Stop Cutting Lateral Nail Folds! Your Clients’ Nails Are Not Just Dead Skin

I just watched a nail tech video online that made my head spin 😳. The technician was not only cutting the client’s cuticles but literally slicing off the lateral nail folds — that’s the protective tissue along the sides of the nail. Let me be clear: this is not okay.

Those lateral nail folds are living tissue and a vital part of your client’s nail anatomy. They act as a protective barrier, keeping bacteria, fungi, and debris from getting under the nail plate. Remove them, and you’re leaving the nail completely exposed — and that’s a fast track to infection, inflammation, and pain.

Cutting cuticles? Fine. We’re talking dead tissue along the nail plate, not living skin. But trimming lateral folds or healthy tissue? That’s nail trauma, pure and simple.

So why do some technicians do this? Usually, it’s a mix of inadequate training, trying to make nails look super clean on camera, or just following trends blindly. But here’s the truth: professional nail care respects the anatomy. A neat, healthy nail comes from knowing what to remove and what to protect.

💡 Nail techs: always protect the lateral nail folds. Your clients’ nails will thank you, and you’ll avoid unnecessary problems — and liability!

📢 Want to master safe, professional nail prep techniques? Accredited courses available, and more coming soon where I teach exactly how to prep nails without ever compromising the living tissue. Stay tuned!

Click HERE to view available courses.