What is the nail matrix?

If you’ve ever heard the term ‘nail matrix’ and pictured Keanu Reeves in black sunglasses and a trench coat, it may be time to brush up your knowledge of this important part of the nail…

Have you played on a coin pusher at an arcade? The game where a platform filled with coins pushes them forward until they drop to the next platform? Well, the nail matrix effectively does the same thing, but with new nail plate cells instead of coins.

The nail matrix is located at the base of the nail and extends a few millimetres into the finger (or toe). Nail brand, Manucurist UK, explains in a blog: “Part of the matrix is visible through the nail’s surface in the shape of a small white crescent called the lunula. It is within this matrix that the nail cells multiply and load up with keratin, giving them their solid, uniform structure.”

Marian Newman BEM explains on the NailKnowledge website: “The nail plate is made up of layers of specialised skin cells that act differently from the skin cells found elsewhere in the body. These skin cells are created in the nail matrix and continually produced. As new cells are produced, they push the older cells outward.” Hence, the coin pusher analogy.

Human beings are all different, and each individual’s nail matrix varies in size and shape. The larger and wider the nail matrix, the thicker the nail will be, and vice versa.

The nail matrix is very delicate and must be treated with care. According to NailKnowledge, any trauma can cause ‘white spots, ridges or grooves on the nail plate’.

It takes approximately five months for fingernails to grow from the matrix to the free edge, and proper care will support this process. Nail hygiene, gentle treatment and a good diet will also aid growth.

If the nail matrix experiences minor damage, it is normally able to heal. However, major trauma can cause permanent damage.