Perhaps your mother had always warned you several times when you were a child not to cut nails at night. You probably had felt unsatisfied and thought the idea was not too bad. However, she knew from experience that cutting your nails at night is bad and should be avoided.
Yes, it would help if you considered cutting your nails during the day than cutting them under lamps and torches at night. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have nyctophobia (extreme fear of night or darkness), I guess you should know that some things are better done at a particular time of the day. Remember that if things were done better in darkness, Edison would not have invented the bulb!
I’m sure that the question that may still be running through your mind is, “can I cut nails at night?“. The simple answer is “No”. You shouldn’t cut nails at night but in the daylight. There are lots of reasons ranging from factual reasons to mythic reasons why you should not cut your nails at night.
So, stick around as we look at some good reasons why you shouldn’t and can’t cut nails at night.
Why You Should Not Cut Your Nails at Night (Factual Reasons)
Apart from the superstitious reasons, there are also factual reasons–well understood by common sense–why you should not cut your nails at night. Some of these reasons are:
1. Nails are more rigid at night
Our fingernails and toenails are made up of Keratin. This substance becomes rigid at night. The reason is that we commonly have the habit of bathing in the morning and so not getting enough moisture at night causes nail keratin to harden and become more rigid compared to the day.
2. Nail pieces are more difficult to dispose of at night
When you cut your nails at night, the nail pieces fall hither and thither and may be more difficult to see and collect them to be properly disposed of. Those pieces can be a threat to hygiene and may be unhealthy if they make their way into food and drinking water.
3. Higher risk of getting injured
When you cut your nails at night, you will probably be cutting them under a lamp or bulb. The brightness of these artificial light sources cannot, in any case, be compared with daylight. This means you have a higher risk of getting injured even if you use a nail-cutting tool.
4. Imperfections in the nails
Your body would have probably gotten tired at night due to work done during the day, and for this reason, you may not properly cut the nails. In addition, feeling sleepy may disallow you from cutting the nails uniformly, therefore giving some imperfections.
The Mythic Reasons Why Cutting Nails at Night is Bad
There are various superstitious beliefs in India and Japan that discourage cutting nails at night. One of the most common Japanese superstitions about this concept is that if you cut your nails at night, “You won’t be with your parents when they die!”
What then do nails have to do with parents’ death bed? According to Japanese myth, cutting your nails at night can somehow result in premature death, which means since you are already dead, you won’t be at your parent’s death bed when they die.
You may wonder, how will cutting your nails at night cause you to die prematurely? Actually, there are some theories behind that.
Theory 1: You will accidentally kill yourself
Back in the early centuries in Japan, they had no specialized tools such as nail clippers for cutting their nails. Therefore, they use knives or other sharp cutting tools to trim their nails when they get too long.
However, because these people work in the field during the day, they would have had to use knives to cut their nails under the light of fire or the moon at night. Doing so Could cause wounds on the fingers.
The wounds could become fatal due to lack of adequate medical care and antibiotics and thus eventually leading to death by nail cutting.
Theory 2: You will anger your soul
It is also believed that part of your soul lives in your nails. Therefore, when you trim your nails at night, you are releasing some of your–now rejected and angry–soul into the spirit-filled night.
In the darkness, there is a greater chance of malicious spirits being around and your angered soul may call up to them to bring demise upon you.
Theory 3: You will shorten your life
This theory seems a lot more superstitious. It suggests that cutting your nails at night sends a message to “Death” itself.
Back in those days, you would have probably trimmed your nails under the light of the fire and some fragments could have fallen into the flames. It is believed that the smell of burning nails sends a message to Death to take you away to itself.
What Happens if You Cut Your Nails at Night?
There is a common misconception that cutting your nails at night can make you clumsier or make you die early or bring bad luck. However, based on the fact that the moon cycle has no effect on a human’s growth, it is unlikely that cutting your nails at night will have any negative effects on your fingers.
The Best Time to Cut Nails
The best time to cut your nails is after you’ve taken a bath or shower. The steam opens up the pores of the nail, which makes it easier to clip.
Cutting Your Nails During The Day is a Better Alternative
From all the reasons discussed earlier, you should preferably cut your nails during the day. Doing this will reduce your risk of getting injured or harmed. You may cut your nails in daylight with a pair of nail scissors, nail clippers, or a nail file.
