cimorene

It seems really unfair that if I want my nails trimmed not too short, and not to flake and crack, and my cuticles not to get all torn up, I have to spend like several hours a week caring for them instead of more like 5 minutes a week caring for them. I'm not saying it's completely illogical or anything, just really annoying that it's that much extra.

What I used to do: cut each nail with curved nail scissors or a nail clipper, whatever happened to be around; occasionally push back cuticles manually, like with the fingernails of the other hand; pick at said cuticles a little bit even though I've been trying to train myself to not pick at my nails literally for the last 30 years; cut hangnails off with a cuticle nipper; get slightly inflamed or bleeding cuticles every week or two.

What I now have to do to avoid all of these pitfalls:

File the nails with a crystal nail file. Not any other kind of file - they tear the nail and leave the edge vulnerable; the crystal file works in both directions and seals the cuticle as it goes, according to nail bloggers and nail file salespeople. Not sure how that works, mechanically, and I frankly remain dubious and would love to see a diagram, but I CAN vouch that if I trim them with edged implements, or file them with other files, they chip, and if I file them with the crystal file, they don't. Time difference: About half an hour.

Soften the cuticles with a cuticle exfoliator before trying to push them back. It's difficult even then (maybe my cuticles are really stubborn?), but otherwise they dry out and tear too much and all the little cuts inevitably lead to occasional inflammation. Then use the crystal file on the edges of the nail to smooth where the cuticle edge was. Then carefully trim any bit of the cuticle that is torn with cuticle nippers. Time difference: At least an hour.