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A
It is faster to cut it
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B
Cutting living tissue can cause pain, bleeding, and infection
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C
It looks better cut
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D
It is required
Why this is the answer
The cosmetologist should avoid cutting the living skin around the nail (the eponychium) because this tissue is part of the body's protective barrier; cutting it can cause pain and bleeding and create an opening for pathogens to enter, leading to infection. Only the non-living cuticle tissue on the nail plate is gently addressed, and even that conservatively. Protecting the living skin around the nail is an important manicure-safety and infection-prevention principle that the exam expects candidates to understand.
Source: Skin & Nails — Protecting Living Skin