very poorly nails can anyone give me any advice?

[MINKUS]

hi all

i have a client with absolutely awful nails.

She started coming to me about 3 months ago, she is 64 and has heart trouble and is on various different medications.

SHe came to me with the worst nails i have ever seen, onycholosis on 4 nails, bruising on one (from trapping in a door!) thin nail plates, over grown cuticle on one that she cuts her self OUCH thats growing all deformed up the lateral fold, ridges, layers of nail plate seperating at the free edge on one nail.........

All this she says.....was the result of a long period of time with her past nail tek

ANyway she came to me wanting tips !!

I refused to put tips on her nails they were in such a state i said the only treatment i was prepared to offer was regular manicures and a bio sculpture CLEAR overlay to offer some strength( and so i could keep an eye on em), add a bit of shine and help with the ridges.

She is a terrible picker, comes with the gel off, bits of nail plate missing here and there....anyway without rambling he nails are short, kept clean and i give her a complimentary solar pinky oil to use to oil the cuticles and the onycholosis but its not budging.......

i have told her to go to her gp.....can anyone give me any advice? I am worried at why it just doesnt seem to be clearing up !!

thanks

amb x

 

[lotus blossom]

hey mate!!!
sounds awful, has she been to her gp?
does she work?
what medication is she on?
poor nails they are poorly!!!!

 

[MINKUS]

nope she doesnt really work, sits on the board of some company, she is on beta blockers and some other heart medication.

I told her to go to her gp 4 weeks ago she came tonight and she hasnt been.

Should i say i can no longer treat her?

btw as a precautionary measure she has her own envelope of files thoroughly disinfected.

ANd she doesnt have psorisis.

THe nails ARE BETTER than when she first came but its the onycholosis thats bugging me UNLESS she is POKING down there in between appointments which she has done while she has sat in fornt of me (but not recently becuase im afraid i told her off !)

amb x

 

[lotus blossom]

personally, i think she is a picker , poker and a prodder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! if she is poking things under her nail bed , its very tempting to poke as far as you can and push back the hyponichium SP? which i think will encourage the onocholyisis SP?, i cant comment on the meds, as im not a doctor!!!!!
i really would tell her you are unable to treat until shes been to her doctor for your sakes really amb
hth
mind you might be a load of twaddle as im on the vino!!!!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
p.s if i was a doctor id say that her meds werent helping!!! but im not so i cant say!!!! lol lol

 

[ADiva1]

Wow, what a shock that must have been the first time Amb.

The only thing I can personally suggest is regular manicures, paraffin, solar, heated mitts? BUT this wont treat everything that she's suffering from.

What would a GP do for nails if she went to him/her?

To me, it doesnt sound like its just the last Tech's work, but a combi of things; lack of certain vitamins or nutrients, lack of care as well...

Not sure I'd let her have bio either!

Good case study I'd give her a few more treatments to see what you can do... Goodluck!

 

[MINKUS]

i think

a) the last tech was inexperienced and hammered her nails from what she's told me and....

b) she used to bite em off not soak em off which i have done in the past:smack: and caused onycholosis on my little finger ONLY JUST GONE.



onycholosis is where the nail plate seperates from the nail bed.


Amb x

 

[jenny3543]

Next time this client calls i would tell her that due to her conditions and because you are a good nail tech that you cant work on her until she brings in a doctors note. If you have been working with her for 3 months and nothing has improved you dont want to be making it worse accidentally. If it was just damage from the past technician and you have been tending to them properly, than by 3 months you should be seeing some kind of improvment. explain that u are afraid to make her condition any worse and that she really should see a gp i think we call them dermatolgists here in us and have him give the ok, and only ask for the note cus as all clients say "my doctor said it was fine". also if shes picking the gels off and making her condition worse then she may not be an enhamncment client. suggest donig oil manicures if her doc gives the ok. akward situation but i hope this helps

 

[Sassy Hassy]

I'm with Andrea on this one, I don't think seeing the doctor is going to do any help unless she has some kind of infection etc that meds would help. So unless you can see any reason that there are contraindications then carry on looking after her.

This would be my suggestion if she was my client

Weekly manicures for about 6 weeks - if her funds are lacking you could just make them a mini manicure and just go through the very basics (having her in weekly will encourage her more to look after them at home). Then switch to fortnightly. I would cut the nails as short as possible to try and help with the onycholysis - say that once it goes she can let them grow, cos the length may cause undue pressure on them and make it worse. She will need to buy a larger bottle of oil as she will need to slap it on!!

It's hard to say, but I would guess that she is having a good old poke down them nails! And if she can pick Bio off then she is an even worse picker than me cos I tried and tried and I coudn't shift it! That again will not help with the whole problem so I wouldn't use it. If she is using her nails then she probably doesn't even know she is prodding and poking at them as it's such an established habit and she'll do it without thinking. Also she will come from the old school when it was okay to clean down the nails and cut cuticles. You need to re-educate her, and really encourage her in such a positive way that she will want to break the habit of a lifetime.

I love this type of client because they are such a challenge, and the mutual satisfaction gained when a plan works is just fab. She is not going to be an overnight success, in fact it could take months and months to sort it. But everytime you see an improvement you must give her plenty of praise and encouragement as this will spur her on!

PLus is she have that onycholysis BEFORE she went to the other technician? It may be the way her nails grow! It may be that the meds are affecting them.

Keep going Amber, like you say they have improved already, and sorry if the above was teaching you to suck eggs, but until she stops picking they are never going to be 100%!

 

[ADiva1]

Sass gave you some good advice there Amb. Think you should hang in there, work out some kind of treatment plan for the old dear. Bet she'd be really pleased at the end of it all with your effort and the result - IF SHE DOES NOT PICK, PRODE AND POKE.

 

[princessniknox]

His amber,

She could also be someone suffering from an attention seeking, obsessive compulsive, disorder (picking, poking and prodding).

Her last tech might not have been the person who caused all this but went through the same thing as you are now (trying your best to help her).

Her last tech MAY have gotten fed up with it and hence the reason she`s approached you.

I`m not saying this IS the case - but its something to think about if you find yourself still getting nowhere with her.

HTH,

Trace x

 

[MINKUS]

thanks guys i am grateful for all the advice.

Sassy i need teaching how to suck eggs mate FIRE AWAY !!! he he:hug:

amb x