Auspicious and Inauspicious Days for Haircut and Clipping Nails

According to Hindu scriptures, only certain days of the week and months are considered auspicious for performing certain acts like clipping one's fingernails, having haircut and shaving or removing facial or bodily hair. They are referred to as Kshoura Karma vidhi in the scriptures like the puranas, smritis, and particularly in grihya-sutras. [Note: Grihya-sutra refers to any of a number of manuals detailing the domestic (grihya) religious ceremonies performed by both male and female householders over the fire].

Rituals of Shaving and Clipping Fingernails

As to the act of shaving facial hair (or beard), Grihya sutras say that one has to start it from the right side of the face and progress to the left. After that, the mustache is removed; followed by the hair on armpits. Then, comes the haircut. Successively, one should remove or shave the hair from other parts of the body. The final step in the ritual is the clipping of fingernails and toenails.

One is forbidden to engage in the above on the following days:

1. Ekadasi
2. Chathurdasi
3. Amavasya
4. Pournami
5. Sankranthi
6. Vyathipatha
7. Vishti (bhadra)
8. Shraaddha days
9. Vratas days that fall on Saturdays and Tuesdays.

Effects of Performing Kshoura Karma on certain days have certain effect on our mind, health, body, and even longevity:

1. Sundays: It reduces one's lifespan by one month.
2. Saturdays: It reduces one's lifespan by seven months.
3. Tuesday: It reduces one's lifespan by eight months.
4. Wednesdays: It increases one's lifespan by five months.
5. Mondays: It increases one's lifespan by eight months.
6. Thursday: It increases one's lifespan by ten months.
7. Friday: It increases one's lifespan by eleven months.

The scriptures have, however, proclaimed that people who desire children are prohibited from doing Kshoura Karma on Mondays. Similarly, people who are keen on acquiring knowledge and wealth should refrain from it on Thursdays.

Sources: 

1. Yati Dharma Sangraha of Vishweswara Saraswati (published as 60th book in Anandashram Sanskrit Series marked as ASS_060 )

2. Gruhya Sutras.

3. Taittiriya Brahmanam

4. Varahi Samhita