Should nails be cut into round or square shapes? How short should they be cut? I didn’t expect there are so many things to know about nail cutting

Cut your nails

Different people have different cutting methods

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Our nail structure (nail unit) is mainly composed of the nail matrix, nail bed, cuticle, proximal and lateral folds (skin folds on both sides of the nail) and the nail plate.

Many people have some wrong habits when cutting their nails, such as:

Nails cut too short

If the nails are trimmed too short, especially if the sides of the nails are trimmed too deep, the edges of the nails may become sharp. As the nails grow, the sharp edges may insert into the nail folds on both sides of the nail plate, forming ingrown nails . In layman's terms, the nails have grown into the flesh .

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Ingrown toenails often cause pain, redness and swelling, and in severe cases, secondary infection may occur, causing paronychia .

Paronychia is an inflammation of the proximal or lateral nail fold, with or without infection. Excessive nail trimming or excessive cleaning may lead to paronychia, which may lead to infection if combined with the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses or fungi.

Once you have ingrown toenails or paronychia, if you ignore them, they may become infected over time.

If left untreated for a long time, it will cause hyperplasia and thickening of the lateral and lateral nail folds, leading to deformation of the fingertips.

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In more serious cases, inflammation damages the nail bed and may cause onychodystrophy, onycholysis (the entire nail plate falls off or is gone), or permanent onychodystrophy (permanent deformity of the nail).

There are also individual case reports of the infection spreading to the nail bed and bone marrow, causing osteomyelitis, ischemic necrosis of the fingers, etc.

So, once you find that you have signs of paronychia or ingrown toenails, do not continue cutting your nails. Go to the hospital as soon as possible and receive timely treatment to avoid a small problem turning into a big trouble .

Nails that are too long

Long nails are really inconvenient in daily life! Typing on the keyboard, flushing the toilet, tearing snack bags... all of these are hidden risks. If you accidentally break your nails, it may cause the nails to delaminate or separate, causing pain or secondary infection .

Image source: soogif

In addition, if nails are too long, they can easily harbor dirt and become a breeding ground for pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, increasing the risk of infection .

Image source: Photo Network

So, how to cut your nails correctly?

① There is not much to be particular about nail clippers, as long as they are convenient to use. You can wipe the nail clippers with a 90% alcohol cotton pad before cutting.

② Do not trim the nails too short. There is no need to deliberately trim them into an arc shape. Do not completely cut off the corners of the nail plate. Leave a thin edge of at least 1 mm on the free edge of the nail plate (the white part of the nail plate outside the nail bed).

③ Soak your feet in warm water before cutting your toenails. It will be easier to cut them after the nails are softened.

In addition, in order to protect our nails, we should also pay attention to the following two points:

1

Don't tear off the thorns with your hands

Hangnails are medically known as "reverse peeling". When you wash your hands too frequently, the skin around your nails becomes dry and hangnails increase. It has nothing to do with vitamin deficiency!

If you have a hangnail, never tear it off with your hands. Not only will it be painful, but in serious cases it may also cause acute paronychia.

It is best to use a nail clipper to cut from the root of the hangnail. After washing your hands, you can use hand cream and massage the skin around the nails.

2

Don't do manicures too often

Frequent manicures and nail polish removal will make your nails thinner and brittle. If you can't help but always pick your nails to remove them, your nails will be delaminated and cracked...

Image source: soogif

Moreover, if the nails are not removed for a long time, it may cause activation of subungual pigment cells or pseudo-leukonychia.

After reading this article

How many people have started to slack off at their workstations and cut their nails?

Statement: This article is a medical-related educational popular science article. It does not involve specific treatment methods or medical behaviors and cannot replace hospital visits.

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Map: Eastern Zhou Dynasty