Like their better-known skin twin, the cuticle, the hyponychium also serves a purpose for the nail. The waterproof blockade is chock full of white blood cells, helping to keep external things out from under the nail and prevent any infections that may make their way through. On a normal, healthy nail, the hyponychium isn't super visible when looking at the top of your nails. When you flip your hands around, you can see the tiny sliver of skin safeguarding the nail.
You can see the hyponychium more clearly under your nail when it is overgrown. It also grows thicker and tender, attaching itself to the nail, making trimming them painful. While an overgrown hyponychium can simply stem from genetics or nail psoriasis, it's often the result of nail biting and too many gel and acrylic manicures.
When you gel manicures often or allow your acrylics to linger around past their expiration date, the hyponychium will thicken up and cling to the back of your nail bed due to skin overgrowth. However, if you suffer from nail psoriasis, your hyponychium will separate from the nail bed and become discolored.
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