Don't give up.

"You will sometimes get one or more persistent nails and these may need to be clipped Sad A pair of nail-clippers or a very sharp pair of scissors can be used as per personal preference. There is a large variety of nail-clippers on the market, though most work on the 'guillotine' method, and it may take some time to decide the best pair for your own circumstances. Kept alongside the nail clippers should be a styptic 'pen' or styptic powder. No matter how carefully you trim your little one's nails, or how competent you think you are, it is inevitable that there will come the time when you inadvertently cut across the 'quick' mentioned earlier. A styptic of some description should be within reach when trimming nails as it will stop the bleeding should things go wrong. The one I use is the same type that is sold to men who cut themselves whilst shaving and is purchased very cheaply from the local family chemist shop.

I recommend a visit to your local vet nurse for a demonstration if you are wary. They should be able to show you how best to hold your little one and how much to take off. Don’t worry if you only get to do one at a time without causing undue distress, not all hamsters will let you cut their nails all in one sitting, and sadly some hamsters actually need to be sedated."