Which Fingernail Grows The Fastest And Why?

Are you curious to know which fingernail grows the fastest on your hand? Or do you want to know which of your fingernails grows the fastest? Well, I’m going to reveal that to you somewhere in this article. Keep reading. However, which fingernail grows the fastest and why?

The middle fingernails tend to grow the fastest and the thumb the slowest, and the reason is because of the length of bones in the fingertip. To put this in perspective, here’s a flow chart of the growth rate of nails in humans from fastest to slowest.  Middle Finger >> Ring Finger >> Index Finger >> Pinky Finger >> Thumb Finger

If you’re a nail enthusiast like me, you would have at least at some point in your life googled to know which of your fingernails grows the fastest or what fingernail grows the fastest or, the fastest growing nail, most especially after several attempts to keep them in the same length.

For this same reason, a lot have given up on their dream of growing nails naturally and have, since, opted-in for some acrylics to match the length of their nails because trimming them to be of equal measure looks like a taboo to them.

Why Do the Middle Fingernails Grow the Fastest?

Fingernails growth

This is because the growth of your nails depends on the length of the bones in the fingertips. That is to say, the longer the finger’s bone, the faster the nail growth on that finger. It is because of this sole reason that we have more nail growth on our middle fingernail than any other finger.

Below is a photo of me that boldly spells all five of my fingers. If you take a closer look at my nails, you’ll notice that my free edge (the part where the nails begin to look all-white) comes in various lengths.

Well, the juice in this is I carefully took time to measure them all (the free edge) using a plastic ruler calibrated in centimeters are the measurement results.

How Much Does a Fingernail Grow?

Although the growth rate of nails may be affected by age, fingernails generally grow at 1 nano-meter every second, 0.0036 mm in an hour, and 0.1 mm in a day. Also, if you multiply the 0.1 mm growth of nails in a day by 7 ( which is the number of days in a week), the finger grows 0. by 7 millimeters per week. Lastly, in a month, the fingernail grows by 3 millimeters. You can calculate this by multiplying 0.1 X 30

How to Grow Your Nails Faster

1. Eat food rich in vitamins and make vegetables

One of the best ways to grow your nails faster is to eat food rich in vitamins and make vegetable part of your diet. Vitamin A helps your nails grow.  Here are some other foods that are good for your nails, carrots, spinach, kale, and sweet potatoes.

2. Care for your cuticle

Cuticles should not be cut; rather, they should be pushed backward. Cuticles are the thin layer of skin that extends from the base of your nail bed to its tip. They are made up of living tissue and help protect the nail plate from bacteria and other foreign substances. That’s why it’s important to keep them moisturized and healthy.

3. File your nails the right way

Filing should be done in one direction and not back and forth. If you want to grow your nails faster and keep them healthy, it’s important to file them correctly. The most common mistake people make is filing their nails too short. This can damage the nail bed and cause breakage. To avoid this, always use a nail file that’s appropriate for the length of your nails

4. Protect your nails with gloves while doing the dishes at home

This is because the liquid detergent contains harmful chemicals that can damage your nail plate. The point is to protect your nails from constant exposure to water and soap, which can cause them to break down and become brittle. Because of this, when you wear gloves while doing the dishes, your nails get a slight reprieve from all that harsh chemical exposure. And so they grow faster!

5. Avoid using acetone nail polish as this weakens the nail plate

If you’re looking for a way to grow your nails faster, you might consider avoiding acetone nail polish. Acetone is a solvent that can weaken the nail plate and make it more prone to breaking. When that happens, it’s hard for your nails to grow back as strong as they were. So if you want longer nails, try switching to non-acetone nail polish.

6. Exercise more

You can grow your nails faster by exercising more. Exercise increases blood flow to the extremities, which helps nutrients reach your nails and makes it easier for them to grow. It also helps improve the flexibility of your hands and fingers so that you can easily pick up small objects.

Measurement To Determine Which fingernail Grows the Fastest

Pinky finger: 0.7 cm

Ring Finger: 0.8 cm

Middle finger: 1 cm

Index finger : 0.8 cm

Thumb finger : 0.5 cm

In the above results, you will notice that I started the measurement from the smallest finger (pinky finger) down to the thumb. This is true because the rate at which our fingernails grow is directly proportional to the length of the digits’ terminal phalanges (outermost finger bones). For this reason, the nails on your index finger tend to grow slightly faster than the thumb.

4 Factors That Hinder Fingernail From Not Growing At The Fastest Rate Possible

There are some obvious reasons why your nails may grow slower or faster. They are the following:

1. Season

Do you know that season also plays a significant role in nail growth? Well, in case you don’t know today. Nails grow faster in summer than in winter due to so many factors. These Factors Are As Follows

• Sunlight

There is a peculiar vitamin that accompanies sunlight (Vitamin D). This vitamin helps us grow strong bones and help us intake phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium in our body.

• Daily activities

During the summer, a lot of activities are carried out. Such events may include sporting activities, hiking, fishing, and what have you. During these periods of jumping up and down, blood usually flows down, which can lead to the rapid growth of your nails.

2. Hormones

Hormones are another factor to consider in nail growth. Regarding your health status, the hormone can affect how your fingernails grow.

For instance, women, during pregnancy, because of the high level of estrogen and progesterone production in their body, tend to experience faster nail growth compared to after childbirth (lactation).

3. Age

Several reports have shown that children between the age of 10 – 18 tend to experience exponential nail growth more than adults between the age of 35. This is because as one age, blood circulation slows down a bit, which eventually slows how one’s nail grows.

4. Location of your nails

The location of your nails is another factor to consider. Generally, fingernails tend to grow more than toenails reason being that fingernails get stimulated more often than toenails.

Also, the growth rate of each of our fingers differs. Your middle finger grows the fastest, followed by the ring finger, while the thumb grows at a much slower pace. Furthermore, the nails on the dominant hand grow more than on the non-dominant hand.

Conclusion

If you’ve been following this post keenly, you’ll agree that fingernails’ growth rate depends solely on factors such as age, hormone, season, and location. Of all the factors listed, age is one of the major factors that dictate how your nails should grow once you get to a certain age.

The nails grow faster on your middle finger, which makes it the fastest-growing fingernail. The reason for this is because of the length of the bones present in the finger.