Trimming nails: how to do it right

Trimming nails seems too simple for instructions, but that is exactly where it often goes wrong. Too short, too round, with the wrong tool or at the wrong moment: these are the most common causes of an ingrown nail.

1. Cut straight across

Cut the nail straight across and do not follow the curve of the toe. Leave the corners in place. Exactly where people cut them away to make it look neat is where the spike forms that grows in later.

If the straight edge is sharp, file it smooth instead of cutting it away. Filing does not remove material you need.

2. No shorter than the toe tip

The nail is there to protect the tip of the toe. Cut it shorter and the skin takes over and thickens, exactly where the nail has to grow out again.

Leaving a millimetre or two of white edge is a good measure. If you can no longer see a white edge, it is too short.

• Cut straight and leave the corners
• Leave one to two millimetres of white edge
• Use clippers with a straight cutting edge
• Cut after showering so the nail splits less

3. The right tool

Use nail clippers or nippers with a straight cutting edge. Curved scissors force a round cut, which is exactly what you do not want.

Keep the tool clean and sharp. Blunt tools crush the nail instead of cutting it, which can cause splitting.

4. The right moment

Cut after showering or after a short foot bath. The nail is softer then and splits less easily. That applies especially to thicker toenails.

Cut a little more often rather than a lot at once. Every four to six weeks is enough for most people.

5. When to leave it to someone else

If you cannot reach properly, cannot see sharply, or your nails are so thick or curved that ordinary clippers do not work, have it done. That is not a luxury but safety.

At Pedicure Patty that can be a short treatment of up to thirty minutes for €28.50, or part of the standard treatment.

In practice this subject belongs with ingrown nail and cracked heels. There you can read how Patty works, or you can request an appointment straight away.

Further reading: ingrown toenail: what now?, cracked heels: how do they form?, how do you recognise a fungal nail?.

Frequently asked questions