# Question about fingernails **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-fingernails/564040 "2010-12-13T22:06:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-fingernails/564040/1 "2010-12-13T22:06:14Z")
On Saturday, I had my first manicure. The lady cut my fingernails a different shape from the shape I normally cut them, and I’ll try as well as I can to explain: while the edge of the nail is still curved, it’s a much “flatter” curve than what I normally create. What this has resulted in is that the shape of my nail and the shape of the nail bed beneath it are very different. When I asked my girlfriend if the nail bed would grow to the new shape of the nail, she assured me that it would. What I’m curious about is, how long will that take? My nails look very strange, and I’d like to know if I’m in for a wait of weeks, months, years? ---
**Author:** ![Lightlystarched](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Lightlystarched](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightlystarched)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-fingernails/564040/2 "2010-12-13T23:23:35Z")
Are you saying she trimmed a more square shape to the nail, versus the oval shape that you usually cut? I don’t see how the nail is trimmed will ever change how the nail gows out of the bed. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-fingernails/564040/3 "2010-12-13T23:49:29Z")
> [@Lightlystarched](#): > > Are you saying she trimmed a more square shape to the nail, versus the oval shape that you usually cut? I don’t see how the nail is trimmed will ever change how the nail gows out of the bed. Ditto. It sounds like a square tip manicure, which is really common, but it’s not going to change the way your nail grows out or the shape of the bed of your nail. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-fingernails/564040/4 "2010-12-13T23:59:01Z")
Nah. Growing your nails longer isn’t going to make the nail beds themselves grow longer or squarer to fit them. If you’re a former long-term nailbiter, the damage done which shortened the beds might heal after a while, but if you’ve never damaged the bed, there’s nothing to regrow. That said, the shape of your nail grown past the bed can leave impressions in the skin at the tips of your fingers. If I have to trim a long nail short, you can usually see a bit of callus at each side for several days. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-fingernails/564040/5 "2010-12-14T01:08:40Z")
Guess it’s time for a little “if you want something done right.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-fingernails/564040/6 "2010-12-14T01:42:31Z")
On one of my nails, the edge of the “bed” has an indentation on one side, so instead of being shaped like a “C,” it’s shaped like an “S.” It’s been like that for a few decades, and has nothing whatsoever to do with how I trim the nail. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-fingernails/564040/7 "2010-12-14T05:36:18Z")
I have three square nail beds and two round on each hand - I keep all my nails oval and it doesn’t have any effect on how my nails grow in.