Manicures on diabetics

[brittone05]

The fact that we are nail techs who feel that aside from varying adaptations to a clients service dependant on their needs - both medical, personal and anything else we may wish to throw in Eskimo is by the by here.

Bottom line really is regardless of how well trained you are, your background in the industry and your ranking in the industry there is a vast differece between being straight to the point and downright rude towards people.

i also could not give a hoot how people view you - you come across as brash, rude and at times very ignorant towards other people's feelings. This is a PUBLIC forum and new and old techs alike read this. My concern is that new techs will read your replies and feel too worried to post for fear of feeling your wrath. If that is how you choose to be perceived by people then that is ultimately your choice.

We all appreciate honesty but not when it costs someone else their feelings and certainly not when the honesty is only aimed to belittle someone else and be, frankly, horrible to people because you can't be bothered to take the time to be nice

 

[Susie H]

Well firstly, they should sign a consent and release form.

I would recommend filing their nails with a file with VERY dull edges. Don't risk cutting. Then apply some cuticle oil and gently push back their cuticles with a birchwood stick. No scrub, soak or paraffin and noooo metal tools.

Lots of diabetics have their condition well controlled, however some do not. If you see their arms and hands and they have lots of injuries on them, that would indicate their diabetes is uncontrolled and/or severe. You should refuse treatment at that point.

Also, this is just from my personal experience with diabetic treatments and you should make sure your insurance covers you.

Where do you get your information?
It's completely wrong.
Diabetics prick their own fingers several times a day with a very sharp needle to take a drop of blood and test their own sugar levels.
Diabetics should be treated like any other client.
If a person is taking warfarian then you need to worry about blood loss. But this is a medication for people who have blood clots.
Get your facts straight. You should visit the web site diabetic UK.
Diabetics do not bruise more easily, they are not contagious they are not fragile they work in all industries. I am sorry if I am offending you but I am sick to death of having people in my own family treated as if they have HIV.
For your record cards you need to know if the client is type 1 or type 2, you need to know if they are on tablets or injection. You need the name of their doctor. This is for health and safety reasons only. So that if they fainted when you call an ambulance you can give the medics the helpful information.
For your information. The captain of the rowing team that took the gold at the last Olympics for England is a type 1 diabetic who injects 4 times a day. If he can do that, then I hardly think a manicure is going to be a life or death matter.

 

[brittone05]

Also to add - my husbands hands are totally battered, up his forearms too. This isn't to do with his diabetes. it is because he is a mechanic/garage owner and has his arms stuck behind car radiators and such like all day and has done for the last 20 years lmao

 

[Susie H]

As a diabetic myself it depends on each person. No our skin is not more sensitive to cuts and bruises but if we do get nicked by an instrument while having a manicure and we bleed this is where it may cause a problem.

As a diabetic with well managed sugar levels this wouldnt be an issue. Someone with badly managed diabetes will struggle to heal from this cut and this may lead to infection.

All in all diabetes isnt affected by the manicure - only if you are not careful with how you do it.

Which is true for any client you are treating.
This lady is talking sense.
Please people go to the diabetic uk web site.
Please ask for a call back from the diabetic nurse at your own doctors practice and ask them all your questions.
Please don't treat someone with a controlled medical condition feel like a plague carrier.

 

[gr8nailz]

Hi all. I'd like to chime in here. I might be one of the older nail techs in the forum and may be one of the more experienced with diabetic clients as well...not sure though...don't know the rest of you all's history. We all know there are two types of diabetics and that there is a HUGE difference between the two. So enough said about that.

As far as manicures or pedicures I pretty much do the same thing I would with my regular clients. My diabetic clients expect it. I still clip and file nails. I have opted, however, to use a plastic pusher rather than metal. I use my curette but never a nipper. I use sugar scrub, very gently. I massage, very gently. I use warm towels rather than hot. And my clients, all 11 of them, are perfectly fine.

I am gentle to begin with but am even more so and cautious with my diabetic clients because of how prone they are to infection.

It is disappointing, though, to see how professionals behave toward one another. We're sharing professional advice, for Pete's sake! There's no need to be defensive. As old as I am, I've learned from this site and have been corrected as well. I didn't take it personally. I appreciated it!

 

[ProperPrincess]

Which is true for any client you are treating.
This lady is talking sense.
Please people go to the diabetic uk web site.
Please ask for a call back from the diabetic nurse at your own doctors practice and ask them all your questions.
Please don't treat someone with a controlled medical condition feel like a plague carrier.

If anyone is in Cardiff and would like the facts call the diabetic clinic in llandough. Jaybe will be sure to advise you PROPERLY. If anyone wants information on diabetes their website is brilliant and even has a facebook page which u may be able to gain further information. If you want any details and I can help please do inbox me.

