# finger nails. white for part?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-nails-white-for-part/114169>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 15, 2002, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-nails-white-for-part/114169 "2002-06-15T04:12:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![eyedea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ed655f/32.png) [@eyedea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eyedea)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-nails-white-for-part/114169/1 "2002-06-15T04:12:25Z")

</div>

If you look at your finger nails, u generally see that the color of the nails are clear, where as the  
part that grows is white. whu??

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-nails-white-for-part/114169/2 "2002-06-15T04:33:20Z")

</div>

You skin is pressed tight against the nail and therefore it shows thru clearly. The ends of nails appear white because of the light behind them. This is something like the pressing of body parts against a shower door and such parts being more apparent.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2002, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finger-nails-white-for-part/114169/3 "2002-06-15T05:21:52Z")

</div>

Although images of body parts pressed against a shower door are quite amusing, I think **eyedea** is refering to the lunula, the cresent shape of white at the base of the fingernail.

The lunula is white because the nail matrix is white.

Cool nail word of the day: hyponychium.