Silly question... but how did ancient civilizations clip their nails? What's the history of the pedicure/manicure? What tools did they use?

by em-soup

Went camping recently and forgot my nail clippers… got me wondering how humans took care of their toenails and nails before these specific tools? Files? How were they made? Did they let them grow long? How did nail-polish become a "thing"?

Hope this isn't too stupid a question for AskHistorians.

Searocksandtrees

hi! silly or not, it's actually a fairly popular question. there's always room for more input for various cultures (and especially re nail polish, which I don't believe has ever been answered), but meanwhile, get started on the FAQ*

Trimming Nails

*see the link on the sidebar or the wiki tab