Help with sculpting nails

[nailsbymonica]

HI everyone hope I do this right this is my first time
posting on here. I have been having some problems with
sculpting. I did 2 sets on nail bitters who had very small
nail beds and when I was finished the free edge of the nails
were to wide. I filed them done but they still looked wide
What could I be doing wrong. Do I need to position the forms
a certain way?? Should I be trying to do sculpt on nail bitters??
Any help would be appreciated since I hate it when I'm not happy
with my work. I do sculpt on my own nails and they don't come out
wide??? So I don't know what's going on.
Thanks!
Monica

 

[Envy]

Hi Monica

Think I also answered this for you on another forum...

But once again, I'd suggest that a top notch tech is able to offer not just one service! There is a time and place for each method.

In this case sculpting is not the ideal, as a nail biter does not give a good platform for sculpting. I would use a relatively flat tip - such as the Creative Nail Design formation tip, if need be go one size too large and bring the side walls in. Keep as much of the contact area as you need to get it adhereed to natural nail and thin it right down.

Tipping is generally speaking very much suited to nail biters and ski jump nails.

Where and when I can I would definatly sculpt.

 

[twinkletoes910]

NailsinLondon1 has a great tutorial on tipping a bitten nail on her website:

http://www.nailsinlondon.com/page10.htm

it's easier than it looks. hey, if i can do it anybody can!

 

[nailsbymonica]

Hi Envy,
I did get your post on the other forum.
I can do different types of nails not just one.
But I just want to beable to go a great set in
any style that I do. That's why I want to perfect
my sculpting. If you are referring to the other nail
tech who does sculpt in the salon it's because that's
what the clients want and I want to beable to offer them a
good set of sculpts. That's why I come on these forums is
to learn. Thanks for the advice and the link twinkletoes.

 

[Envy]

Hi Envy,
I did get your post on the other forum.
I can do different types of nails not just one.
But I just want to beable to go a great set in
any style that I do. That's why I want to perfect
my sculpting. If you are referring to the other nail
tech who does sculpt in the salon it's because that's
what the clients want and I want to beable to offer them a
good set of sculpts. That's why I come on these forums is
to learn. Thanks for the advice and the link twinkletoes.

Hi Monica

I'm not suggesting your only able to only do one type of nail, you'd
already be in the professional nail catagory, you can offer what's needed when needed!!

What I'm trying to show is that not always will one solution work in all cases.
Ie with a nail biter sculpting won't turn out well most of the time, it's not impossible, it just won't look as good

As the nail is further back on the nail bed, when you put the form down it will flatten out on the skin, which will give the impression of a wide flat nail.
You can get around this by keeping the sidewalls dead straight, or slightly inward to give a narrowing impression. You'll need to create the look of a nail shape by creating the apex with thin sides to stop it visually looking wide.

 

[smiler13334]

This is the problem with nail biters, because they are flat nails and have no shape then the width of the nail is the same as the natural nail. When a nails growths as you know the nails most of the time have a 'c' shape at the end like it have been pinch into shape, so a slight dome on the top. If you where to press that out the nail would indeed be flat and wide. so..............

When sculpting a bitten nail I try to make sure the form has a very nice cone shape inline with the nail. Sometimes a platform is built to elongate the natural nail plate, this is so the free edge etc is balanced.

Fileing the nail slightly inwards will help give the illusion of a narrow nail.

Take care xx

 

[extensionten]

HI everyone hope I do this right this is my first time
posting on here. I have been having some problems with
sculpting. I did 2 sets on nail bitters who had very small
nail beds and when I was finished the free edge of the nails
were to wide. I filed them done but they still looked wide
What could I be doing wrong. Do I need to position the forms
a certain way?? Should I be trying to do sculpt on nail bitters??
Any help would be appreciated since I hate it when I'm not happy
with my work. I do sculpt on my own nails and they don't come out
wide??? So I don't know what's going on.
Thanks!
Monica

Hi I do sculpt ... love it. I have NOT had to do a nail bitter and I have NOT done this myself, but this is what I was told to do:
You can build a free edge with your l&p (place a bead on the nail you have left and build a free edge)
Then you can put your form on.
sculpt
Dont forget to "pinch" to get your curve!
If you have not had training in sculpting then get some is all I can say, cos it looks easy (is when you know how) but to start with.... well I think you need to go to the professionals... also they will teach you all these problem areas too!
Who did you train with, can you arrange this?
good luck

 

[nailsbymonica]

Thanks for all the replies.
I only trained at school so I didn't get to much training
I will be meeting with a mentor on Sat she's been doing
nails for over 10 years and she competes in competations and
has won so I'm hoping to learn alot from her. I think next time
I get a nail bitter I will just tip till I get the hang of sculpting.
Thanks again for all the replies!!
Monica

 

[pippadoodle]

Hi Monica,

Leyton Denny has a brilliant video for sculpting bitten nails. Well worth buying as has great tips...xx