Louisiana State Board Cosmetology Gold Book Practice Test

Understanding nail anatomy helps you name the area around the nail plate correctly. The skin surrounding the nail is called the perionychium. This region includes the nail folds along the sides and the proximal skin that sits at the base of the nail; the cuticle is part of this area and helps protect the nail matrix. The hyponychium, on the other hand, is the skin under the free edge of the nail, not around it, and the lunula is that pale crescent at the base of the nail.