Soo right...I prick my fingers about 6 times a day and inject so its generally about care! If your instruments are clean there really shouldnt be a cause for concern. I know I take the advice of my diabetic consultant over a beauty college. sorry but thats just how it is for me.

 

[VHunter]

Just a thought or two....

If a client is at risk, then why take additional risks? Doctor's make advisements for GOOD REASON!
Just because someone 'says' that everything is right as rain, doesn't make it so.
My friend's grandmother is diabetic. She will deny it to me, say everything is perfectly fine (then my friend will tell me otherwise about her levels being off and she's not controlling it or taking her meds or following doctor's orders).

YES there are many ways that things are taught... BUT that doesn't mean that they are all the right way.
Doctor's know best and if the Dr says: no heat, no sharp implements etc... then there must be a reason for that.

So for those that say they were taught differently and everything is hunky dory with their clients, good for you. I just hope that you keep being lucky and don't end up with a nasty surprise one day when something goes wrong. I hope the same for your clients.

As for those who are thin skinned.... YES, this is a learning forum to support professionals. Would we be still considered professional if we worried less about facts and getting a point across and more about tippy-toeing about trying not to hurt someone's feelings with the straight up truth??

I've been on a forum where people are more concerned about hurting each other's feelings.
Guess what? I learnt nothing.

Thanks, but I'll stick around where you get STRAIGHT HONESTY.

As Jack Nicholson said "you want the truth? You cant handle the truth!".....
I seem to see that a lot around here these days...

 

[brittone05]

In fairness Victoria, there is a massive difference between being honest and being plain rude We can all take the honesty, I adore people who are straight and say it as tey see it BUT as a professional and as a user of many public forums you kind of learn how to be slightly diplomatic about how you phrase things. Taking the attitude of " i don't give a hoot about anyone's feelings" is a bit crass and can make you appear quite up yourself if you don't word your replies carefully ya know. we love the downright honesty of geeks such as Geeg, Mum, Persianista but they are not rude and they are not openly disregarding people's views to make their own the only one heard xx :hug:

 

[Lolly22]

I do agree with alot of things that are said here on this post

That said, my experience with asking clients to provide a doctors note isnt great. One of my clients was in for a massage and had heart problems and was on medication etc so my manager asked him to provide a doctors note. I had his wife for a treatment actually sorry, and she was telling me when she asked for a note for her husbands illnesses to allow him to have the massage the doc was actually laughing about it and wrote something like " this treatment won't exacerbate my patients condition " and he was saying to the woman do you think they will be able to pronounce that word? Basically he was taking the Micky out the fact we had asked her husband to provide a doctors note.

So I would hate to think what the doctor would say to a client if she was sent for one for a manicure.

The doctors make us look like total idiots sometimes for asking for a note, they don't understand what goes on during massages and treatments and how they can affect the client.

Anyways, just my thoughts.

 

[gr8nailz]

Even though this article is about pedicures, it does address several of the issues we've discussed.


The Truth About Pedicures | Diabetes Forecast Magazine

 

[Aromababy]

The fact that we are nail techs who feel that aside from varying adaptations to a clients service dependant on their needs - both medical, personal and anything else we may wish to throw in Eskimo is by the by here.

Bottom line really is regardless of how well trained you are, your background in the industry and your ranking in the industry there is a vast differece between being straight to the point and downright rude towards people.

i also could not give a hoot how people view you - you come across as brash, rude and at times very ignorant towards other people's feelings. This is a PUBLIC forum and new and old techs alike read this. My concern is that new techs will read your replies and feel too worried to post for fear of feeling your wrath. If that is how you choose to be perceived by people then that is ultimately your choice.

We all appreciate honesty but not when it costs someone else their feelings and certainly not when the honesty is only aimed to belittle someone else and be, frankly, horrible to people because you can't be bothered to take the time to be nice

Here here x

Sent from my GT-S5830 using SalonGeek

 

[happyfeet]

Even though this article is about pedicures, it does address several of the issues we've discussed.


The Truth About Pedicures | Diabetes Forecast Magazine

thank you for sharing hun x

 

[sandman1]

Being a type 1 diabetic and a nail tech this thread has also angered me.

Hun the reason is because a diabetic is at higher risk of septicemia, something often started with a cut. Nothing to do with bruising.

I inject insulin 4 times a day...I am well controlled. AND I ACCEPT THAT!!!

Thank you for clearing that up for me. I feel this one question has got a little out of hand on here and now I feel a bit quilty.
My college training never covered diabetics and thats why I wanted to be sure im doing the right thing for my client.

