The cuticle is a thin layer of clear skin located along the bottom edge of your finger or toe nails, acting as a protective barrier for the nail matrix. It serves to protect new nails from bacterial and fungal infections as they grow.
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Nail matrix: The nail matrix is the tissue (located under the skin) at the base of the nail responsible for producing cells that become the nail plate.
Nail plate: The hard part of the nail, made of keratin, that grows out from the nail bed.