Physics of nail conditions: why do ingrown nails always happen in the big toes?
Although surgical treatment of nail conditions can be traced back centuries to the writings of Paul Aegineta (625–690 AC), little is known about the physical laws governing nail growth. Such a poor understanding together with the increasing number of nail salons in the high street should raise legit...
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| Format: | Article |
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IOP Publishing
2014
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/37949/ |
| _version_ | 1848795567935717376 |
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| author | Rauch, Cyril Cherkaoui-Rbati, Mohammed |
| author_facet | Rauch, Cyril Cherkaoui-Rbati, Mohammed |
| author_sort | Rauch, Cyril |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Although surgical treatment of nail conditions can be traced back centuries to the writings of Paul Aegineta (625–690 AC), little is known about the physical laws governing nail growth. Such a poor understanding together with the increasing number of nail salons in the high street should raise legitimate concerns regarding the different procedures applied to nails. An understanding of the physics of nail growth is therefore essential to engage with human medicine and to understand the aetiology of nail conditions. In this context, a theory of nail plate adhesion, including a physical description of nail growth can be used to determine the transverse and longitudinal curvatures of the nail plate that are so important in the physical diagnosis of some nail conditions. As a result physics sheds light on: (a) why/how nails/hooves adhere strongly, yet grow smoothly; (b) why hoof/claw/nail growth rates are similar across species; (c) potential nail damage incurred by poor trimming; (d) the connection between three previously unrelated nail conditions, i.e. spoon-shaped, pincer and ingrown nails and; last but not least, (e) why ingrown nails occur preferentially in the big toes. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:34:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-37949 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:34:09Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-379492020-05-04T16:55:47Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/37949/ Physics of nail conditions: why do ingrown nails always happen in the big toes? Rauch, Cyril Cherkaoui-Rbati, Mohammed Although surgical treatment of nail conditions can be traced back centuries to the writings of Paul Aegineta (625–690 AC), little is known about the physical laws governing nail growth. Such a poor understanding together with the increasing number of nail salons in the high street should raise legitimate concerns regarding the different procedures applied to nails. An understanding of the physics of nail growth is therefore essential to engage with human medicine and to understand the aetiology of nail conditions. In this context, a theory of nail plate adhesion, including a physical description of nail growth can be used to determine the transverse and longitudinal curvatures of the nail plate that are so important in the physical diagnosis of some nail conditions. As a result physics sheds light on: (a) why/how nails/hooves adhere strongly, yet grow smoothly; (b) why hoof/claw/nail growth rates are similar across species; (c) potential nail damage incurred by poor trimming; (d) the connection between three previously unrelated nail conditions, i.e. spoon-shaped, pincer and ingrown nails and; last but not least, (e) why ingrown nails occur preferentially in the big toes. IOP Publishing 2014-10-16 Article PeerReviewed Rauch, Cyril and Cherkaoui-Rbati, Mohammed (2014) Physics of nail conditions: why do ingrown nails always happen in the big toes? Physical Biology, 11 (6). 066004/1-066004/10. ISSN 1478-3975 hard and growing tissues biomechanics dermatology adhesion http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1478-3975/11/6/066004/meta doi:10.1088/1478-3975/11/6/066004 doi:10.1088/1478-3975/11/6/066004 |
| spellingShingle | hard and growing tissues biomechanics dermatology adhesion Rauch, Cyril Cherkaoui-Rbati, Mohammed Physics of nail conditions: why do ingrown nails always happen in the big toes? |
| title | Physics of nail conditions: why do ingrown nails always happen in the big toes? |
| title_full | Physics of nail conditions: why do ingrown nails always happen in the big toes? |
| title_fullStr | Physics of nail conditions: why do ingrown nails always happen in the big toes? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Physics of nail conditions: why do ingrown nails always happen in the big toes? |
| title_short | Physics of nail conditions: why do ingrown nails always happen in the big toes? |
| title_sort | physics of nail conditions: why do ingrown nails always happen in the big toes? |
| topic | hard and growing tissues biomechanics dermatology adhesion |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/37949/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/37949/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/37949/ |