Cuticle nippers are an essential manicure and pedicure instrument used for trimming cuticles and nails. They are mainly for trimming thin toenails and fingernails in the corners of the finger. At the top of the cuticle nipper is a sharp edge used to support precision when nipping ingrown nails.
Deciding to buy a cuticle nipper is the first step on the way to having a manicure at home. Still, tools require constant care and maintenance, especially manicure tools like cuticle nippers.
It is crucial to sharpen and adequately care for cuticle nippers because an unsharpened one can cause injury to the nail plate and the nail bed. It is essential to keep manicure tools sharpened and clean to prevent wounds on the skin.
Usually, manicure and pedicure specialists employ the services of experts to sharpen their tools with machines. But you can sharpen your manicure tools at home. Please keep reading to discover how to sharpen cuticle nippers and how to take proper care of them.
Reasons Why Cuticle Nippers Go Dull
Cuticle nippers are sharp tools that you must handle with care.
To function efficiently, they must be kept in top condition, considering that they are sharp implements with edges and can become blunt if stored improperly.
Dull tools can inflict injury and pain by tearing the skin and slowing down the manicure process.
One of the significant reasons why cuticle nippers go dull is improper storage.
Many people have a drawer for storing tools, and often after use, the cuticle nipper goes right into the drawer.
Storing the cuticle nipper this way can cause nicks and dents in the metal, making the nipper blunt and ineffective.
Cuticle nippers should be carefully stored in an organized and sealed container to ensure that the tips don’t go blunt and avoid damage. All manicure tools should be individually stored to keep them sanitized and free of cracks.
Also, devices that have protective caps should always have their covering. So even if they drop, their effectiveness is not affected. When disinfecting your cuticle nippers, ensure they are completely dry before keeping them or storing them away. Doing this will avoid rusting and damage to your tools.
As your cuticle nipper gets dull, it should be sharpened. However, the sharpening rate depends on how often you use it and the instrument’s quality. Usually, cuticle nippers should be sharpened at an interval of about six months.
How To Sharpen Cuticle Nippers
To sharpen cuticle nippers, manicure and pedicure experts use either of two sharpening methods—laser or mechanical.
Laser equipment ensures a more accurate sharpening; however, constantly doing this will cause the cuticle nipper to get thinner faster.
Mechanical sharpening of cuticle nippers involves using machines with diamond abrasion that allows the grinding of the blades to the wanted sharpness.
To sharpen your cuticle nipper at home, you will need the following:
- Tin foil
- Sandpaper
To sharpen cuticle nippers at home, you can use sandpaper for grazing the cuticle nipper until the desired sharpness is achieved. Also, a tin foil method can be used. To do this, fold your tin foil and begin cutting with your cuticle nippers until it gets sharp.
It is imperative to note that these methods are for sharpening cuticle nippers at home. For more complex cuticle nipper sharpening, it is best to consult a professional.
When Is It Time To Replace Them?
Just like every other tool, cuticle nippers will give signs and signals before it becomes inefficient. The best time to replace your cuticle nipper is when sharpening does nothing to improve its functionality.
It is possible that the cuticle nipper will become permanently blunt, and no level of sharpening will improve it. It is best to replace the cuticle nipper at this point to avoid scrapes and burns.
In conclusion, the sharpening of cuticle nippers can be done with little or no prior knowledge. It is better to properly care for and store the cuticle nippers to prolong the lifespan and keep it perfect. The team at Ram Research have also put together a guide about how to sharpen tweezers here!