 

[happyfeet]

don't feel guilty hun at all. I'm sure this thread has helped lots of people understand more about diabetes and manicures i know it has me.

I think this is the problem hun it shouldn't be a case that geeks get cross with other geeks its more the point we should be cross with the training provider in the first instance. You've not been told about diabetes in your course so you came on here to check with other techs. It would be wrong if you didn't consult others and went ahead without a care for your clients health and just left it just to your training for answers and in your case you weren't told anything about diabetes. So please don't feel guilty.

The problem i think some people have and that includes myself, is certain posts think being rude is straight talking when in fact there are ways to get your information and corrections across without the need for rudeness or belittling someone else. We here on this forum to learn and share. Furthermore its got nothing to do with people being sensitive but everything to do with acceptable communication.

I thank you for posting this thread hun and everyone who has contributed positively.

Love n hugs x x x

 

[brittone05]

I agree wholly with Happyfeet Please don't feel guilty hunny. You were not informed on your training and that is not your fault. You should be commended for actually asking for the advice and not just winging it like some people would do. It shows you have the best intentions for your clients and your further education in the industry at heart :hug: xx

 

[gr8nailz]

Thank you for clearing that up for me. I feel this one question has got a little out of hand on here and now I feel a bit quilty.
My college training never covered diabetics and thats why I wanted to be sure im doing the right thing for my client.

When one person asks a question, countless more gain education from it.

 

[jujojones]

When one person asks a question, countless more gain education from it.

I have learnt more tricks, tips and knowhow in the few mths I've been on the site than the years I've spent in industry! You learn from other peoples mistakes, mishaps etc !

I also love it when I can share my experience (and MANY MANY mistakes) lol

Sent from my HTC Desire S using SalonGeek

 

[Susie H]

Thank you for clearing that up for me. I feel this one question has got a little out of hand on here and now I feel a bit quilty.
My college training never covered diabetics and thats why I wanted to be sure im doing the right thing for my client.

Dear Sandman, you should not feel guilty for asking questions, if you don't know the answer to something, you need to ask, simple as that.
So I'm going to give a somewhat broader statement here and then answer you as concisely as possible.
When you come across something that in your studies said contra indicated, while you were studying the correct course for you was to avoid it.
Now you are qualified the correct course is to find out why it's contra indicated and see if there is a way for you to safely adapt your service.
So you have a diabetic client come to you for a manicure.
Put the condition to one side for a moment and look at the client. What is their age group? What is there skin like, how do their nails look.
These are the bones of the service you will give.
Once you have that out of the way you then need to know certain things from them.
You explain to your client that in the event of an accident in the work place you need to know things to tell an ambulance crew. Anyone can trip and bang their head
So are they type 1 or 2 diabetic. Type 1. The body can not process sugar at all and the condition is controlled by injection (this is a broad answer, so please don't anyone jump down my neck here) Type 2, the body is not very good with processing sugar and the client helps with, sometimes diet alone, sometimes with diet and tablets.
It's helpful if you can write on the client card who their doctor is, what type of medication they take and how often.
Then you want to know what their blood sugar reading is. A none diabetic in good health will have a reading of 5 or very close to that.
A controlled diabetic will have a reading of somewhere between 4 and 9.
Ask them, have they any loss of sensitivity in their hands or feet. They will know, every time they see the diabetic nurse for a review they have a sensitivity test. Make a note of it.
This is where you will be making your adjustments. For example, when I give my husband a pedicure, I am very careful to test the water temp for his foot bath, this is because he has a slight loss of sensitivity in one foot and in his hands, so asking him if the temp is ok, is a waste of time.
Using a cuticle pusher or nippers is the same as for anyone else, you examine the skin and provided its normal in appearance, carry on.
Ex foliation scrubs etc have more to do with skin type then anything else.
If your client is elderly and has thin paper like skin I wouldn't use a scrub, if they happen to be diabetic or not.
Pedicures. This is where we are so very helpful. We will see the bottom of the feet. We can see if there are cuts or anything unusual and we should not keep quiet about them. We know what a normal foot looks like and we should be willing to write a note to be passed along to a doctor saying what we have seen. Don't diagnose for goodness sake (doctors hate that) but state what we have seen and ask the doctor to have a look and tell us if this is ok. We are trained to cut nails correctly. We will spot an in growing toe nail. An infected hang nail, bacterial infection. That is where we are the professionals. If you are ever faced with a diabetic who can not tell you what their blood sugar level is, or says it's more then 10. I would tell them that until their blood sugar is under control I would not be able to treat them.
Again this is not because I think I'm going to harm them with a treatment, it's because I would worry that my insurance would not cover me and because I'm encouraging a diabetic to take better care of them selves.
So all my ranting aside. I hope this answer has helped and I strongly suggest you talk to the diabetic nurse at your own doctors practice. If you ring and explain to reception that you want a greater understanding so as to carry out treatments so could you have a call back when ever the nurse isn't busy. You should get a happy nurse feeding you info as quick as you can take it in.
Diabetic uk has a wealth of information, all written in easy to follow language and style. It's aimed at new diabetics who are trying to understand what's happening to them.
Lastly if you don't do pedicures, you should, good money to be made and there are some really good extra courses you can take which will allow you to become a tech who offers more then the average.
HTH xx

