A fingernail is the hard, smooth plate that covers and protects the tip of each finger. Your fingernails are made of a tough protein called keratin, the same material that forms your hair and the outer layer of your skin. They grow continuously from the base, near your knuckle, pushing slowly forward over time.

Fingernails serve several important purposes. They protect the sensitive fingertips underneath from injury and help you grasp small objects. Try picking up a coin from a flat table without using your nails: it's nearly impossible! You also use your fingernails for scratching, peeling stickers, opening packages, and countless other small tasks throughout the day.

Healthy fingernails appear smooth and slightly pink because you can see the blood vessels underneath. The white curved part at the base is called the lunula, which looks like a tiny crescent moon. If you look closely, you might notice your nails grow about one millimeter every ten days, which means it takes about six months to grow a completely new fingernail from base to tip.

People have decorated their fingernails for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians painted their nails with henna, and today many people paint theirs with nail polish in different colors.