Milady CIMA Chapter 6

Beau's Lines

depressions running across the nail plate's width due to a slowing production of matrix cells

Nail Melanoma/Subungual Melanoma

a rare and serious type of skin cancer that begins in the nail matrix; it is more prevalent in the nails of your thumbs and big toes and usually affects one nail at a time; sometimes can look like other conditions that affect the nail bed, like a bruise; if left untreated it can metastasize or spread to other parts of your body

Natural Nail Unit

all parts of the finger from tip to the first knuckle; technically referred to as the onyx and is composed mainly of keratin

Tinea Pedis

also known as athlete's foot; medical term for fungal infection of the feet; often seen as red patches or scaling of the skin on the bottom of feet and/or between the toe

Onychophagy

also known as bitten nails; result of a habit of chewing the nail or chewing the hardened skin surrounding the nail plate

Plicatured Nail

also known as folded nail; a type of highly curved nail plate usually caused by injury to the matrix, but may be inherited

Onychocryptosis

also known as ingrown nail; nail grows into the living tissue around the nail

Lateral Nail Fold

also known as the sidewall; folds of skin that line the sides of the nail plate

Pincer Nail

also known as trumpet nail; a form of dramatically increased nail curvature of the free edge, whereby the nail can curl in upon itself or may be deformed only on one sidewall

Nail Disorder

an unhealthy nail condition that is hereditary or caused by injury or disease of the nail unit

Onychosis

any deformity or disease of the natural nails

Matrix

area where the nail plate cells are formed; composed of matrix cells that produce the nail plate

Paronychia

bacterial inflammation of the tissues surrounding the nail; redness, pus, and swelling are usually present

Perionychium

collectively, the nail bed(or sterile matrix), nail fold, eponychium, paronychium, and hyponychium

Splinter Hemmorrhage

damage to the capillaries under the nail, giving the appearance of a lengthwise small splinter underneath the nail plate; caused by physical trauma or nail bed injury

Hangnail

damaged skin around the nail plate(often on the eponychium) becomes split or torn

Bruised Nail Bed

dark purplish spots, usually due to a small nail bed injury

Proximal Nail Fold/PNF

entire flap of skin covering the matrix, extending from the edge of the visible nail plate to the first joint of the finger or toe

Infected Finger

finger with visible redness, pain, swelling, broken skin, or pus

Nail Folds

folds of skin that surround the nail plate

Nail Plate

hard keratin plate on top of and slowly sliding across the nail bed as it grows; the most visible and functioning part of the nail unit

Onychia

inflammation of the nail matrix followed by shedding of the natural nail caused by infection or injury

Onychorrhexis

irregular split or brittle nails appearing as nail plate surface roughness; potentially caused by heredity, matrix injury, excessive exposure to cuticle removers, harsh cleaning agents, or aggressive filing techniques

Nail Pterygium

irregular stretching of the eponychium or hyponychium around the nail plate; usually from serious injury or an allergic skin reaction

Eponychium

living skin underneath the PNF found at the nail plate's base covering the matrix area

Onychomycosis

nail plate fungal infection, consisting of whitish patches that can be scraped off the nail's surface or long whitish or pale yellowish streaks within the nail plate

Nail Psoriasis

nail surface pitting, roughness, onycholysis, and bed discolorations randomly or evenly spaced; nail plate may appear as if it has been filed with a coarse abrasive, or the free edge may be ragged, or both

Discolored Nail

nail that has turned a variety of colors; may indicate surface staining, a systemic disorder, or poor blood circulation

Cuticle

nonliving colorless tissue attached to the nail plate

Eggshell Nail

noticeably thin, white nail plate that is more flexible than usual; usually caused by diet, heredity, internal disease, medication, or overfilling with an abrasive

Free Edge

part of the nail plate that extends over the tip of the finger or toe

Nail Bed

portion of living skin that supports the nail plate as it grows toward the free edge

Pseudomanas Aeruginosa

rapidly growing and contagious bacteria that can cause infection; seen in the early stages as a yellow-green spot that becomes darker in its advanced stage, changing from yellow to green to brown to black

Onychomadesis

separation and falling off of a nail plate from the nail bed; caused by infection, matrix injury, systemic illness, or medical procedure

Onycholysis

separation of the nail plate and bed, often due to injury or allergic reactions

Pyogenic Granuloma

severe inflammation of the nail in which a lump of red tissue grows up from the nail bed to the nail plate

Melanonychia

significant darkening of the fingernails or toenails caused by increased pigment cells(melanocytes); may be seen as a black band under or within the nail plate, extending from the base to the free edge

Hyponychium

slightly thickened layer of skin that lies between the fingertip and free edge of the nail plate, forming a protective barrier that prevents microorganisms from invading and infecting the nail bed

Nail Groove

slit or furrow on the sides of the nail

Onyx

technical term for nails of the fingers or toes

Bed Epithelium

thin layer of tissue between the nail plate and the nail bed

Ligament

tough band of fibrous tissue that connects bones or holds an organ in place

Ridged Nail

vertical lines running the length of the natural nail plate, usually the result of aging

Lunula

visible part of the matrix that extends from underneath the living skin; whitish half-moon shape at the base of the nail

Leukonychia

which discoloration found inside the nail plate, usually caused by injury to the nail matrix