# Shrinking Nail bed



## j4lyphe (Apr 2, 2009)

Hey I was wondering if neone else was experiencing this...but I've noticed that my nail bed (the pink part) seems to be "receding" as in its getting smaller in comparison to the outgroing nail (white part at tips). When I was in high school my nail beds were much longer (like almost to the tip of my fingers) but now i'm scared that they'll get even smaller and smaller. Is there nething I can do to prevent or reverse this ? Maybe I'm lacking in something in my diet why my nail beds seem to be shrinking?? I just want my nails back lol


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## User35 (Apr 2, 2009)

wow thats odd, Ive never heard of that happening before. I would web-md it. Or maybe talk to a DR ? good luck with that


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## TISH1124 (Apr 2, 2009)

Their was nothing specific on shrinking nail beds...But it seems like you may be deficient in some vitamin...I would ask Michie ...she's a Nail tech

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The nails protect the nerve rich fingertips and tips of the toes from injury. Nails are a substructure of the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin) and are composed mainly of keratin, a type of protein. The nail bed is the skin on top of which the nails grow. Nails grow from 0-05 to 1.2 millimeters a week. If a nail is lost, it takes about seven months to grow out fully. Healthy nail beds are pink, indicating a rich blood supply. Changes or abnormalities in the nails are often the result of nutritional deficiencies or other underlying conditions. The nails can reveal a great deal about the body's internal health.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]*The following are some of the changes that nutritional deficiencies can produce in the nails: *[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A lack of protein, folic acid, and vitamin C causes hangnails [/FONT] 
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]White bands across the nails are also an indication of protein deficiency [/FONT] 
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A lack of vitamin A and calcium causes dryness and brittleness. [/FONT] 
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A deficiency of the B vitamins causes fragility, with horizontal and vertical ridges. [/FONT] 
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Insufficient intake of vitamin 312 leads to excessive dryness, very rounded and curved nail ends, and darkened nails [/FONT] 
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Iron deficiency may result in "spoon" nails (nails that develop a concave shape) and/or vertical ridges [/FONT] 
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Zinc deficiency may cause the development of white spots on the nails [/FONT] 
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A lack of sufficient "friendly" bacteria (lactobacilli) in the body can result in the growth of fungus under and around nails · A lack of sufficient hydrochloric acid (HCI) contributes to splitting nails [/FONT] 
Nail Care


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## j4lyphe (Apr 2, 2009)

i think its prob something to do with my diet (even my Mom said this)...I'm a college student and don't eat as well as I shud lol So thanks alot Tish I'll be looking into eating better AND drinking more water


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## TheJ (Aug 2, 2009)

Hi ladies

Well im a guy.... nope not gay.... jus needed some advice on this topic!! The person who posted the 1st question has explained exactly the thing that I need help with!

After some research on the topic I found out some of the terms, I hope they the right ones! 

So, I like to keep my nails, the white bit short, as close to the pink bit (Nail bed) as possible, but... (yes i know, always a but!  ) i really want my nail bed to "grow" or "increase" further up my nail so that the white bit starts at like the end of my finger tip. I'm not a nail bitter. I file my nails, but when ever there is dirt under my nails ( I'm a guy remember, so I get my hands dirty all the time!) so when i get dirt under my nails I scrape it out, I figure that might be disturbing my nail bed from "increasing". 

Is there anything I should or shouldn't do to help my nail bed increase? 

Thanks Ladies!
J


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## laraVENGEANCE (Aug 2, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *TheJ* 

 
_Hi ladies

Well im a guy.... nope not gay.... jus needed some advice on this topic!! The person who posted the 1st question has explained exactly the thing that I need help with!

After some research on the topic I found out some of the terms, I hope they the right ones! 

So, I like to keep my nails, the white bit short, as close to the pink bit (Nail bed) as possible, but... (yes i know, always a but!  ) i really want my nail bed to "grow" or "increase" further up my nail so that the white bit starts at like the end of my finger tip. I'm not a nail bitter. I file my nails, but when ever there is dirt under my nails ( I'm a guy remember, so I get my hands dirty all the time!) so when i get dirt under my nails I scrape it out, I figure that might be disturbing my nail bed from "increasing". 

Is there anything I should or shouldn't do to help my nail bed increase? 

Thanks Ladies!
J_

 
instead of scraping out the dirt, gently use a nail brush instead. it won't be as harsh under your nails, what you're probably doing is separating the pink bit from the nail (making the white bit bigger) by pressing too hard with whatever you scrape underneath them with.


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## anita22 (Aug 2, 2009)

If the white part seems to be increasing a lot (i.e. the nail seems to be lifting away from the nail bed) it can be a sign of a nail infection. But other than that, I'm not sure what else might cause them to recede?? Hmm..


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## gildedangel (Aug 2, 2009)

Try using a nail brush (they are really cheap) to keep your nails clean, and you could wear gloves while you do messy things to prevent the dirt from getting under there. HTH!


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## TheJ (Aug 3, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *gildedangel* 

 
_Try using a nail brush (they are really cheap) to keep your nails clean, and you could wear gloves while you do messy things to prevent the dirt from getting under there. HTH!_

 
hahaha!! You have a point! but I'm kinda spontaneous in my fixing and messing around 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 no time to go searching for gloves


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## Randy Mac (Dec 26, 2012)

actually, I found the same thing happened with I took a ceramics class, wheel throwing, where there wasnt direct pressure on the nail bed, but just the extra exposure made my nail bed mad short and stubby looking. Kinda like when people bite their nails


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## determined (Jun 19, 2014)

This recently happened to me.  Since the beginning of the year I have been trying everything possible to get my nails to grow, including using a formaldehyde-based nail strengthener and various creams.  After several months, my nails began to grow, but the nail beds receded, to the point that I grew alarmed.  In fact, I finally caught the edge of one nail on a blanket one night and ripped it across, which is what I feared might happen.  So ironically, all my efforts to make my nails look better were causing them to get worse.

  I went to both my general practitioner and a dermatologist, and here is what they concluded.  The nail strengthener could have played a part.  So could trauma (I was cleaning underneath the nails too vigorously).  Also, a particular cream I was using had antiseptic properties and might be drying them out.  They both recommended discontinuing the nail strengthener and cream, and to stop cleaning underneath so much.  They told me to continue using a good cuticle oil, such as Solar Oil, and a good hand cream, such as Neutrogena's Norwegian formula.  The dermatologist also recommended taking a biotin supplement to help the nails grow faster (5,000mcg per day). I asked if the nail beds would ever grow back, and they said yes.  It will probably take a year to find out if they are right or not, though.


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