<P> The free margin (margo liber) or distal edge is the anterior margin of the nail plate corresponding to the abrasive or cutting edge of the nail . The hyponychium (informally known as the "quick") is the epithelium located beneath the nail plate at the junction between the free edge and the skin of the fingertip . It forms a seal that protects the nail bed . The onychodermal band is the seal between the nail plate and the hyponychium . It is just under the free edge, in that portion of the nail where the nail bed ends and can be recognized in fair - skinned people by its glassy, greyish colour . It is not visible in some individuals while it is highly prominent on others . </P> <P> Together, the eponychium and the cuticle form a protective seal . The cuticle is the semi-circular layer of non-living, almost invisible dead skin cells that "ride out on" and cover the back of the visible nail plate while the eponychium is the fold of skin cells that produces the cuticle . They are continuous, and some references view them as one entity; in this classification, the names eponychium, cuticle, and perionychium are synonymous . It is the cuticle (nonliving part) that is removed during a manicure, but the eponychium (living part) should not be touched due to risk of infection . The eponychium is a small band of living cells (epithelium) that extends from the posterior nail wall onto the base of the nail . The eponychium is the end of the proximal fold that folds back upon itself to shed an epidermal layer of skin onto the newly formed nail plate . The perionyx is the projecting edge of the eponychium covering the proximal strip of the lunula . </P> <P> The nail wall (vallum unguis) is the cutaneous fold overlapping the sides and proximal end of the nail . The lateral margin (margo lateralis) lies beneath the nail wall on the sides of the nail, and the nail groove or fold (sulcus matricis unguis) are the cutaneous slits into which the lateral margins are embedded . </P> <P> The paronychium is the soft tissue border around the nail, and paronychia is an infection in this area . </P>

Where does a fingernail and a hair form