Why do we trim our toenails straight across to avoid ingrown toenails? Isn’t this counter-intuitive?
In: Biology
It’s no more counter-intuitive than cutting them at all. Imagine life without nail clippers, scissors, or any steel tools at all. How would you trim your toenails? You wouldn’t cut too close, if at all. Maybe rub a porous rock against them, or hope walking in dirt and sand does the trick. That’s the situation in which humans evolved, all the way until a few thousand years ago. Precise, affordable tools like nail clippers are only a couple hundred years old.
There’s a meta lesson here, which is that what you consider “intuitive” is largely a product of your very specific personal experiences.
not really. cutting to match the curve of your toenail allows the nail to grow into the flesh, resulting in a painful ingrowth.
if you cut it straight across, however, the edge of the nail never gets a chance to plant itself into your flesh.
i was a sufferer of constant ingrown toenails until i started cutting them straight
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