There are four Guardian Seals of the Nail Unit, also known as nail folds.
The first two are lateral nail folds to the left and right of the nail plate are there to hold the nail plate in place.
Nail folds are living skin barriers to protect us from invading pathogens.
The Proximal Nail Fold being the third Guardian Seal is there to protect the nail matrix and the eponychium from invading pathogens.
The Hyponychium is the fourth Guardian Seal.
All four Guardian Seals are important to maintain the integrity of the nail unit and need to be oiled on a regular basis to keep them elastic.