 

[Lucy-Jayne]

Dear Sandman, you should not feel guilty for asking questions, if you don't know the answer to something, you need to ask, simple as that.
So I'm going to give a somewhat broader statement here and then answer you as concisely as possible.
When you come across something that in your studies said contra indicated, while you were studying the correct course for you was to avoid it.
Now you are qualified the correct course is to find out why it's contra indicated and see if there is a way for you to safely adapt your service.
So you have a diabetic client come to you for a manicure.
Put the condition to one side for a moment and look at the client. What is their age group? What is there skin like, how do their nails look.
These are the bones of the service you will give.
Once you have that out of the way you then need to know certain things from them.
You explain to your client that in the event of an accident in the work place you need to know things to tell an ambulance crew. Anyone can trip and bang their head
So are they type 1 or 2 diabetic. Type 1. The body can not process sugar at all and the condition is controlled by injection (this is a broad answer, so please don't anyone jump down my neck here) Type 2, the body is not very good with processing sugar and the client helps with, sometimes diet alone, sometimes with diet and tablets.
It's helpful if you can write on the client card who their doctor is, what type of medication they take and how often.
Then you want to know what their blood sugar reading is. A none diabetic in good health will have a reading of 5 or very close to that.
A controlled diabetic will have a reading of somewhere between 4 and 9.
Ask them, have they any loss of sensitivity in their hands or feet. They will know, every time they see the diabetic nurse for a review they have a sensitivity test. Make a note of it.
This is where you will be making your adjustments. For example, when I give my husband a pedicure, I am very careful to test the water temp for his foot bath, this is because he has a slight loss of sensitivity in one foot and in his hands, so asking him if the temp is ok, is a waste of time.
Using a cuticle pusher or nippers is the same as for anyone else, you examine the skin and provided its normal in appearance, carry on.
Ex foliation scrubs etc have more to do with skin type then anything else.
If your client is elderly and has thin paper like skin I wouldn't use a scrub, if they happen to be diabetic or not.
Pedicures. This is where we are so very helpful. We will see the bottom of the feet. We can see if there are cuts or anything unusual and we should not keep quiet about them. We know what a normal foot looks like and we should be willing to write a note to be passed along to a doctor saying what we have seen. Don't diagnose for goodness sake (doctors hate that) but state what we have seen and ask the doctor to have a look and tell us if this is ok. We are trained to cut nails correctly. We will spot an in growing toe nail. An infected hang nail, bacterial infection. That is where we are the professionals. If you are ever faced with a diabetic who can not tell you what their blood sugar level is, or says it's more then 10. I would tell them that until their blood sugar is under control I would not be able to treat them.
Again this is not because I think I'm going to harm them with a treatment, it's because I would worry that my insurance would not cover me and because I'm encouraging a diabetic to take better care of them selves.
So all my ranting aside. I hope this answer has helped and I strongly suggest you talk to the diabetic nurse at your own doctors practice. If you ring and explain to reception that you want a greater understanding so as to carry out treatments so could you have a call back when ever the nurse isn't busy. You should get a happy nurse feeding you info as quick as you can take it in.
Diabetic uk has a wealth of information, all written in easy to follow language and style. It's aimed at new diabetics who are trying to understand what's happening to them.
Lastly if you don't do pedicures, you should, good money to be made and there are some really good extra courses you can take which will allow you to become a tech who offers more then the average.
HTH xx

Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE could do with printing this off and keeping it alongside their client record cards.

We need to be professional, treat clients appropriately and show understanding. They do not appreciate being fobbed off with the same old excuse of 'you need to get a doctors note and sign a waiver form' purely because we don't know what we're talking about.

 

[ProperPrincess]

Thank you for clearing that up for me. I feel this one question has got a little out of hand on here and now I feel a bit quilty.
My college training never covered diabetics and thats why I wanted to be sure im doing the right thing for my client.

you did the right thing asking. Better to be safe. Dont feel guilty.

If you ring diabetes uk they will happily help you. and im sure any diabetes nurse also. I can help with the medical issues if u ever need any advice xx