{"id":1184,"date":"2013-03-06T01:13:34","date_gmt":"2013-03-06T08:13:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nailcarehq.com\/?p=1184"},"modified":"2022-07-21T11:19:38","modified_gmt":"2022-07-21T18:19:38","slug":"clear-fingernails-is-it-bad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/clear-fingernails-is-it-bad\/","title":{"rendered":"Clear Fingernails – Is It a Bad Thing?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Clear<\/a>Often times people think that clear fingernails is a sign that something is wrong. While your fingernails are a reflection of your overall health, there are external factors that can make you have clear fingernails too.<\/p>\n

By the end of this article<\/strong> you will understand…<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What the things are that cause nails to turn clear<\/li>\n
  2. And it might not be an indication that something bad is happening<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    ASK ANA<\/h1>\n

    “Hi Ana! I have a question for you…What does it mean when you put Pure\u2122 Nail and Cuticle Oil on and the free edge is practically transparent..I.E-the white is gone and you can see the tip of your finger behind the nail through it?” ~Kim<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

     <\/p>\n

    ANSWER<\/h1>\n

    There are\u00a0many factors<\/strong>\u00a0that can cause the free edge of your fingernails to be clear.\u00a0Figuring out how clear fingernails happens can get complicated, so I will do my best to keep it simple.<\/p>\n

    The most important thing to know is …\u00a0that your nail plate is\u00a0made of translucent keratin\u00a0protein<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    The Healthy Nail Plate<\/h2>\n

    Translucent keratin protein\u2014yep, the healthy nail plate is supposed to be semi-transparent.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

    The pink area<\/strong> you see on your nails is actually the life nourishing, nail bed BELOW the nail plate<\/strong>. The nail bed provides a constant flow of moisture and oil through the nail plate.<\/p>\n

    \"NailYour fingernail is produced in the matrix<\/strong> right behind your eponychium<\/strong>, (cuticle line). The lunula<\/strong> (small moon) is the only visible part of your matrix. Not all fingers have a visible lunula.<\/p>\n

    The reason the lunula is a different color is because those are the keratin nail cells that are plump and still alive. Most people can see the lunula on their thumbnails.<\/p>\n

    As soon as those keratin cells pass the lunula area, they die<\/strong>. They dry out, loose their opacity\u2014becoming translucent<\/strong>, and flatten becoming the 50’ish layers of keratin cells that make up our “fingernails.”<\/p>\n

    The color of the free edge<\/strong> that extends past your fingertips depends<\/strong> on how much of the inner cell material stays in the nail plate cells as they continue to grow forward on the nail plate.<\/p>\n

    Usually, they are fairly clear<\/strong> just as they move past the fingertip, then turn white because<\/strong> they aren’t being ‘hydrated’ by a continuous upward flow of body oil and moisture from the nail bed.<\/p>\n

    Are White Tips Healthy?<\/h2>\n

    So\u2014if your nail tips (free edge) are turning white, it’s because your nails are drying out and the whiter<\/strong> they are, the more dried out they are<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    This makes me wonder if we’ve got it all backwards<\/strong>. Is the reason white tips are so highly coveted because our society has never known how to properly rehydrate their nails? Is it better to have clear fingernails? Read on…<\/p>\n

    Are You Average?<\/h2>\n

    Genetics, your health, and natural nail thickness<\/strong> are important parts in determining what color your nail turns as it leaves the fingertip.<\/p>\n

    The average number of keratin layers people have is about\u00a050 layers<\/strong> in their fingernails (100 for toe nails). A person with 40\u00a0layers may have tips that stay more transparent. A person with 60\u00a0layers is going to have more layers to keep hydrated, and if they don’t, the tips become whiter.<\/p>\n

    Once you’ve properly rehydrated your nails with a jojoba wax ester nail oil, that’s the color your nails are supposed to be. They could be completely translucent, or be partially white with spots or bands of translucency, or fully white.<\/p>\n

    All are normal. <\/strong><\/p>\n

    It’s not necessarily bad to have clear fingernails, as long as it’s not from too much water.<\/p>\n

    Biggest Cause of Clear Fingernails<\/h2>\n
    \"Nail<\/a>

    Photo of clear fingernails used with permission from LoodieLoodieLoodie<\/p><\/div>\n

    Water<\/h2>\n

    The photo to the left from LoodieLoodieLoodie<\/a> after she enjoyed a crab feast<\/a>, shows that continuous contact with water can make your nails transparent. Also washing your hands dries out your skin and strips oil from your nails.<\/p>\n

    There are many microscopic channels<\/strong> that make it easy for the nail plate to absorb large quantities of water<\/strong>. A normal nail plate can hold 1\/3rd\u00a0it’s own weight in water!<\/p>\n

    Water is able to pass BETWEEN the keratin cells but also THROUGH the flattened cells. Nails that have been soaking in water become overly soft, overly flexible and tear easily.<\/strong>\u00a0You can easily see that your nails have absorbed too much water because you have clear fingernails.<\/p>\n

    Healthy nails have about 18% water. But too much moisture can weaken<\/strong> the nail plate by separating<\/strong> the keratin layers leading to serious peeling<\/strong> and splitting<\/strong> problems.<\/p>\n

    Solutions<\/h2>\n

    1. \u00a0Oil<\/strong><\/h3>\n


    \n<\/strong>Since we all need to wash our hands and bathe, to fight the water’s effect on your nails, rehydrate<\/strong> them with a high quality,     jojoba wax ester based nail and cuticle oil.<\/a><\/p>\n

    Check out our Mini\/Overnight Hydration Process to give your nails a quick boost of hydration.<\/p>\n