First client, first complaint!

[marina]

I'm at the end of my nail technology course, and am currently doing assessments, so I'm totally new to this industry. I'm doing well on my course and LOVE doing nails!! Sadly, my confidence has been shattered by my mum who had a full set of acrylic tips and overlays. She rang on Sunday and sounded really peed off. She said that her left thumb nail had come off!? after a week and a half. It had actually split on the side. She said she didnt want to attend my assessment for infills at college because my tutor might see the split and fail me for shoddy workmanship. She had no lifting and all her other nails were fine she said. She did say that she had polished her nails and removed the polish with non-acetone remover, but her nails had softened after this. I'm worried that this splitting will happen again. Is splitting normal? and would non-acetone remover soften acrylic tips and overlay? Is this a sign of bad workmanship?:Scared:

 

[Ms.Matrix]

I don't know, but it seems to me that if it was "shoddy workmanship" more would have popped off and it would have been sooner than a week and a half. What was she doing when it split??

At any rate don't let it rattle you, you'll be fine, keep your confidence in your abilities and keep going!!

 

[ADiva1]

It sounds as if you have done quite a good job. Splitting - is this vertical or horizontal. Either way, its not really normal for nails to split unless alot of pressure was actually put on the enhancement itself.

Your Mum should be really proud of the good job you did to her nails.

Don't worry, you'll be fine for your assessment.

 

[kittenclaws]

hi, dont let it knock your confidence, im still a newby and had a bad night of doing anils last week but im off to do it again tomarow as i know i will get nowhare without the practise, if all the other nails were fine then its NOT shoddy workmanship, there are loads of reasons the nail could have split and many of them are not down to you, i have a sister whos l&p nails "just fell off" i found out after she was haveing a good pick at them,

you will get there in the end, keep it up, and good luck with passing

 

[Trinity]

I think Mum is telling a few porkies :wink2:

Nails don't split for no reason, they split when placed under pressure or due to trauma - banging, knocking, chewing, picking, etc.

Non-acetone remover may soften them slightly whilst you use it, if she's very generous with the liquid and holds the pad on for a long time - but after a few minutes it will harden again.

No tutor will fail you for shoddy workmanship if a client breaks a nail off - it must be something she's done as the other 9 are still on OK. If it was something you had done all 10 would be falling off :idea:

Chin up (just gently question your Mum a bit more, it's all part of the learning curve) I bet you find she had a bit of lifting and helped it along, or knocked it whilst cooking/cleaning.

Ask her what happened, then let her talk, when she's finished explaining, don't say anything, just start working, eventually she'll start talking again and you'll get more details. the truth will come out, it always does :lol:

Naughty Mum! :wink2:

Trin
xx

 

[Bud]

woah there! don't panic!! for a first client i think the result you had sounds pretty good! And I'm certain you would NEVER get failed for something like this - the split is VERY likely to be caused by something your mum did - so don't lose heart. And a week and a half isn't far off the normal amount of time i would leave between rebalancing, so with a proper client they would be about to come back to you anyway for an appointment.

Convince your mum to come to your assessment, or at least speak to your tutor for more reassurance

Lifting is more likely to be a problem associated with poor workmanship, or if many of your mum's nails had problems with them, then i might be a bit more worried.

The enhancements really shouldn't have been affected by non-acetone remover, i would recommend having a good ol' look at your mum's nails, and doing a little experiment yourself, to see if you can see what she means about the softening - she may be imagining it - OR have done something else that has softened them - do a search for 'cillit bang' for example and you'll see what i mean!

Also, do as many other practice sets as you can, and soon you'll realise that every client is different, some will have no problems, some with have loads and all those problems will be totally different! PROMISE!!!

hth x

 

[ValencianNails]

if you've not had any lifting after a week and a half you should be really proud of yourself and the work you've done. that's a hell of an achievement for a new tech.

don't let it get you down, there will be plenty of times that you will feel a bit deflated but you have to pick yourself back up and know that so far you have done a good job.

