Filing toe nails?

[Michelle Pickup]

Hello,

Bit of a strange question but I did my first set of shellac toes the other day. She had lovely toe nails and though I began to file them, I didn't want to file them too low. It wasn't until afterwards that I thought should I have clipped them first? I seemed to really struggle to file them without knocking the other toes!
How long should toe nails be as I'm aware they take alot longer to grow than fingers so I'm hoping that she won't find they get too long before I next see her!
Also, am I right when doing shellac toes to do the same p.e.p as you would with fingers? Or should I be doing something extra? I had no foot cream or anything and wondered if she was expecting something else?
I've never had my own toes done, only my fingers so I couldn't compare it to anything.
Thanks.

 

[nems2013]

Ask the client what length they're wanting their toe nails. Explain that gel on toes does last longer than fingers, advise to take them quite short (I normally take them down to the skin). Toes are quite fiddly to file so don't feel awkward.

Prep is exactly the same as fingers, you don't want any oils etc on the surface. I normally do cuticle work, file/cut the length, finish the prep off that you'd do for fingers and apply the gel.

If they're expecting a foot massage you can add that on at the end of the treatment. It's up to you what you want included in the service but I don't offer full pedicures as the water makes the nail expand.

 

[Michelle Pickup]

Ask the client what length they're wanting their toe nails. Explain that gel on toes does last longer than fingers, advise to take them quite short (I normally take them down to the skin). Toes are quite fiddly to file so don't feel awkward.

Prep is exactly the same as fingers, you don't want any oils etc on the surface. I normally do cuticle work, file/cut the length, finish the prep off that you'd do for fingers and apply the gel.

If they're expecting a foot massage you can add that on at the end of the treatment. It's up to you what you want included in the service but I don't offer full pedicures as the water makes the nail expand.

Thank you - I'm thinking just a bit more filing to meet the skin then as I don't think they were that far from the skin. Capping was also a struggle as I found that I was getting the white for the french tip over her skin and having to quickly wipe it away with my fingers. I had just done her fingers as well which were very short (bitten I think) and capping was almost impossible. Therefore I am really worried that she's not going to get the full 14 days out of them. The models that I had been practising on had lovely long nails and so as this was my first paying client I was a little worried when I saw how short her nails were!.

 

[nems2013]

Just keep practising and you'll get there.

If she has very short bitten nails you could advise her that they may not last as long as normal as her nails are very short, if she has any problem to contact you. That way you've told her up front and she won't be expecting miracles!

 

[blossom]

I find just a tad longer than the toes works well. You need to be able to cap the free edge so they need to be long enough to do that, but not a lot more, imho, long toenails look weird x