If you have to cut them cut them straight across and then file them to make them smooth, putting cuticle cream around the edges will help alot as well best to slather alot on at night as your skin repairs itself at night time(thats why night creams are thicker than day creams generally)try not to cut them down the side even though i know this will be hard if they are painful, go for a good manicure somewhere as well as they can give you lots of good advise but make sure they are properly qualified as there are lots of one day nail courses that then nail technicians call themselves qualified when in actual fact this takes a while to be properly qualified in. Try filing the edge if you must instead of cutting and use plenty of thick hand cream(more oil based)hope this helps some what. Chops