{"id":92345,"date":"2016-07-05T14:35:45","date_gmt":"2016-07-05T21:35:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nailcarehq.com\/?p=92345"},"modified":"2025-01-23T20:26:44","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T03:26:44","slug":"thicker-nails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nailcareheadquarters.com\/thicker-nails\/","title":{"rendered":"ASK DOUG: Thicker Nails – Can I Make My Nails Thicker?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Thicker Nails: Can I Make My Nails Thicker?<\/h6>\n

by Doug Schoon<\/a> and Ana Seidel<\/p>\n

\"thicker-nails-nailcarehq-300\"ASK DOUG:\u00a0Thicker Nails<\/h2>\n

This article is a little different, since I’m the one asking Doug the question. I’ve been privileged to become friends with Doug and I ask him a lot of questions so I can write better articles for you.<\/p>\n

This topic of thicker nails<\/strong> is really important since you’ve read in a lot of my articles that the nail plate has approximately 100 layers.<\/p>\n

New information<\/strong> has been discovered about the structure of the nail plate. Unfortunately, it’s not for the better<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Doug, in your book, Nail Structure and Product Chemistry<\/a>, you wrote that the nail plate has about 100 layers of keratin. Is this still true? Is it possible to have thicker nails? ~Ana<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

ANSWER
\n<\/span><\/h2>\n

Ana, it’s kind of a hard question. That’s why I don’t talk in terms of absolute numbers anymore.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 100 layers reference is\u00a0from my last book\u00a0published in\u00a01995.\u00a0 I don’t teach that now and it won’t be in my new book.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A\u00a0few years ago I read a paper that contradicts<\/strong> this information, so I modify what I say now. <\/span><\/p>\n

One hundred\u00a0was a rounded off number for a thick, intact nail. \u00a0At the time no one in the literature could agree on a number, but most said around 80-90, \"Thickersome up to 150. <\/span><\/p>\n

This information was mostly from microscopic examination<\/strong> by dermatologists\u00a0and others\u00a0counting the nail layers. It’s\u00a0hard to do accurately in a cut cross-section of the nail plate.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can see from the pictures on the right that it can be very difficult to count the layers accurately.<\/p>\n

More sophisticated testing is needed<\/strong>, because this is still in question.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

In the last few years I recall reading a paper from a surgeon studying the anatomical structure of the matrix. <\/span><\/p>\n

He\u00a0determined there are only about 30 rows of stem cells<\/strong> and can only produce about 30 cell layers. All nail cells come from those 30ish layers of stem cells. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"YellowThat’s pretty compelling information, if correct. I don’t think anyone really knows and I think there is a pretty wide range from the thinnest fingernail to the thickest toenail.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

I\u00a0now\u00a0say that over-filing removes the top 10% or more of the nail plate. <\/strong>That’s easier to understand. <\/span><\/p>\n

I’ve always been tempted to develop some methods to know for sure, but I’d have to do specialized testing with laboratories I work with, so it would be pretty expensive. I hope that helps clarify things. ~Doug Schoon<\/span><\/p>\n

In Conclusion<\/b><\/p>\n

When we thought the nail plate had 100 layers, personally buffing down your ridges and over-filing by nail technicians didn’t seem\u00a0dangerous.<\/p>\n

If our nail plate is about 30 layers, it becomes even more important to keep your ridges.<\/a> They are the thickest portions of the nail plate.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Also, nail enhancement products have improved significantly over the last 15 years.<\/p>\n

When working with your nail tech, make sure that they only buff the shine before applying the gel or acrylic.\u00a0Heavy filing<\/strong> to the nail plate is no longer necessary.<\/strong>\"ana-seidel-signature_72\"<\/p>\n

Inquire if\u00a0your nail professional is taking continuing education courses<\/strong> from the product manufacturers. This helps them know the best practices with the products they are using.<\/p>\n

As you can tell by now, it’s not possible<\/strong> to create naturally thicker nails. The good news is that polish can add temporary thickness and strength<\/a>. It also protects your nails from water absorption.<\/p>\n

So if anyone tells you that polish is bad for your nails, just send them to this website. Polish is a very good thing.<\/p>\n