# What's this beneath my nails?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-beneath-my-nails/94813>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 22, 2001, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-beneath-my-nails/94813 "2001-11-22T22:47:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sofis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Sofis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofis)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-beneath-my-nails/94813/1 "2001-11-22T22:47:11Z")

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No, I’m not talking about gray gunk. Go clean your nails, what would your mother say if she saw you like that, huh?

I’m talking about this reddish stuff that was exposed by a particularly bad nail-break. Is it merely skin that hasn’t seen the light of day since I was born, or is it some sort of epithelium, or what?

_Ow_, by the way.

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**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-beneath-my-nails/94813/2 "2001-11-22T23:19:39Z")

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I think that’s called blood 😛

A quick Google search (“nail injuries”) turns up this , and interesting site on nail health. There are plenty more sites if you want.

The part you’re seeing is the nail bed. 😛

Simple Speaker answer right there.

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**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-beneath-my-nails/94813/3 "2001-11-22T23:20:44Z")

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Ack, the link didn’t work.

Let’s [try](http://www.aad.org/pamphlets/nailhealth.html) this again, shall we?

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**Author:** ![Sofis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Sofis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofis)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2001, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-beneath-my-nails/94813/4 "2001-11-22T23:59:28Z")

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So nice to have a name for that, it makes it so much easier to search :).

According to [this site](http://www.nh.ultranet.com/~thabif/html/anatomy.html), it is indeed epithelium. Much as I dislike the idea of part of my connective tissue being exposed to the world (or my bandaid, at any rate), at least now I know, and shall be able to sleep at night.

Thanks for the help.

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**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-beneath-my-nails/94813/5 "2001-11-23T03:21:38Z")

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That was the first question I’ve ever answered to the person’s satisfaction 😃 Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-beneath-my-nails/94813/6 "2001-11-23T03:26:39Z")

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**SftD** , you were too _quick_ for me.

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**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2001, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-beneath-my-nails/94813/7 "2001-11-23T03:35:29Z")

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**Zenster** deserves an SDMB merit-badge for the _appalling_ sub[/sub] pun.