A couple of questions about mani and pedi techniques

[emily22]

Hi,

Just wanted to see what your opinions are on a few things. When I was at college I was taught to do mans & peds one way and that was it. However, this wonderful site has been so informative that i have slightly adapted some of the techniques i use and found it so much the better for it!:green:

But, there are still a couple of things i wanted to ask about if u dont mind....

1. To soak or not ot soak? From what ive read before i think the general opinion seemed to be to NOT soak, but when would you advise it should be done and why?

2.To trim the cuticles or not? We were taught to remove excess cuticle with cuticle knife, then to trim excess awat with nippers. Now i do my nails all the time but have found my cutilces are quite tough and seem to be broken as they grow!! (I do moisturise them everyday)

3. Pedicures. We were told if someone is under a chiropodist then you can give a pedicure? Also, if client has bunions then you cannot treat. What's your opinion on this and why?

4. Blood pressure!!! Tutor said that if client has high BP then NOT to give massage, however if it was low then then you can as massage increases BP.
I read on another site last night that high BP can be benefited through massage as it actually LOWERS the BP slightly. Low BP clients should NOT have massage because of this reason! So which is right? Or would you say if any BP probs then just avoid massage or get docs permission?

think thats all for now! any advise appreciated:green:

 

[littlegrohl]

Hiya.. I generaly only soak now when a client asks for a new look.. I used to soak if i had a client come in with someone elses work.. now i just rebalance that..

I charge extra to soak off now.. I find it such a pain in bum that i would prefer to file down thin and start over.. just me though..I have a few clients who like the tip overlay as they say it looks cleaner so I also soak them off.. but i dread it.. :irked:, I have a couple nail biters who i soak off occasionally so i can see how we are going.. thats pretty rewarding..

I NEVER cut the cuticle.. I have a strict NO BLOOD/CUTTING rule in my salon.. The whole process does more harm then good IMO.. and leaves unsightly regrowth..When live tissue is cut it scars..I see no reason for it.. Even the worst cuticles can be fixed with regular treatments and care that doesnt involve knifes or cutting..

Dont do massages so cant help on that one..

 

[BABSann]

Firstly I always soak the feet after sanitising the feet and carrying out hard skin removal,it makes it easier to remove the hard skin when the feet are dry in my opinion.That's if you're talking about pedicures here.

I push the cuticles back with a cuticle machine then trim only any loose skin with nippers,I dont cut the cuticles.

It is fine to carry out pedi if client has bunions,just be careful as they can be painful and tender.

Massage is fine as long as client has blood pressure issues under controle,that's the way I play it anyway.If it's not under controle,Drs letter.HTH

 

[ValencianNails]

I never soak for a manicure, only for pedicures.

You should never cut the eponychium, if you do then it will scar as the skin will try to heal itself and make the skin even harder than before... cuticle is what's removed from the nailplate during prep, it's non-living tissue.

 

[littlegrohl]

:smack: Dont mind me.. just realised you meant soak as in soak.. not soak off!!
Yea erm, I will always Soak for a pedicure.. (after i have sanitised)
One of my ladies has bunions.. Its just a matter of going easy.. If a foot looks iffy i wont do them and advice they see a GP/podiatrist.

 

[oey]

I dont always soak with manicures but I do if a cleint is having a luxury Spa Manicure. If a client is having enhancements then it is not advisable to soak or get too much moisture in the nails as they wil swell, which will cause your enhancements problems.

Most professional suppliers have a recommended procedure to follow so i would go with what is recommended for your products.

As for Pedi's yes i always soak.

 

[pure]

1. To soak or not ot soak? From what ive read before i think the general opinion seemed to be to NOT soak, but when would you advise it should be done and why?After sanitising I always soak for pedicures. I only soak for a luxury mani.

2.To trim the cuticles or not? We were taught to remove excess cuticle with cuticle knife, then to trim excess awat with nippers. Now i do my nails all the time but have found my cutilces are quite tough and seem to be broken as they grow!! (I do moisturise them everyday)Push the cuticle back off the nail plate and trim anything that requires it with nippers. However only remove the dead skin on the nail never the living tissue at the base of the nail area (eponychium)

3. Pedicures. We were told if someone is under a chiropodist then you can give a pedicure? Also, if client has bunions then you cannot treat. What's your opinion on this and why?Yes you can give a pedi just take extra care and remember to check the clients comfort throughout.

4. Blood pressure!!! Tutor said that if client has high BP then NOT to give massage, however if it was low then then you can as massage increases BP.
I read on another site last night that high BP can be benefited through massage as it actually LOWERS the BP slightly. Low BP clients should NOT have massage because of this reason! So which is right? Or would you say if any BP probs then just avoid massage or get docs permission?Most people are unaware that they have a BP problem. If they are aware then they are usually already under medical supervision for it (I have high BP). So I would say that yes you can massage.

Hope that helps a little.:hug:

 

[emily22]

thanks for your replies you have been really helpful! just one more thing to clarify would you say as a rule though that if someone had a chiropidist then to leave their feet alone?

 

[weezie]

Only if they had a contraindication- e.g something infectious. Many people visit the chiropodist for hard skin removal, this will actually make the pedicure easier for you. The chiropodists work would actually compliment your treatment. You would in effect be making their toes look pretty after the chiropodist has made sure they are healthy. :hug:

 

[Brandywine]

I was taught to soak and use nippers, but have changed since coming on here and finding that the latest thinking is different to my training.

Massage lowers blood pressure, so as others have said if someone is being treated for high BP and its controlled then its Ok to massage. If someone already has low BP then its Ok to massage you just need to be very careful that you give them plenty of time to sit up and that they don't feel faint. Low blood pressure isn't a health problem other than the fact that you don't want people keeling over!

 

[emily22]

:hug:Thank you sooo much for all your help!:hug:
Its funny isnt it, when I booked that course I expected to be taught all I needed to know to get on and do it all but there's always so much more to be learned!

Im starting my nail extension course next week so will have loads more questions soon:green: The course im going to do covers gels, acrylics etc, im kind of dreading it all (the course work mainly) but looking forward to it too.

Ive also got my first proper clients today for manicures! Ive just started advertising, done my website etc and one of my neighbours has booked for her mum to have a manicure on saturday as a birthday treat for her, and her daughter (who is 11 i think) begged her to let her have one too, so ill be doing my first official 'little miss princess' treatment for her. She's having a mini man & mini ped with nail art.
I know its not much but i cant wait, im always doing my daughters nails but it will be nice to do someone else's too, the little girl is really excited about it and has been telling all her friends which is great as word of mouth is the best form of advertising imo.

Thank you all again for all the help you have given me! I cant tell you how much i appreciate it all!:green: