Before you can understand what your nails say about your health, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the different parts of the nail. The hard part of the nail that you clip, paint and file is called the nail plate. The area where new nail plate cells are created and the nail plate begins is called the matrix. The eponychium is a group of living cells at the base of the nail plate that covers the matrix. That thin layer of dead skin around your nail is called the cuticle. The cuticle provides a protective layer between the nail plate and the eponychium to help block pathogens and prevent the matrix from becoming infected. The white crescent-shaped area at the base of the nail is called the lunula, the pink skin beneath the nail is called the nail bed.
