Most of us love that feeling of getting our nails done. But only some of us know the origin of nails. As you’ve probably heard, nails are made of keratin, but they start out as living cells. Beneath the skin, before you can see your beautiful nails, a structure called the “root” produces living cells that then form the nail.This is like a little pocket of flesh that connects to blood vessels, which supply the nail with the nutrients it needs to make new cells. As the cells form, they are pushed forward, forming the nails we know.