a hard cover to protect the delicate fingertips, without hard formations like a nail, it is difficult to pick up any small object, here the nails act as natural tweezers. Everyone knows such important properties of nails as the ability to scratch or itch.

There may well be a soul in the nails, at least that’s what was believed in Central Asia and Persia. In these parts, cut nails were destroyed - burned or buried in the ground so that they would not fall into the hands of evil spirits, and they could not be used for witchcraft and conspiracies by dishonest people. Many researchers of the human soul have paid attention to nails. The ancient Slavs forbade cutting hair and nails, as well as making love while grazing.

Strong, spatula-shaped nails indicate intelligence in their owner, and his logic is clearly stronger than his emotions.

Philosophically minded people have angular or quadrangular nail shapes; they are strong in the field of literature and art, the humanities, but the sphere of precise calculations and numbers is also not alien to them.

The conical or pointed shape of the nail indicates abilities in the field of art; these are artists, sculptors, architects, and figures in other plastic arts.

This is how you live your whole life and don’t ask many questions. You don’t explore yourself and your environment. And then you looked at your nails and asked why they were needed? A question that many people come to. Finding out the answer to this can be very useful. After all, nails are one of the most important indicators of the human body.

Let's find out why we need nails and what they can tell about the owner.
They have several functions: protection of delicate fingertips, tactile protection, and diseases can be identified by the nails.

Without nails, our life would be completely different, so attention to them and care for their condition have existed since ancient times and are filled with special meaning!

It is known that the total length of nails trimmed over a lifetime in men reaches 3.9 m, and in women - 4.3 m.
From a physiological point of view, nails actually perform a protective function. And regarding beliefs: the ancient Scandinavians still believed that from the nails of the dead that ended up in Helheim, Hel, during Ragnarok, would build a huge ship on which he would sail to fight the light gods the Aesir. Therefore, it was customary to cut the nails of the dead so that Hel would get less.

Animals, unlike humans, can boast of surprisingly functional adaptations: keen eyes, fangs, claws, tenacious tails - all this provides animals with excellent survival even in the harshest conditions. A person is deprived of these devices, perhaps only his nails remind him of his kinship with other representatives of the fauna.

It is worth noting that a person is not a unique owner of nails. All primates have this organ. The fact is that primates, which include us humans, actively use their limbs, and primarily their hands, in their activities. Obviously, based on this, the hands of a primate are the most vulnerable and vital organ, requiring additional protection. Nail folds do not allow pathogenic bacteria to penetrate the growth sector of the nail and protect it from foreign bodies.

A number of scientists consider nails to be an atavism, and on the feet they also consider the fingers to be an atavistic remnant.

The nail, or horny plate, is related in origin to the hair or outer layer of human skin, claws and hooves of animals.
The color of your nails can also tell you about your health. A healthy person should have shiny, pink, smooth nails that completely conform to the shape of the finger. With heart disease, nails become unnaturally pale or bluish in color. A pale nail hole is evidence of anemia. Opal-colored nails (also yellow) are a symptom of serious liver problems.

Nails react to various medications. Long-term treatment with antibiotics gives yellow-brown stains on the nails, X-ray irradiation makes the nails dark brown, the same result is observed with Addison's disease. In the case of diabetic thrombosis of the arteries of the upper extremities, the nails acquire a mournful hue.

Strong, spatula-shaped nails indicate intelligence in their owner, and his logic is clearly stronger than his emotions.

The conical or pointed shape of the nail indicates abilities in the field of art; these are artists, sculptors, architects, and figures in other plastic arts.