'They're sold in Korea, too'... Electric nail clippers turn hazardous, Japan warns consumers after accidents

13 incidents since 2016... 5 involving infants
From skin being cut to tongues getting caught... Warning over safety risks
"Children's skin and mucous membranes are delicate and can easily get pulled in"

As accidents involving electric nail clippers continue to occur in Japan, authorities are urging consumers to exercise caution. Electric nail clippers use a rotating blade that touches the tips of the nails and gradually trims them. They are also sold in South Korea. In Japan, they are mainly used by older people with declining vision and grip strength.

An electric nail clipper sold in Japan. The photo is unrelated to any specific wording in the article. File photo courtesy of Yonhap News and Kyodo News.

According to the Asahi Shimbun on November 5, the Consumer Affairs Agency and the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan said accidents have occurred in which skin around the nails and other tissue was drawn into the rotating blades of electric nail clippers, and urged consumers to exercise caution.

The Consumer Affairs Agency recorded 13 cases since 2016 in which skin or other tissue was drawn into electric nail clippers. Most of those injured were people aged 70 or older, but there were also five cases in which infants touched the devices and had their tongues, lips, or other body parts drawn in.

A post by Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency urging caution about accidents involving electric nail clippers. X

In one case in 2020, skin around the finger of a user in their 80s was drawn into the device and about 1 cm of skin was cut off. In another case in 2024, a 3-year-old child touched a device that was switched on, and their tongue was drawn into the rotating blade and injured.

An emergency medicine doctor who has encountered three cases involving children aged 2 to 4 injured by electric nail clippers warned, "It may look like only a nail can get caught, but children's skin and mucous membranes are soft and can easily be pulled in."

Households with young children should store electric nail clippers out of their reach so the children do not handle them like toys. If a lip, tongue, or other body part gets caught in the device, do not try to pull it out by force, as this could cause further tissue damage or severe bleeding.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.