Not with me. I have said what I have had to add. Point has been totally missed so it is not worth my time. I am as usual going to take the Professional road on this and be done. It is a topic that no one will ever win, it does not make anyone unprofessional. A professional is a lic. nail tech, not the ones that are not professional are sitting in the nss salons. It is not judged by the tools that you use. Have a nice day!

I have just read everything that as been written by yourself and Ok you were trained to use a 100 grit to etch the nail that doesn't mean that it is correct We have lots of training companies here in the uk and some of the things they teach a well trained tech would never do.

All the others posters here are trying to get you to see that although you were told to use a 100 grit to etch THIS will cause some nail plate damage no matter how gentle it is used.

Please try to see that the FACTS are there to see and good products DONT need an harsh abrasives to make them adhere. I hope that this thread will help others who may be using techniques which have no place in the nail industry

2 things...

I learnt one way first, then a better way second.. If i hadnt, i would have continued to make mistakes and never have opened my mind to new possibilities!
If one way is a better, healthier option.. then imho.. its a way i will go.
i dont know how or why anyone would want to argue over matters that are clearly open for discussion
I have a few clients who's main concern when coming to me, was the damage that they had done to their nails before hand.. the fact that i try to preserve the nn is a quality that sets me apart

secondly.. there a quite a few people in this forum who, regardless if you agree with them or not, deserve the respect they have earnt if only for the amount of time.. effort.. and frustration they have put into making this place what it is today.. that is not a nailhood.. its a bl%dy gift!

ok im adding a third..
cowboys are good.. gung ho! (giggle)

I have been following this thread for all its pages and thought hey lets see what others think of this.
Not just us UK Technicians or CND Technicians but others who are held as Industry Leaders and Eucators Globally.
Here is a link to what Paul Bryson, Ph.D. Co-Director of Research & Development, O. P. I. Products, Inc. has to say about it.

BeautyTech Celebrity Q&A Area
makes good reading....

another good one is from Marti Preuss
"Acrylic Nail Preparation"scroll down to the manicure advise prior to enhancement application.

The main take from this is why remove keratin? Our products love Keratin so why thin the nail plate? Our product technology has advanced so much over the years, that we don't need a mechanical bond for products to adhere to the nail plate, but a simple chemical bond. Removing all non living tissue and a gentle shine removal is enough.

JMHO and now back to my Voddy and Orange xxxx

It seems to me, sifting through all the posts that I missed tonight because I was out enjoying myself, that the poster is only really annoyed about 2 things ... using the word unprofessional, and that (I in particular have not worshipped at the TT alter). These 2 things have been given far more space than any other points.

Well .. I'm not going to cover every point because I can't be bothered, but one misquote the poster made is the one about using neat monomer and a tool to make smile lines. I never said I was bothered about the 'tool' (I'd rather see skill, but there is nothing bad about using a tool) MY POINT in case anyone else missed it, was the using of neat unreacted monomer. Now I think we all know that this is proved potentially hazardous ... even the poster?? Or is that another debate we have to go through? According to the poster, it may be potentially hazardous but it doesn't make the person doing it UNPROFESSIONAL. OK ... right. By the definition I know of the word professional ... it does!

I prefer the Oxford English Dictionary which of course explains the word professional both as an adjective and as a noun.

For those who are not sure - those school days may have been a long time ago!!

An adjective - is a word used to describe a person, place or thing and

a noun - is the person, place or thing.


• adjective 1 relating to or belonging to a profession. 2 engaged in an activity as a paid occupation rather than as an amateur. 3 worthy of or appropriate to a professional person; competent.



• noun 1 a professional person. 2 a person having impressive competence in a particular activity.


So my understanding is that a person employing incompetent methods during a particular activity (such as etching a natural nail plate with a 100 grit file and thereby causing damage to that nail plate) is not a professional or is (adjective .. behaving in an unprofessional manner). Just as I have already said.

Interestingly here is the meaning of the word ETCH as in etching the surface of something -

• verb 1 engrave. 2 corrode the surface of. 3 cut into the surface of. Food for thought.

Good night all !

Just speaking from personal experience having lived on both continents, i've never seen or heard of there being a difference in the way that the treatments are carried out between the two places. Obviously every technician has their own style, but the fundamentals are the same. Nails are nails, wherever you are.

Not trying to sound critical at all, it's just that this is one of those instances where geography isn't really an issue.

I can,t even understand why there is a discussion over something that is a fact but moste of all commen sence. Just try out a 240 grit and see the difference...
Claiming that some product lines use different procedures is completely understandable but by that i think how the l&p is applied or in which ways the prep is performed etc... not using a 100 grit on the natural nail ...what about people with thin nails...

And then i can,t help to think after reading this that e-files get bad reviews for damage to the nail while using a 100 grit is just as bad.

And after reading some of the first posts i read that someone thought that one of the moste wize nailgeeks around here was to fast in judging if someone was unprofessional.
My thought about this...
If i would ask somebody a question and they let me know in a direct way that it is wrong, i couldn,t be more greatfull.
It,s like the teacher back in school that is strict but correct...those always had everyone listening and everything sticked.
I am just very very greatfull that they sacrefice there free time to help us out in getting better in what we do. We get advice that has been gained over many years of experience. To me that is just awsome...no other word for that

Dictionary definitions are always helpful because they take away the assumptions of what people think other people mean...... No-one can argue with dictionary definitions.

The definition of ETCH is certainly food for thought - why would we as Nail Techs want to corrode the our working surface which is a part of a living body??

