Niamh Shackleton
They say you learn something new everyday, and that seems to be the case with people learning about the purpose of the small hole in nail clippers.
Of course, the main purpose of nail clippers is, per its name, to clip your nails because not everybody wants Cynthia Ervio worthy claws.
In fact, experts have actually warned that having long nails can prove to be unhealthy, so if you don't have a pair of clippers already then it might be time to invest in some.
Speaking to USA Today back in 2022, Jeffrey Kaplan, a biology professor at American University, said: "The longer the nail, the more surface area there is for microorganisms to adhere.
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"Studies have found 32 different bacteria and 28 different fungi underneath fingernails."
And it doesn't matter if your nails are natural or false as there is an increased probability of carrying microorganisms, which makes it hard to clean with handwashing or scrubbing.
Kaplan further warner that the bacteria can be transferred to your system 'by scratching, nail-biting, nose-picking and finger-sucking' and can go on to cause an infection.
Away from explaining why we should cut our nails, there's a little known fact about clippers themselves that's still leaving people scratching their heads to this day — that mystery being the small hole on clippers.
Many (myself included) have long ignored this design feature, presuming that it's not really for anything, but it turns out that the hole is there so that the clippers can be connected to things like keychains, toiletry kits, and so on.
A post on Facebook has gone viral of late sharing one man's story about how he came to learn about the purpose of the hole.
The post reads: "My mother-in-law couldn’t stop laughing when she realized I had no idea what the tiny hole in a nail clipper is for. Now I wonder... am I the only one who never knew?
"I was so embarrassed — I'd literally never thought about it before."
While you'd possibly presume that people with ridiculously long nails are inviting gross bacteria into their lives, Kayla Newman, a nail tech based in North Carolina, insists that in years of working her clients have never had 'nasty nails'.
"Generally people who have long nails know how to maneuver with them and keep them clean," she said.
"If you're spending upwards of $60 to get your nails done and you don't keep them clean, that doesn't make sense."
I mean, she has a point.