What Causes Short Nail Beds and How to Lengthen Them

The nail bed is the pinkish-colored soft tissue underneath your nail plate (the hard part of your nail).

Nail beds aren’t one-size-fit-all. They’re different shapes and sizes. Some people have shorter nail beds while others have longer ones.

Some people are unhappy with their shorter nail beds because they feel it makes their nails look too short. While you can’t change the size of your nail beds, the good news is that you can make them appear longer. Read on to learn more.

How to make your nail beds appear longer

While you can’t change the size of your nail beds, there are things you can do to make them appear longer. Try these three tips:

1. Grow out your nails

First step is to let your nails grow out. As your nails become longer, you’ll have a longer white tip, which helps elongate your nail bed. If you have difficulty growing your own nails, artificial nails can protect your real nails from cracks and breaks.

2. Use a nail brush for cleaning instead of a nail scraper

You can also make your nail beds appear longer by cleaning underneath your nails with a nail brush instead of metal nail tools. Using a sharp object to clean underneath nails can cause slight damage and separation of the nail plate from the nail bed.

3. Push back your cuticles

You can also push back your cuticles to give the appearance of a longer nail bed. Before pushing back your cuticles, soak your nails in warm water to soften your cuticles. Add a few drops of essential oil or cuticle oil to the water.

Soak your nails for about five minutes, dry with a clean cloth, and then use a cuticle stick to gently push back your cuticles.

What determines the size and shape of your nail beds?

Genetics mostly determines the size and shape of nail beds. So, if your mother or father has a short nail bed, you might have a short nail bed, too.

Although genetics is the biggest determining factor in the shape and length of your nail bed, other factors may affect the size of this area. Some of these factors can make your nail beds appear shorter than they actually are. They include:

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