Lunula

The lunula (Latin “little moon”) is the whitish, crescent-shaped area at the base of the nail. It is the visible front part of the nail matrix, i.e. the growth zone. It looks whitish because the cells here have not yet fully keratinised.

Good to know

The lunula is usually most visible on the thumb and the big toe, and often not at all on the small toes. This is normal and not a sign of disease. Because the sensitive matrix lies beneath it, this area should never be worked on with sharp instruments.