Are fingernails alive?

The hard nail is not alive. It doesn't hurt because it can't feel. New nail grows from skin underneath. That skin can hurt if bumped.

The hard part of a fingernail is not alive. It is like hair: you can trim the end and it does not hurt. But the skin under and behind the nail is alive. That skin makes new nail, so the nail slowly slides forward and gets longer. If you cut too close, it can hurt because you touched the living skin.

The fingernail you can see is not alive. It is made of keratin, a tough material also found in hair. New nail is made in living skin under the nail’s base, called the nail matrix. The new cells fill with keratin, harden, and get pushed outward, so your nail grows longer. That is why cutting the tip does not hurt, but tearing skin near it does. Fun fact: fingernails grow about 3 millimeters a month, faster than toenails.