Toenail Facts for Kids

A Picture of Human Toenails
  • Organ Name: Toenail (Nail)
  • Organ System: Integumentary system
  • Organ Purpose: Protection, sensitivity and tooling
  • Organ Location: Tips of the toes, human foot
  • Organ FMA ID: 54326
  • Organ TA ID: A16.0.01.001

21 Toenail Facts for Kids

  1. The toenail is a hard, organic protein that covers the tips of human toes.
  2. Toenails are part of the human integumentary system.
  3. Toenails are made up of a protein called alpha-keratin, also known as a-keratin.
  4. Toenails are found on the human feet.
  5. The toenail has four main parts, and they are the cuticle, the matrix, the nail bed, and the nail plate.
  6. The cuticle is the tissue found at the base of the nail plate.
  7. The matrix is where the toenail grows out of and is located underneath the cuticle.
  8. The nail bed is the skin located underneath the toenail.
  9. The nail plate is the hard, visible part of the toenail.
  10. A genetically normal human has 10 toenails, five on the left foot and five on the right foot.
  11. A study determined the average growth rate for a human toenail was 1.62 mm (0.063 in) per month.
  12. Females grow toenails slow than males, expect when they are pregnant.
  13. Toenails grow slower than fingernails.
  14. The rate of growth of your toenails is based on the size of your toes.
  15. The big toenail grows the fastest, while the pinky toenail grows the slowest.
  16. A toenail takes between 12 and 18 months to grow back completely.
  17. Toenails grow slower in the winter months and faster in the summer months.
  18. Toenails are twice as thick as fingernails.
  19. An ingrown toenail is a common type of nail disease and is caused by the nail growing into the nail bed and cuts the skin.
  20. According to Guinness World Records the person with the longest toenails was Louise Hollis. In 1991, the combined length of all ten of her toenails was 87 inches.
  21. A common myth is toenails can still grow after you’ve died. This is false, it just appears like your toenails are growing because the skin around the toenails dehydrates and shrinks after death.

Additional Resources on Human Toenails