Your nails and hair are made out of the same stuff, namely keratin, which is a really tough, fibrous protein.

There’s sulphur in your claws that help bind the keratin together, and that’s what makes them hard. But there’s also water and fat molecules in between the keratin layers, and that’s what makes them shiny and pliable.

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Your nails exist to protect the tips of your fingers. Back when we were swinging in trees, your nails were used as tools for various tasks, like scraping away bark to get to food, or picking fleas off your mates back.

Luckily, we don’t scratch anyone but ourselves these days. But your nails still play an important role, and should be looked after accordingly.

Nail biting
Nails grow at about 1 mm a week, but this can change depending on hormones, your age your diet and the climate in which you live. Hormone fluctuations can increase the speed at which your nails grow. It has also been shown that nail biting can amplify the rate at which nails grow, and that people who are right handed who routinely bite the nails on that hand will notice an increase in nail growth on their left hand.

Some guys may think taking care of their nails is for girls, but proper claw-care can go along way in preventing painful nail infections and fungus’s. These ailments can trap themselves under the fingernails, and be transferred to the mouth through nail biting, so keeping your mitts clean is well advised.

Every morning, afternoon and night, wash your hands with a mild soap, and clean under your nails with a nail brush. Clip your nails to the same length, then apply some hand lotion or moisturizer. Your soft touch will keep the girls purring.

Did you know?

(Warren Vonk, Health24, February 2006)

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