Clipping your fingernails is actually an important aspect of male grooming. There is nothing worse than seeing a man that has dirty, jagged looking fingernails that look as if he had been digging for rocks in a nearby field of dirt. You need to make a strong clean impression on others and a lot of people zero in on the look of one’s nails.
How to determine how often a man should trim or cut his fingernails? A man should cut his fingernails based on the length required for the work that he is performing. If he is working closely with people that require a physical touch should as a personal trainer or a doctor, he should trim his fingernails at least a few times a week to ensure that he will not accidentally scratch the surface of someone else’s skin. Nails tend to grow about 1/1o of a millimeter per day. In other words, they grow slowly, but you should not ignore them totally or the length will start to hinder your work.
Besides just hindering work performance, nails that are too long on a man will create others to judge him. Most people feel that a man with well-trimmed and groomed fingernails is in control of their life which means that they will be more attractive in the eyes of most people. Nevertheless, what is the proper length that a man should allow his fingernails to grow to exactly?
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What is the proper length of fingernails on a man?
Determining the perfect length of fingernails that will suffice is not an easy task. It will vary from person to person. Personally, I feel that a man should allow his fingernails to grow just look enough so that a small white line will appear at the ends of the nails.
If you are the type of person that trims endlessly your fingernails, you are going to have very sore fingers because the ends of your fingers are not going to be well-protected. If you were to simply bump your fingertips, the tissue will be affected and you might experience sharp pain.
A small white portion of a fingernail is going to protect your finger somewhat. After all, one of the reasons why man evolved to have nails was to protect the fingertips and to create the ability to dig into surfaces while scouring for food.
Besides the practicality of having short fingernails, dirt will have less of a chance of becoming trapped underneath the nail. Dirt under fingernails is not terribly appealing to others. It will make others wonder whether other parts of your body are not being groomed or cleaned properly. If you are the type of person that is not trimming your fingernails, and you are just tearing them off when they become too long, you need to rethink your grooming strategy.
Why do some men not bother to clip or trim their fingernails?
Why would a normal sane man decide to never trim or to groom his fingernails? Some men feel that no one will notice, that they will slip under the radar of the people that they are trying to impress. Just think about the times when you had noticed that someone had raggedy looking fingernails that housed tons of dirt. Did you form a negative impression of that person? Most likely you did.
Here are some reasons that I came up with as to why a man might not trim his fingernails:
- Laziness: He feels that females are the only ones that need to tend to their fingernails. They are a small portion of the total body and they will be overlooked by others so why waste time trimming evenly each fingernail. Sooner or later they will break off and then life will go on.
- Finger protection: I asked a friend why he does not trim his fingernails and he said that they protect his fingers. When he trims them down, his fingertips become sore. This theory makes sense, but trimming them down does not equate to cutting them totally off. Leave at least a sliver of the nail so that the fingertips will still be protected and at the same time, they will look as if you care even slightly about grooming yourself.
- Guitar Players: Now this makes sense. Although, as a guitar player, growing the nails on both hands is still a no-no. Your picking hand is fine, this will allow you to create a better timbre than if you were to use the skin of the fingertip. I had noticed someone at a gym one day that had long nails on his hand. I found out a few days later that he plays the guitar.
- Mechanics: If you are working in a garage on a daily basis, there is a huge chance that grease is going to get trapped underneath your fingernails. Unless you using a strong cleaning solution daily on your fingernails, there will be black stains under your nails. I guess if I were a mechanic, I would not bother to groom my nails on a regular basis because a well-trimmed nail can still trap some grease.
How to Cut Fingernails Like a Pro
When you are attempting to cut your nails like a professional, you need to start with the correct tool.
Compound Level Clippers
If you are in a pinch, using the simple compound level clipper is the way to go. For instance, if you are traveling, having drugstore available clippers that small is optimal. They are OK for a while, but they do tend to wear down quickly. They are usually not made from high carbon stainless steel. I recommend the clipperpro omega compound nail clipper. click here to view pricing on Amazon.
High carbon stainless steel will ensure that your clippers remain shape longer. You can find drugstore clippers that are made from this material, but you might have to shop around. They will be more expensive but they will outlast the cheaper type of clippers.
Plier Style Fingernail Clippers
This next type of clipper is the plier style. They look like mini-pliers but they will do wonders on your jagged nails. They are more expensive, but you will be getting your money’s worth. They tend to be made from high carbon stainless steel. What I like about them is that they allow you to control more so the angle that you are trimming. The cheaper compound level clipper has a wide face making it hard to create your desired angles when trimming.
Nail Scissors
Naill scissors are fine to use but you have to ensure that you do not an unwanted up and down angle when trimming with them.
Steps for Trimming Your Fingernails Like an Expert
- You need to clean your nails thoroughly before you begin to trim them. It is true that you cut off a nail section that contains dirt, but dirt will hinder the smoothness of the cut. You want your clippers to have a clear path to the nail so that the cut will be as precise as possible.
- Do not soak your nails in water beforehand. Some people feel that softening them will make them easier to cut. This is just not true. When you soak a nail, it becomes flimsy and the trim will not be a smooth one. It will like trying to cut a slice of bread from a raw uncooked lump of bread dough. A dry nail is harder and the trim will be smoother than with a wet noodle-like nail.
- Select your trimming tool. Make a large cut along the top of the nail. Click here to view a combo pack of the top trimming tools for nails for men on Amazon.
- Make sure that you do not cut too close to your finger. The skin just underneath the nail is sensitive. Also, your fingertip is being protected by your nail bed and exposing the tip of your finger is just going to set you up for injury.
- Now use a simple nail file to smooth out the edges of the top of your fingernails. This is something that most men do not do, but I feel that it is good finishing touch. Also, if you have tiny ridges on the ends of your nails, you may end up scratching yourself or pulling on clothing fibers.
How to Groom Your Fingernails after Having Trimmed them
I had already mentioned that the last step in trimming your nails to file the edges so that you do not end up snagging clothing. You can take this tactic further by once a day, filing the ends of your nails. This will help to prevent cracking and fissures to form. I personally have a large split in one of my nails and was sore for days.
You can also rub some coconut oil onto the front surface of your nails and along their edges. This will ensure that they do not dry out and it will also protect the surface of your nails.
It is a good final touch to push back your cuticles. If there is extra tissue at the bed of your nails after pushing back the cuticles, cut off this excess skin using nail scissors. Also, apply a small amount of coconut oil to your pushed back cuticles.
References:
https://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/nail-care/tips/how-often-cut-nails.htm
https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/02/science/q-a-504688.html
