Nail trimming

Prepare a suitable tool and good lighting

Position yourself so that you can clearly see the edge of each nail, with a steady hand. Nail clippers in good condition or nail scissors are suitable; Above all, choose a tool that you can easily control. If it crushes or tears the plate instead of cutting it cleanly, replace it rather than increasing the force.

Nails are easier to cut after a shower, when they are softened. Dry your hands to prevent the tool from slipping. Keep a file nearby for finishing: this allows you to correct a roughness without multiplying the strokes of the nail clippers until you excessively shorten the entire edge.

Choose length and shape

For short maintenance, keep approximately 1 to 2 mm of free edge. Measure this margin from where the nail comes off the skin, not from the tip of your finger. This aesthetic benchmark is not a medical standard: if the skin rises high under your nail, keep more length rather than trying to reach a number.

Choose a square shape with softened corners: the edge remains almost straight in the middle, and only the corners are rounded. Avoid very short semi-circles, points and hollow sides. The goal is a regular outline that follows the finger, without removing material on the sides to try to artificially refine the nail.

With the nail clipper, start at one end of the free edge and advance towards the other in small successive cuts. Do not try to enclose the entire width of the nail between the blades in one press and do not pull to detach a part that is still attached.

Keep the tool oriented along the edge to be shortened, without sliding a blade deep under the nail or directing it towards the skin. Stop a little short of the final length and finish with a file. If the nail bends, whitens under pressure, or splits instead of cutting cleanly, release and check the tool rather than using force.

File in one direction and soften the angles

Take a fine file and make strokes in the same direction over the worked area. You can go from one side towards the center, raise the file to return to the start, then work the other side towards the center. Avoid rapid back and forth sawing: the action must remove a small quantity of material, without shaking the nail.

Round only the corners that catch, without transforming the edge into a semi-circle or filing the side walls in depth. Then pass the pad of another finger over the contour to identify any roughness. Do not continue filing once the edge is smooth: seeking perfect symmetry can end up shortening the nail unnecessarily.

Adapt the cut to the feet

On the feet, keep a short free edge, approximately at the tip of the toe, without cutting flush with the skin. The attached part must remain intact and the corners visible, outside the side folds. The desired shape is straight, without V-shaped cutout and without deep rounding of the sides; a file can simply blunt a sticking point.

Proceed here too in small cuts rather than compressing the entire width of a thick nail. Do not try to extract a wedge that is already embedded in a painful toe yourself. If you have to force it, see poorly or have difficulty reaching your feet, get help from a chiropodist rather than cutting blindly.

In the event of diabetes, circulation problems or loss of sensitivity, have the appropriate care for your feet specified by a professional. Significant redness, pus or increasing pain requires medical advice, not a deeper cut to try to remove what is bothering you yourself.

Avoid weakening the plate

To limit cracks, use a tool that cuts cleanly, correcting small tears before they get bigger. Never tear off a strip that is splitting and do not polish the entire surface to make it perfectly smooth: this removes thickness.

Between two cuts, moisturize the nails and the surrounding skin, and protect the hands during prolonged contact with water or detergents. Also avoid using fingernails to scratch or open objects. If fragility persists despite these adjustments, or affects a nail that has become thick, painful or discolored, have the cause investigated.

Clean without scratching under the plate

When washing your hands, think below the free edge. Remove visible dirt with water, soap and, if necessary, a clean soft brush, without inserting a sharp object far under the nail. Keeping a reasonable length makes cleaning easier, but does not replace hand washing.

Leave the cuticle in its place. If a little skin is already loose on the side, do not pull it with your fingers or teeth; only the protruding dead end can be cut with a clean tool, without touching the attached skin. Then moisturize the contour if the skin is dry.

Maintain tools and keep a simple rhythm

Remove debris from your tools after use, clean and dry them thoroughly before storing them. Disinfect reusable equipment according to instructions compatible with its material; This does not replace prior cleaning. Keep your personal equipment, especially if fungus is suspected, and replace files that are worn or impossible to clean properly.

A quick, regular check is enough to know when to intervene: length that has become annoying, edge that catches or small crack that needs to be smoothed out. Toenails generally grow more slowly and are cut less often. If you bite your nails, also identify the situations that trigger this action; cutting them even shorter does not solve this habit.