MicroFactzzz#0027 · 🧬 Human Glitch
Fingernails Grow Faster Than Toenails — and No One's Fully Sure Why
Fingernails grow roughly two to three times faster than toenails, and the gap has puzzled researchers for decades.
Fingernails grow an average of 3-4 mm a month; toenails grow just 1-1.5 mm — two to three times slower.
The most commonly cited explanation: hands are more exposed, used more often, and better supplied with blood than feet, and that extra blood flow and stimulation may speed up nail plate growth.
Bonus fact: the middle fingernail usually grows fastest of all — possibly because it's the longest finger, and finger length correlates with nail growth speed.
It's still not a fully settled question scientifically — the exact mechanism linking blood supply, temperature, and mechanical stimulation to growth rate is still being researched.
Sources
- General knowledge / encyclopedic sources
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Krulicza Nora
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