Speed at which fingernails grow

Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Skin Care. Nail Care. Nail Health. How fast do nails grow? See more personal hygiene pictures. On average, fingernails grow at a rate of 0. Toenails grow back more slowly at an average rate of around 0. Is nail growth a sign of good health? Do nail plates grow back?

Once the nail separates from the nail bed, it will not reattach. A fingernail takes around four to six months to regrow completely while toenails take a year to a year and a half to grow back from cuticle to tip. If so, you and William B. Bean have something in common!

Professor Bean painstakingly measured the growth of his fingernails for decades, and he published the minutia of these measurements after 20, 25, 30 and 35 years. The full texts of these papers are a delight to read. And the findings? Well, we'll let Professor Bean speak for himself! Be sure to check out the fantastically detailed chart of his fingernail growth rates below Within a few months I found that each nail had its own pace.

This was clearly distinguishable even by the rather crude method that I used. Some nails grew rapidly; some, in an intermediate phase, less rapidly; and some, slowly. The differences were small but regular. There was consistency in the variation, so if I applied a ratio I could tell by measuring one nail what the others were doing, and this I did on several occasions. Some people also like to oil their nails to keep them fully hydrated, or to use nail-strengthening solutions if they have especially thin or pitted nails.

Contrary to popular belief, human fingernails do not continue to grow after death. The illusion of growing fingernails is created by the dehydration which the human body experiences after death. As the body dehydrates, soft tissue starts to shrink and pull away, which can make it look as though the hair and fingernails have grown. The shrinking tissue can also expose the teeth, which explains why the dead appear to be grinning. Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a BeautyAnswered researcher and writer.

Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors. Mary McMahon.