Nail Clippers
Nail Clippers, nail trimmers or nail nippers are devices used to reduce the length of fingernails and toenails via cutting action. They are mechanical devices, predominately made from a metal which is normally stainless steel. Stainless steel is most often used because of its durability, corrosion and rust resistance, antibacterial properties, strength and ease of sterilization and disinfection. Strength is a notable factor of any material used to produce clippers because believe it or not some people have extremely thick and strong nails, especially toenails! The most common type of nail clipper that most people will be familiar with is the lever action clipper with the retractable or folding lever (as seen in the photograph). The folding lever makes for better, easier storage. Some clippers are available with a plier action as well and operate more like wire cutters or scissors. The lever type is most likely more often used because levers are used for multiplying force thus they can make cutting extremely hard nails easier with minimal effort. The cutting head, the portion of the clipper with the blades, can be straight, concave or convex. The most commonly seen version would be the concave type, where the blades are curved inward. These are used primarily for fingernails while the convex and straight types are used more for precisely cutting toenails and acrylic tips. Convex clippers, where the blades bulge outward, usually have an outward curve that is extremely slight. Some convex nail clippers in actuality look kind of straight! Some clippers are also available where the cutting head is parallel to the primary action axis of the clipper. In more layman’s terms the head is curved 90 degrees so you can cut at an angle. This aspect greatly reduces the effort for many to cut toenails. Some clippers also come outfitted with devices to clean, trim and smooth nails such as metal nail files. Some also come with pocket knives, nail clipping catchers and other devices attached as well. This turns them into effective nail care multi tools! Nail clippers are safer than scissors because of how they are designed. The blades are only allowed to open up a small distance, thus it is difficult for folds of skin or entire fingers or toes to become caught between them. Only thin objects like nails would be able to fit in between the blades. To cut skin, you would have to press the clipper head into your flesh – something you wouldn’t do unless intentionally trying to hurt yourself. There also exists a breed of clippers called safety nail clippers that have guards, normally made of plastic, around the sharp blades. These guards also help to restrict skin from getting in between the blades. To address other safety concerns, most notably child safety, some clippers that need to have smaller cutting heads for smaller nails as with babies, come with a larger plastic handle that can fit in the entire hand. This makes it easier to hold, handle and operate as compared to a tiny metal apparatus with an even tinier metal lever. The plastic handle is often in the form of a type of encasing that can also serve to catch nail clippings and as a blade guard. The plastic handle also helps to make the clippers appear less intimidating to children afraid of getting their nails clipped. Often, the actual metal clipper can be removed from the plastic encasing and the both sterilized and disinfected separately. Clippers that have smaller heads may also come fitted with lights and magnification lenses to help when carefully cutting the nails of babies and infants. When using a nail clipper, it is best to begin at one side and work your way over the entire nail. If the clipper is able to cover the entire width of the nail, if might be more advantageous to attempt to cut in one go by placing the clipper centrally over the nail. As with all pedicure tools, be sure to properly sterilize and disinfect before (and after) usage. Link back to the Nail Care Supply page from the Nail Clippers page
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