An unexpected, accidental slam in the car door can be all it takes for a fingernail or toenail to get injured to the point where it bruises and eventually falls off. If you've lost a nail, you may wonder how much time it will take for a new one to completely grow out. There are many factors that go into the time required for a new nail to appear, such as age, gender and your overall health.
How Nails Grow
Fingernails and toenails are made of the same stuff as your skin and hair, a protein called keratin. According to Kids Health, your fingernails and toenails start growing from the nail root located underneath your cuticle. As new cells are formed, they push out the older ones, creating the hard shell that you know as a fingernail or toenail. Because nails are such slow growers, you're looking at months--and sometimes longer than a year--before a new nail grows out entirely.
Average Fingernail Growth
If you lose a fingernail, it grows back considerably quicker than a toenail, with the word "quicker" being entirely relative. A new fingernail takes 3 to 6 months to grow out, on average, according to Kids Health. The average adult's fingernails grow roughly a tenth of an inch per month month, or 3 millimeters, says Harvard Medical School.
Average Toenail Growth
If you find yourself clipping your toenails less frequently than your fingernails, there's a reason--toenails grow a lot slower than fingernails, says Kids Health. If you lose a toenail, it takes between 12 and 18 months for a new one to grow back out. Toenails grow at a rate of one-third to one-half of the rate of fingernails, or around 1 millimeter each month, according to Harvard Medical School.
Age, Gender and Nail Growth
The time required for your nails to grow out varies depending on other factors, says Harvard Medical School. Children experience faster nail growth than adults, and nail growth is most rapid during the period of adolescence. Nail growth slows down when you reach your 20s. Over the rest of your lifetime, the rate of nail growth is decreased by 50 percent. Slow-growing nails are common in old age, says the National Institutes of Health. Men's nails grow faster than those of women, except during old age or pregnancy, says the American Academy of Dermatology.
Health and Nails
Another factor that can influence nail growth is your health status. According to the Harvard Medical School, nail growth slows down if you have paralysis, decreased circulation and malnutrition. Nails also grow slower after medical treatments such as chemotherapy. Abnormal nail growth--pitting, curling of the nails, horizontal lines or a change in nail color--are sometimes indicators of a systemic illness.
Fun Nail Facts
If you notice that your fingernails seem to grow faster on one hand than the other, this is no coincidence--according to the American Academy of Dermatology, the nails on your dominant hand grow out more rapidly. Also, nail growth is usually faster in the summer than it is in the winter.
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