Lunula of Toenail

Last updated: May 5th, 2025

The lunula of the toenail is the whitish or paler hemispheric portion of the nail body arcing upwards from the cuticle or eponychium. It has the appearance of a half-moon. Lunula is Latin for "moon." All the nails have lunulae, however, the lunula's appearance is most marked in the large toe; and on the other nails the lunula may not be visible at all, hidden beneath the cuticle and the skin further back along the toes. The cells of the lunula are the same keratinized cells that make up the rest of the nail bed, but they are slightly less developed than the other cells and less firmly attached to the nail bed, resulting in its lighter appearance.