Fingernails grow at a rate of 4 centimeters a year , at least twice as fast as toenails. This is due to the fact that those of the hands suffer more wear , since they are used, for example, to open cans, boxes or objects, and also to scratch, so they need to be replaced before.
However, the speed of growth varies greatly from one person to another, depending on genetic inheritance, sex, age and, of course, wear and tear due to use. The time of year also influences: in summer, nails grow significantly faster than during other seasons.
(published in VERY Interesting nº 364, September 2011)
