Client said nails all broke?

[Fairydust0110]

I qualified in gel manicure a few months ago and have been doing nails regularly. Most clients are very happy with my nails, had a few that have had chips but admitted it was probably due to them being too harsh on hands and I’ve also had several clients with chip free nails for 2/3 weeks!

So was very surprised when on lady contacted me today to say all her nails broke off? Not just chipped but actually broken off down as far as they can go? This is now 12 days on. She said she had a few chips in week one and now they’re all broken. I’ve attached pics of when I done them vs her photos today. Any help and advice would be appreciated. I asked her if she cleans without gloves she says yes but any other places she’s been she cleans and this doesn’t happen. I don’t see how me doing her nails would cause them to rip off I feel as if she’s blaming me and not taking any responsibility. First photo is before and second/third photos is obviously now

 

[Scrubadub]

They definitely look like they have broken to me but it sounds like an aftercare issue not what you have done, she’s already said she doesn’t use gloves so who knows what else she’s been up to

 

[Fairydust0110]

Thanks! I was doubting myself thought maybe it was me just because I’m not that confident yet, but when I was soaking off the other gel she had on before doing her nails it was totally solid and really hard to soak off...and she normally goes to an express USA nails type place And not sure what brand they use but it would’ve withstood an earth quake. Heard sometimes these places can use stuff that’s strong by not necessarily good for nails. She’s not taking any responsibility that it maybe been related to her, so I guess I’ll never know

 

[Scrubadub]

Thanks! I was doubting myself thought maybe it was me just because I’m not that confident yet, but when I was soaking off the other gel she had on before doing her nails it was totally solid and really hard to soak off...and she normally goes to an express USA nails type place And not sure what brand they use but it would’ve withstood an earth quake. Heard sometimes these places can use stuff that’s strong by not necessarily good for nails. She’s not taking any responsibility that it maybe been related to her, so I guess I’ll never know

It’s difficult to say really, some brands are more hard wearing than others and if this is an isolated incident then more than likely down to aftercare. Even a client has had gel before elsewhere make sure you give them their aftercare

 

[Fairydust0110]

Yeah totally I said to her maybe this brand isn’t as forgiving with heavy treatment on the hands etc... she wants to come back so surely can’t be that bad haha

 

[Scrubadub]

Yeah totally I said to her maybe this brand isn’t as forgiving with heavy treatment on the hands etc... she wants to come back so surely can’t be that bad haha

That’s good, her nails may also be thin if not taken off well from the other place, my nails get soft under the gel when doing washing up with no gloves so can be prone to breaking

 

[Fairydust0110]

Yeah that’s true! Thanks so much for your feedback

 

[Czerwien]

You should probably use hard gel polish base coat. I pick base for each customer. She is the case, when nails should be strengthened (thin layer of rubber base for adhesion and then leveling with hard gel). If you dont do leveling of nails with hard base, you can use builder in a bottle. Also if her nails are brittle, don't use soak off, but use efile. Soaking liquid wash off oil from nails and makes then fragile.

 

[NZNailz]

I also notice from your photos that it's her free edge end that is chipping first. How are you capping the nails? You may be creating a bulge of polish at the tip that is not curing properly? Just a thought.

 

[Milli48]

First thought: if she was so impressed with the last salon, why is she not going there any more??
Second thought: does she always have short nails? Are they weak? Thin at the free edge??

They were short when you did them, making it difficult to cap the free edge. If they were also weak, the polish isn't going to make them strong enough to put up with cleaning etc. So, the polish lifted, she picked at it, the nail became brittle due to water getting in there that polish just came away with the nail, maybe after a knock or from rubbing/scraping. You said she cleans without gloves. She can't do that and still have pretty nails. Clients need to take more responsibility. And she should have got in touch as soon as she had an issue, in week 1.

Have you heard of IBX? If she has damaged nails, that will make them stronger. It's a great way to increase value to your services. You can actually see a difference after application if you have layers of nail that are separated, because IBX attaches them back together.

If she has her hands in water a lot and says she never had this before at the other place, it could be the products used at her last salon were flexible enough to move with the nail as it expands and shrinks. If you had a job removing her last product, I'm wondering, was it badly grown out? Hybrid gels come off easily like butter after being in wraps for 10 minutes, but even they can be a job to remove if it's been weeks and weeks since they were done! 100% gels seem much harder to soak off, even really expensive brands. The longer it's on the nails, the more it sets like cement. Also they may have used bonder or primer underneath, which can make removal more difficult. Not everybody needs bonders and primers. Properly prepped and cleansed nails with enough free edge to cap can last just as long, but everybody is different. I notice that my clients who visit those cheap places we all have in our towns all seem to have cement-like polish that won't budge without repeated buffing.

I really like Trinity by Akzentz. It's a one-step gel from their hard gel line. Light Elegance do a similar product called 1-step. When used as a base layer, they can really protect the nail and seem to help anything you put on top really adhere to the nail. You would need to e-file off the colour each time, though. You could also try a system that has good flexibility, like Akzentz Options Soak-off gels. They have a really good base coat with bonder already in it, called Opti-bond. Get her coming for overlays with backfills, that might help. And some rubber gloves and cuticle oil!

 

[Bel's Gels]

From what i can see the free edge of her natural nails looks extremely thin which would suggest to me that her nails have been filed quite thin by previous techs. This would contribute to her nails breaking and not your fault.
With nails like these I would put a thin layer of hard gel. When she comes back, file off colour, backfil and apply new colour.
All my gel polish clients now have this service and I charge them extra on top of the gel polish cost.

 

[Dolly.Dimple]

I'm sorry but to me it looks like she's been nibbling them! You can get chips on weak nails but I find these tend to be on main fingers, ie index and middle fingers. But her pinky is jagged as if it's been bitten off.

 

[Tyra345]

The nails are too thin and it is definately because of previous experiences.

 

[House Beauty]

I qualified in gel manicure a few months ago and have been doing nails regularly. Most clients are very happy with my nails, had a few that have had chips but admitted it was probably due to them being too harsh on hands and I’ve also had several clients with chip free nails for 2/3 weeks!

So was very surprised when on lady contacted me today to say all her nails broke off? Not just chipped but actually broken off down as far as they can go? This is now 12 days on. She said she had a few chips in week one and now they’re all broken. I’ve attached pics of when I done them vs her photos today. Any help and advice would be appreciated. I asked her if she cleans without gloves she says yes but any other places she’s been she cleans and this doesn’t happen. I don’t see how me doing her nails would cause them to rip off I feel as if she’s blaming me and not taking any responsibility. First photo is before and second/third photos is obviously now

Late to the party but this is what mine end up looking like after a good biting session. The tips look more like when I nibble around the edges than a break.