We sometimes observe it out of the corner of our eye, without really paying it any attention. Yet, this small white crescent shape at the base of the nail—the lunula—is increasingly intriguing. Is it a discreet mirror of our inner state? And above all, should we be alarmed when it disappears or changes appearance? The answer can be summed up in one word: nuance.
The lunula, this silent witness to nail growth
Originally, the lunula is nothing mysterious. It is simply the visible part of the nail matrix, where the nail begins to grow. Its whitish tint? It comes from a structure devoid of visible blood vessels, unlike the rest of the nail bed, which is pinker.