Hiya.

The title says it all really!
Ive had an enquiry from a lady who told me she has dwarfism. Initially I thought this shouldn't cause a problem as I can use my small tips or even sculpt her nails.
She did advise me that her nails were flat and wide. So I thought it would be a challenge but still possible.
That is until she emailed me a picture of her nails:



My initial thought is that her nail-beds are just too short to support any enhancements.
This client is desperate to have lovely nails and I would love to give them to her, but I don't want to cause damage.
Was I too hasty? Do you think it would be possible? Do you have any ideas?
Or do you have a client with similar nails?

In the mean time I have suggested manicures.
I look forward to hearing your suggestions.

Well, I for one would do them without hesitation!!

I can see from the pic that her nail beds are small, but I've had worse nail biters with smaller beds than that to be honest and they've lasted for weeks (on some biters, not all)

The reason they don't tend to last on nail biters is only because they tend to nibble at them and pick them, but as this client isn't a biter, she won't have that problem.

Go for it... and we want to see after pics pretty please

Could you not perhaps do a custom blend to elongate the nail bed?

or perhaps keep away from a french look and stick to the one colour and if they are flat build up an arch for a more dramatic C curve?

I'm just thinking out loud here I'm probably talking drivel...

But it's interesting...and a challenge is always great.

Yep go for it...

Maybe start out a bit shorter than she wishes, so she can get used to them, but I believe almost every one of us have the odd one or two client that have their nails longer than advised, and it doesn't give any problems...

Please take pics

Really?
she has a little bit of length on her nails now so her actual nail-bed is is only a millimetre or two. Also the nail is very flat so it would be hard to build in strength through the structure.
Ive tackles some severe biters but I'm really not sure on this one.

There is certainly no general problem with giving your client nails. But I should point out that a severe nail biter has a big chunk of skin under the enhancement to support it. These cute little nails are tiny and right on the end of the finger with no support underneath.

A free edge of anything more than 1/3 to 1/2 of the length of the nail bed will put the nail right out of balance and they will just keep popping off. They are too tiny to build any real strength at the apex and that would look horrible.

I would suggest that the best you can do is give her a tiny curved free edge to make the nails look more oval as that will look prettier than the flat straight ones she has.

They will never look fabulous but she may be happy with just a prettier version of her own

Thank you for that Marian.
You have put it so well, thats exactly what I had in my head, just couldn't get it down in writing.

I was thinking that if I encouraged her to have a regular manicure to help the growth of her natural nails, I could possibly try a very light gel overlay once her nails have grown a little??

Oh just looked at the pic again, I didn't realise she had some free edge, I thought "all" of it was nailbed.
Well then I would be more careful then, as mum points out...