{"id":49306,"date":"2022-07-08T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-08T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nailknowledge.org\/?p=49306"},"modified":"2026-06-19T15:40:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T15:40:59","slug":"porosidad-de-la-placa-ungueal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nailknowledge.org\/es\/blog\/nail-plate-porosity","title":{"rendered":"Porosidad de la placa ungueal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of the features that makes a big difference in how products react with the nail, but is not often discussed, is nail plate porosity.

We know that the nail plate is made up of nail plate cells, linked together by desmosomes & anchor knots.
These nail plate cells can be split into 3 groups: about 10% are made by the dorsal matrix, around 80% from the ventral matrix, and about 10% from the distal matrix or lunula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nail plate porosity – photo courtesy of Dough Schoon (Face to Face, Vol 1)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If all is well, all these different nail plate cells are bound together in such a way that we don\u2019t even notice they are different. Our nail plates look smooth & are strong. They can withstand almost all artificial nail products if we, as nail professionals, take good care not to damage them during or after product application or removal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Healthy
Healthy nail plate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The problem begins when changes happen either in the production of nail plate cells or when they are being transported along the eponychium on their journey under the proximal nail fold or the desmosomes & anchor knots are defective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s have a look at Excessive Porosity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does \u2018porous\u2019 mean? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Oxford Dictionary, porous means: “Having minute interstices (a very small space) through which liquid or air may pass”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our nail plates are porous when they are in a normal or healthy state. Just not for all fluids. For instance, a water molecule can pass through the nail plate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We see this if we have just had a long bath or been in the pool for a while. Our nail plates swell and become really flexible. Think of it as if our nail plates are a natural sponge. In a normal dry state, it is strong and doesn\u2019t bend very well. But if we put that natural sponge in a bucket of water, we can squeeze it and bend it. That\u2019s the bendy nail plate that we experience. Sometimes, this can even help us take care of excessively thick nail plates but\u2026 The water soon evaporates, and our nail plates return to their normal size and hardness. If the nail plate<\/a> cells are normal and well taken care of (oil maintenance), we don\u2019t notice it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If our nail plate cells are not being produced as they should be, we might see a nail plate that looks like this \u2018Open beaded ridge\u2019 nail plate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we look at nail plate A <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Open
Beaded Ridge nail plate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The upper surface of the nail plate looks shiny & intact, but the nail plate looks like it has \u2018little beads\u2019 on the surface, hence the name. The surface of the nail plate is still intact \u2013 the light reflects off it, it has ridges, but they are closed and intact, the surface is strong. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we are going to choose an artificial nail product for this nail plate, we want to use:
1. A product that soaks off well, with a well-known nail treatment in the nail plate first or
2. A more permanent product like L&P or Acrygel.
Why? Because if we start scraping at the top of the groves with our cuticle pusher then we will tear up the nail plate & cause even more problems. Plus, without proper nail plate maintenance with a good quality oil, we might even create a breading space for White Superficial Onychomycosis which is what happened here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"White
White superficial onychomycosis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If we look at nail plate B<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Open
Open Beaded Ridge nail plate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Open Beaded Ridge\u2019 nail plate (yellow arrows) & hang nail (blue<\/a> arrow), with normal growth (remember on average a nail plate grows 1mm a week). Where the nail plate is younger & under the least amount of pressure from the lateral nail folds (green arrows),the nail is smoother. The nail plate cells towards the free edge are much older, so they cannot keep up with the wear & tear of daily nail life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This nail plate has grooves<\/a>, like nail plate A, and a similar beaded effect, but the beads are unraveled, hence the name \u2018open beaded ridge nail plate\u2019. These nail plates are a nail technicians\u2019 worst nightmare. Now we need an artificial nail product that adheres to the nail so well that the open ridges won\u2019t cause a problem. The products with the best adhesion usually contain the most aggressive allergens so proceed with caution. Most standard nail products will not adhere to this nail plate for the normal amount of time. Even using a well-known product that we bring into the nail plate, it is on its own, not enough to get these nail plates under control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s put the 3 different nail plates together: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"nail
nail condition comparison<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s get back to porous & why it\u2019s important to recognize it.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The first nail plate (healthy) will absorb any solvent, and that solvent will evaporate without any problems at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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