Myths and Fables as seen in Scratch September

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Myths and Fables concerning nails!!

1. Neat Monomer liquid can be used to smooth the nail enhancement surface.

It is not only a chemical hazard to use ‘neat’ monomer on your brush; it is also a fruitless exercise. Once one has mixed a bead of liquid and powder and placed it on the nail, the product is already starting to polymerize. Once the polymerization process has started, the bead will not accept any more liquid … it will just run off into the surrounding soft tissue and unnecessarily expose your client to a reactive liquid. It therefore follows that monomer liquid cannot be used to ‘smooth’ the surface of an already partly polymerized product. Using neat monomer near your client’s skin at any time is asking for trouble. Monomers (acrylic liquid) and oligamers (gels) must never touch any skin, including your own.

2. Wraps are the weakest nail enhancement service we can offer clients.

For many years it has beentaught that in terms of strength, wraps are the weakest overlay for the natural nail. It is no longer possible to make sweeping generalizations like this about any system, as there are so many levels of technological advancement within each category. There are tremendously strong wrap systems and some that are very weak, just as there are some very advanced liquid/powder systems and some that are very simple in chemical terms; some gels that are very strong and others that do not stand up to everyday wear and tear.

3. Clients are your ‘friends’.

Although it is possible to make real and lasting friendships with some clients, never make the assumption that your clients are your friends. Clients may be very friendly, but when it comes to your business, one must never take advantage of a client’s good nature because one thinks she is a friend. It is important to treat all clients in the same way, which is with a professional attitude at all times.

4. Learning how to do nails is easy!

Learning how to ‘do’ nails may be easy.

Learning how to apply and create beautiful, lasting nail enhancements whilst keeping the natural nails healthy and strong and maintaining them that way for years is NOT. It takes continuing education and a high degree of skill plus the will and professionalism and dedication to ones craft to be able to really call oneself a professional nail technician.

5. Acetone is a dangerous chemical.

Actually, Acetone is not an unsafe or dangerous chemical and is one of the chemicals most widely used by nail professionals. It is prudent to remember though that every substance has safe and unsafe levels of exposure. Acetone is a safe chemical to use as long as you don’t over use it. Use Acetone in moderation and avoid carrying out regular soak-offs in Acetone as part of a routine. Number one it should not be necessary and number two it would be unwise.

6. Ventilation is not necessary in the salon.

Actually, proper ventilation is probably the most important thing one can do to improve safety in the salon. Vapors from nail enamel and removers, monomer liquids and catalyst sprays as well as any dust, should be removed from the atmosphere at source, to create a clean and pleasant environment for both the technicians and the clients. Although the initial outlay may be costly, there is nothing more important than your continuing good health. Protect yourself before you develop problems.

7. Allergic contact dermatitis is common amongst nail technicians.

Thankfully, conditions like allergic contact dermatitis are more rare than common in the nail salon. It is important to remember though, that if ones skin is continually exposed to a certain ingredient in a product to which one is sensitive, then allergic contact dermatitis will be the result. It is also important to remember that an allergy to a substance can take years to develop. So make it a priority to work carefully with all cosmetic products and to limit any exposure to your skin.

8. The nail technician can treat infections of the nail.

Nail technicians are neither trained nor able to diagnose or treat fungal infections that they may see under a client’s nails (a rarity by the way). The best course of action should you encounter anything that looks ‘suspicious’ is to advise the client to see a dermatologist. Most GP’s know very little about nail infections and even less about the nail enhancement business. Regarding bacterial infection (often referred to as ‘green nail’), the best way a nail technician can ‘treat’ this type of infection is to prevent his/ her clients from getting it in the first place. Good hygiene and an ‘eagle eye’ during maintenance procedures will prevent a bacterial infection from ever happening.

9. The art of nail enhancement can be learned in 2 days..

No, it can’t!

10. The word acrylic refers to Liquid and Powder nails.

The word ‘acrylic’ can be used to refer to all types of nail enhancements as ALL nail enhancement products come form the acrylic ‘family’ of chemicals. It is more correct to refer to your services as Wraps, Liquid/Powder or UV Gels.