Nails grow all the time, however their rate of growth slows down with age and poor circulation. Fingernails grow faster than toenails and it takes about 6 months for a nail to grow from the root to the free edge. The structure we know of as the nail is divided into six specific parts - the root, nail bed, nail plate, eponychium (or cuticle), perionychium, and hyponychium. The root of the fingernail is the portion of the nail that is actually beneath the skin, behind the fingernail, and extends into the finger. The nail bed extends from the edge of the germinal matrix, to the hyponychium. The nail bed contains the blood vessels, nerves, and melanocytes, or melanin-producing cells. The nail plate is the actual fingernail, and the pink appearance of the nail comes from the blood vessels underneath the nail. The cuticle is located between the skin of the finger and the nail plate fusing these structures together and providing a waterproof barrier. The perionychium is the site of hangnails, ingrown nails, and an infection of the skin called paronychia. The hyponychium is the junction between the free edge of the nail and the skin of the fingertip, also providing a waterproof barrier.