What do you mean the professional road ?

Why does anyone need to win ?

Qualifications do not necessarily make one behave in a professional manner, having an open mind and staying abreast of all current information available does.

I love this thread Geeg and think this is a great way to let all the newbies know that it is best to listen to all ideas and advice given, but then make sure you get the right answer from a more experienced person like yourself.

I know things can be misconstrued on here when typed, as tone of voice is hard to show with words sometimes. Same with texting. I try and say things as neutral as possible to correct something i KNOW to be wrong, and try not to sound condescending or anything, but just try to help anyone who is lost in this grand sea of knowledge.

It is hard when starting out to get all the facts, remember them all and apply them when needed, but then that is why it takes years of experience and learning and constant training updates to get us where we want to go and be the best nail techs we can be.

I love this site and wish i had more time to come on here. This is like my friend and my bible, and will always be an asset to our nail and beauty industry. (sorry to babble on....)

As I think most people know, the products mentioned in your post are a GENERIC product line. The products are not manufactured by TT but purchased and branded. No one is saying they are bad products but just ordinary, no advanced technology there, middle of the road type products that have seen some success largely because of TT herself. With Generic products it is necessary to be a bit more aggressive to the natural nail plate in order for the product to adhere, because they are not technically advanced. I think with brands that are generic no one wants to take any chances and wants to ensure the minimum of lifting for those who use it, so they advocate harsh methods to ensure this. If THAT is what a person is taught then of course that is all they know.
Wow I can not believe you find this to be a true statement. The history for those of you that believe this to be true because it is what you have been told is as follows: Tammy's product is not bought and branded. Tammy started off as a lic. nail tech in 1981. Fresh out of school, off of $400.00 she opened her own salon. Her first full set took her over 8 hours to complete. She had to come up with something better in order to be able to make money. She would sit and practice 300 nails per night on her practice sheet and she learned how to do nails one nail at a time by doing repairs. She had major issues with the products on the market at the time. Her friend is a chemist so he started developing the product.
Tammy test ran the product along with the girls she had working for her. They would tell the chemist what they liked and disliked about the product until they came up with what is know as Tammy's original liquid. In 1983 after 2 years in the making Tammy launched her own product line that is in over 100,000 salons worldwide. In 1985 she won the world record for doing the fastest set of pink and whites in front of a live audience from begining to end herself in 17 minutes and 10 seconds. I have personally seen Tammy do a full set and it is not only amazing it is beautiful!

I couldn't have said this better myself. I must say that I am disappointed that my product line was called Generic when in fact it is not. Please make sure research is done prior to posting "facts".

I've done my research.

Any nail technician in the world can go straight to a chemical manufacturer today and order up a product that suits her requirements, put her own label on it and start a nail company. If you have the money and the inclination and the drive, you can do it.

Several of the newest nail companies out there have done it and there is nothing shatteringly different about their products or the technology behind those products. There are little differences in colour or performance (depending how much they pay for it). If you call that a brand then you are right, it's not generic. But I don't see anything innovative or different.

Personally I use current technically advanced products that are Very very different in performance and longevity. Incredibly gentle and minimal PREP to the natural nail, Covalent Keratin bonding, completely colour stable for months on end, resistant to breaking and cracking even when made incredibly thin, manufactured by the company itself and researched and developed by the company itself in their massive laboratory facilities ... very unique and different.

That is my choice and your choice is yours. Do you think in 25 years of being in business I haven't tried most every line there is out of curiosity??? I had to know what was out there ... I am not ill informed and I know my business inside and out. I am not knocking any product by calling it generic ... or any individual entrepreneur ... it's wonderful, it's great, but it is what it is.

TT has for many years been famous for her 20 minute full set. I have also seen her do it. Great trick to perform at a show but however fast she is or however closely she worked with a chemist, or however hard she worked at launching her line, it has nothing to do with whether her product inovative or advanced or not.

Where is all this crappola coming from all of a sudden?

I guess that question has been answered in this thread.
Interesting and heated debates, certainly lots of food for thought here.

i def agree with lots of things you say, but the colleges have alot to answer to when they train the girls, some of them dont have clue, i was a tutor for two years and i have to rewrite the whole book that the girls were learning from, as it was teaching them nothing, we can all work differently, but should work safely, i can do nails in 45 min, but does that me crap? i dont think so, after a while you could put a full set on with your eyes closed!!! im all up for healthy nails, and the clients health,but sometimes we all make mistakes thats what makes us good we learn not to do that again!! x x

OK. I think enough is enough on this topic. It has suddenly turned into a 'Brand X' sucks/rules discussion instead of the original discussion of keeping things professional.

Keeping it professional can and always will be a grey area simply because the word itself is subjective (apparently it is also a noun AND a verb too!).

Saying that - even 'greyness' has boundaries. Any time that users start advocating methods that directly and blatantly contradict the very essence of being a professional - we owe it to each other and to the rest of the net enabled world to constructively and politely suggest better alternative techniques.

What are the the types of techniques I am talking about? Really any technique that unnecessarily causes or increases a health risk or unnecessarily causes excessive nail plate/skin/hair damage.

For example: etching the surface of the nail with an excessively harsh abrasive, swabbing monomer on skin, intermixing monomer and polymers, cleansing your skin with Drano or over processing perms on purpose for the 'coif of Frankenstein look'.

And always remember that if/when you read something like the above, not everyone understands why it is a bad thing to begin with and no one likes to be publicly told otherwise. Use these times as great opportunities to discuss, educate and inspire a better way.

nJoy