What is the eponychium commonly referred to as?

• A. The cuticle at the base of the nail
• B. The skin around the fingertip
• C. The visible portion of the nail plate
• D. The proximal nail fold at the base of the nail (eponychium)

Answer: (D)

The eponychium is the cuticle—the thin layer of dead skin at the base of the nail that helps seal the nail root as it grows. In nail care, when people refer to the cuticle, they’re talking about this area. The proximal nail fold is a surrounding skin fold at the base of the nail, a different structure, so it isn’t the eponychium. The visible part of the nail plate is simply the nail itself, not the eponychium.