How to Shape Toenails
Giving yourself a pedicure includes shaping your toenails. When done incorrectly, you may end up with an ingrown toenail. Ingrown toenails occur when the edges of your toenail dig into the surrounding skin. The condition is painful, and the area may get infected, red, swollen and release puss. If the ingrown toenail cannot be treated manually, surgery may be required. To avoid ingrown toenails, wear shoes that fit properly, avoid injury and trauma to your feet and practice good grooming technique. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Towel
- Cotton balls
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Newspaper
- Toenail clippers
- Nail file or emery board
Instructions
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Soak your feet and toenails in warm water for at least 10 minutes or plan to groom them after taking a bath. Pat them dry with a towel. Warm water softens your toenails so they are easy to trim. Avoid trimming dry toenails because they break easily.
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2
Disinfect your toenails and grooming tools. Apply rubbing alcohol to a cotton ball and wipe it over your toes and toenails. Wet another cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and clean your toenail clippers and nail file with it.
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3
Open up an old newspaper and place it on the floor to catch your toenail trimmings and to make for easy cleaning. Sit on the floor with your feet positioned on top of the newspaper. Hold one foot in one hand and your toenail clippers in the other.
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Trim your toenail straight across, no shorter than the toenail's edge. Make several cuts to trim each nail. Avoid cutting off all the white of the nail -- leave some on to make shaping the nail easier. Repeat this process on all your toenails.
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Smooth the edges of your toenails with an emery board or fake-diamond nail file until you achieve the desired length. File in one direction instead of making a sawing motion. Slightly file down any sharp corners to keep them from hooking into your socks or pantyhose. Create a square toenail -- don't round out the corners.
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6
Discard the newspaper with the clippings.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
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Comments
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