I need your help please. I have a regular client who is having problems with lifting, losing and the odd breakage. I have good prep, I have used NailFresh and because it was still happening, last time I used NailFresh and Primer. I have read all the posts to stop this happening and have put them in practice. Please note that the rest of my clients are ok with Creative.

She has been my client since November and started out as a nail biter, she has been having 2 week appts.
The first rebalance she had lost one
2nd - 2 broken and 2 lost (although she admitted one was her fault with the car door)
3rd - she had heavy lifting with 1 tip lost (not overlay on nail just tip lost)
4th - (with NailFresh on previous visit) only heavy lifting - no loss. This time I used the Primer as well (in the right order) and she phoned tonight (a week later) and said she has lost 2 and there is lifting on all but 4 nails.

She is a housewife with a 2yr old boy.

I really don't know what to do next. Can anyone offer any advice please?

Is there any damage to the natural nail plates on the ones that have lifted? How long are the nails? Are her natural nails thin and weak?

Sounds like she is really a bit heavy handed for starters.

Wow that was quick, thanks Sam.....
No, there is no damage so I didn't think she was picking them off, the nails are not too long - a little past the end of the finger and I do reduce the length each time. Natural nails are not too bad considering she was a nail biter, weak maybe but not thin.

Hmmm. I might not be a great help here!

Have you soaked them off yet? Or does she keep having re-balances?

Does she have oily skin? I found that I was having a similiar problem with my Sister. She is quite heavy handed and she would always loose a couple a few days in and say "They just came off!" She was putting the Solar Oil on 3 times a day like I reccommended.

I soon realised that she has excess moisture in her skin, so I suggested that she applied the Solar Oil only once a day instead. When she tryed this her nails stayed on longer, and there was hardly any lifting.

(However, I can still really on her to loose the odd one through typing etc!)

No, I haven't soaked them off, I have just been rebalancing. Her hands and cuticles were very dry before she started using Solar Oil, I don't think her skin is particularly oily - but I tried NailFresh just in case. Thanks....

Are you using Cuticle Remover?

Sorry Sam forgot that in my initial novel - yes the actual remover (rinse off) as her cuticles were dry and tough.

Here’s the problem outlined:

• Its a one off client (everyone else seems ok)
• She experiences a lot of breaks as well as the lifting.
• She is an ex-cannibal.
• The nail plates seem fine after the lifting.
• Here’s a big one -> The nails that are lifting seem sporadic (i.e. some lift some times, others lift other times)

Since we can pretty much rule out prep (as it seems that’s OK if you are only having problems with her AND you are using the PREP boosters)
I am being led to believe that there is either something being left behind on her nail plate before application, or that the product may be getting on left over (stubborn) cuticle.

One other question... are you using the Acid Free Primer, or an Acidic Primer?

You got it - not one of the nails have broken twice. What I did do was to replace the broken ones (that had tips) with sculpted ones (she thought there was a problem with the tips).

I am using the new blue primer - acid free isn't it?

I used the cuticle remover so as not too leave anything on the nail plate, that might have been the initial problem but since then I have searched through all the posts I can find on this before I begged for help.
Continued thanks .................

There are two things to try.

1- Try leaving a larger free edge margin. If the problem ceases, it was because she is having a hard time seperating from her cuticle
2- Try an acidic primer.

First off, I would try the larger free-margin thing. If no improvent, try using an acidic primer on her. If that improves adhesion... that means that she has mega oily plates.

One more question... are the one you have replaced through sculpting fairing any better?

Thanks Sam I will try that, as for the sculpted ones, good question, I will investigate and let you know. I will post the answer to finish this thread.

Thanks for your help and support (and this awesome new site!)

Hi Kim
I have just just read your message, I have had a similar problem with a client, who has been coming to me for nearly a year! But she has just broken out in psoriasis I have tried the Cuticle remover and Power prep method,, and still not having much luck with her keeping her nails on (not the same one every time) she has now told me her doc says she needs to let her nails breath
I dont want to comment on this as " we are not medically Trained" but would like to be able to sort the problem for her.
She has no pitting or any type of damaged to her nails, she is not using any type of creams for her skin as the condition is nerve related! so she said it will run a ten year cycle
I am going to offer that I follow Sams advice too, good luck with your problem
and thanks Sam for your support and advice.

loadsa Love

Corrine
CND Master Technician

Hi...
I have had the same problems as you Kim with one of my clients...I tried absolutly everything but nothing helped. Her nails grew so fast i think is is because she is in her early twenties and a fitness instructer and take large amounts of vitamins and mineral supplements etc... so she is a very fit and healthy person. Her nails grew sooo fast i thought this was the reason for the bad lifting?
She would brake them constantly (never the same one twice!) and the lifting was sooo bad after 10 days i had to take them off only to reveal that her nail was long enough to have overlays so i did that instead of tips. She then told me that the overlays chipped!!!
Needless to say she doesn't have acylics anymore and my confidence has hit rock bottom.
I am trying to start my business from home but i am already finding that clients do not do as you ask them ie. return for weekly visits when they are a nail biter! phone if they have a problem with lifting etc... they just leave it until they are too bad to repair or not come back at all!
I also think that some people pick their nails and that makes the lifting worse!
The same lady also complained that i had left a small gap around the nail walls and cuticles but i did this so that i could file them down mega flat to help stopping the acylics lifting.
It still takes me about 2.5 hours to put on a full set with the french overlays on a new client because i find the prep takes sooo long because of badly kept cuticles etc. I am finding i am getting quicker on nails that i maintain.

I am also a perfectionist and enjoy it so much i hate to hurry!