Final answer:
Use a cuticle pusher or orangewood stick to manage the cuticle and clean under the nail's free edge without cutting the cuticle, as it protects against infection. The free margin is trimmed, while the nail plate consists of dead cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
A practitioner should use a cuticle pusher or an orangewood stick to gently push the cuticle tissue back from the nail plate and clean under the free edge of the nail. It's important not to cut the cuticle, as the cuticle acts as a protective barrier to prevent infection of the underlying tissues. The part of the nail that is typically trimmed is the free margin. The nail plate itself is made up of densely packed dead keratinocytes, and it is this layer that continues to grow as stem cells within the nail matrix divide and proliferate.