1. Using nail scissors to cut your nails
Nail scissors have a blade that ends in a gentle curve which makes it easier for you to cut your nails. They are more harmless to your fingers than nail clippers. Also, nail Scissors are easier to control and you can trim your nails from the side with them.
However, nail scissors are best used with your dominant hand. You can make use of your nail scissors by following these simple steps:
- Direct the curve of the blade towards your nail.
- Use uniform motion to cut your nail from one side of the nail, across the top and then to the other side.
- Do not tear or pull off the trimmed nail but rather cut all the way to the end of the nail with the nail scissors.
2. Cutting your nails with nail clippers
You should exercise more care when using nail clippers to cut your nails. It is advisable to use a smaller set of clippers when cutting your fingernails. Toenail clippers are relatively larger and can cause harm to your fingernails.
To use a nail clipper, follow the simple steps below:
- Open the clippers by lifting up and rotating the lever of the clipper.
- Place a fingernail between the two cutting blades, preferably starting from your thumb.
- Cut only a little bit of the nail at a time at a particular angle.
- Cut several bits of the fingernail uniformly across the nail.
- While clipping, leave a little white portion of the fingernail. Clipping your nails all the way to the skin can increase your chance of being injured.
- Finally, use a nail file to smoothen your fingernails.
3. Using nail files
Nail files are generally used to smoothen the edges of your fingernails. They may be used independently or used to perfect the shape of your nails after trimming with nail Scissors or clippers. Follow the simple steps below when using a nail file.
- Wash your hand with soap and water prior to filing your nails.
- Towel dry your nails before you begin.
- Trim your nails with a pair of nail scissors or clippers prior to filing.
- Use a nail file with soft grit of around 180–200.
- Hold the file parallel to the side of your nail when you begin your filing.
- Gently file your nail from one side to the center.
- File the nail tip by holding the nail file parallel to it.
- Move the nail file to the other end of your nail and file perpendicularly.
Recommended Tools to Cut Your Nails
To help you reduce the stress of looking for adequate tools to perfectly cut your fingernails and toenails during the day, I have a list of products here that can work perfectly for your Manicure and pedicure.
1. Refined nail scissors
Unlike nail clippers that can struggle to cut through thicker nails and can leave nail edges jagged, these scissors open wide to accommodate all nail thicknesses, and their sharp blades leave edges smooth.
The curved blades follow the shape of the fingernail and can be used to quickly trim with long cuts or provide maximum precision with shorter cuts. These high-quality forged nail scissors feature smooth, rounded handles with comfortably sized openings for fingers and thumb.
2. Nail clippers set by HAWATOUR
This Nail clipper set contains fingernail and toenail clippers. It comes with a small fingernail clipper with a curved edge to fit your fingernail and a big toenail clipper with a sharp edge for your thick toenail.
The handles are designed slightly longer to provide comfort while clipping the nails. This product comes with a sharp blade, High-Quality stainless steel, and a beautiful box to store the clippers.
3. Reusable and Washable Nail File
These Nail Files are made with top-quality adhesive tape and emery board materials. Designed with Semicircle Shape & Double Sides, these nice, sturdy & durable nail files provide you with a comfortable nail-doing experience.
Tips on How to Care for Your Nails
You can follow the following tips in order to keep your nails looking their best:
- Keep both fingernails and toenails dry and clean
- Moisturize your nails regularly.
- Avoid biting your fingernails.
- Use Sharp nail scissors or clippers to trim your nails when they are long.
- Apply a protective layer of nail coat to strengthen your nails.
- Practice good nail hygiene.
- Do not use harsh nail products on your nails.
From our points of discussion, it is obvious that cutting your nails at night is not a good idea and should be avoided. Cutting your nails at night can lead to severe injuries and imperfections in your fingers and toes. You should rather consider cutting your nails in daylight using certain appropriate tools such as nail clippers, nail scissors, and nail files.
Final thoughts
Cutting nails at night may feel normal for you. Cutting nails during the day is the best way to go, and in case you need a good product to do so, the recommended products will help you do justice to your nails without hassles.