:hug: x

 

[perfect pinkies]

chin up luv, im with the others on this one. i think mum might have been a bit naughty and possibly told a porky or two, dont let this knock your confidence, it sounds to me like you do a good set-week and a half and this is all you get? well that says it all hun, so dont worry, keep practising and you will be fine.


good luck with the assesment, let us all know how you get on
sam xx

 

[Cameo Val]

I dont mean to speak badly of your mom love, but I dont feel she is being supportive of you here. The other 9 nails are all fine, so what does that prove. Well to me it proves that something has happened to that one thumb nail AFTER SHE LEFT YOUR CARE. And that happens to all of us. Clients just dont look after their nails, then they try to blame it on us. I know she is your mom, and in all other aspects she is probably a brilliant mum, but I dont think she has realised how she has hurt your feelings here and damaged your confidence. Mums are supposed to build us up aren't they.

Good luck with the assessment. I hope it all goes well.

Love Val

 

[linzi]

Family are the worst critics! My little sister (can't do my mum's nails as she has psoriasis) is the worst person ever for doing nails on. She has no qualifications in nails what-so-ever but when I do her nails, she pulls away every few minutes to inspect my nails for about double the time it took me to do it! She'll say are you sure you're doing this right (cheeky mare!). So the end result is that it takes me double the time to do the set - which she then complains about! - and I end up really annoyed.

Chin up, as has been said, clients (no matter who they are) are always economical with the truth! Don't let it ruin your confidence, try and learn from it - what was she doing/etc.

 

[marina]

Thank you ALL so much for your advice and support!! I do feel much more reassured to know that the splitting nail is probably not down to my work. My mother is a librarian and is always complaining about her natural nails snapping, breaking on books etc. plus she would probably not admit to being heavy handed. I think she is under the impression that nail extensions are indestructible. I did give her an aftercare leaflet, and she swore she'd adhered to it. Some fellow student techs have said that family are awkward clients and I'm inclined to agree with them!!
Again, thanks for your help and advice!! xxx

 

[jada]

Family are the worst critics! My little sister (can't do my mum's nails as she has psoriasis) is the worst person ever for doing nails on. She has no qualifications in nails what-so-ever but when I do her nails, she pulls away every few minutes to inspect my nails for about double the time it took me to do it! She'll say are you sure you're doing this right (cheeky mare!). So the end result is that it takes me double the time to do the set - which she then complains about! - and I end up really annoyed.

Chin up, as has been said, clients (no matter who they are) are always economical with the truth! Don't let it ruin your confidence, try and learn from it - what was she doing/etc.

aint that the truth when I first started i paracticed on my sister{shes a Gemini, say no more} and each time I would prep a nail she would take her thumb and rub over the area to just to feel her nail so infuriating I would always have to slap her hands when she did it;

 

[Tiger Jay]

Listen to Trin, what great advice and so nicely put too! Bless her. Yeh I happen to agree with Trin, please don't let this knock your confidence, you may not have done anything wrong at all! If you did you can only learn from a mistake..........best of luck!

I think Mum is telling a few porkies :wink2:

Nails don't split for no reason, they split when placed under pressure or due to trauma - banging, knocking, chewing, picking, etc.

Non-acetone remover may soften them slightly whilst you use it, if she's very generous with the liquid and holds the pad on for a long time - but after a few minutes it will harden again.

No tutor will fail you for shoddy workmanship if a client breaks a nail off - it must be something she's done as the other 9 are still on OK. If it was something you had done all 10 would be falling off :idea:

Chin up (just gently question your Mum a bit more, it's all part of the learning curve) I bet you find she had a bit of lifting and helped it along, or knocked it whilst cooking/cleaning.

Ask her what happened, then let her talk, when she's finished explaining, don't say anything, just start working, eventually she'll start talking again and you'll get more details. the truth will come out, it always does :lol:

Naughty Mum! :wink2:

Trin
xx