Clubbed nails advice please

[Claire@OBNMK]

I had a lady a few months ago come to me she has clubbed nails.
They are not awful (going by pics of others on google) but they are certainly noticeable.

I did a set of hard gel sculpts on her and then she came back for a rebalance 3 weeks later, everything was fine no lifting so cos her natural nails were long enough I filed down the extension and she just had an overlay of the hard gel with gel polish on top.

Well, she came back to me with major lifting around the cuticle and sidewalls, in fact it lifted half the way down the nail! (she's in her late 50s only work a couple of days a week and I know she's good with her care), I'm very careful with prep, ok maybe 1 or 2 nails with lifting but all 4 fingers, that was exteme. (her thumbs were ok and they don't bend over as much as the others)

So what happened? do you think because her natural nails grow down quite a bit and they were the longest she's had them it might have put pressure on the overlay to then make lifting worse?

I removed the lifting then used a soak off hard gel and put a little extra in the stress area to see if that would help and we made them shorter this time.

Any experienced techs out there who can help?

Claire x

 

[Trinity]

So what happened? do you think because her natural nails grow down quite a bit and they were the longest she's had them it might have put pressure on the overlay to then make lifting worse?

I removed the lifting then used a soak off hard gel and put a little extra in the stress area to see if that would help and we made them shorter this time.

Any experienced techs out there who can help?

Claire x

You're nearly right, the shape of the natural nail is very curvy, in lots of different directions creating the 'club effect' - when you put the first set on, the nails were very short so not much of the curveture had started to happen so they stayed on fine. As the length grew the natural change of shape started and the second set (now an overlay) lifted from all directions. Thats because the natural nail is curving and growing in all directions so it's pulling away from the straight structure of the gel which wont'/cant flex as much as natural nails.

The presure of the overlay didn't cause it, the natural growth of the nail away from the overlay caused it. More at the stress area probably won't solve it as it will make it even less flexible.

I have a similar problem with my extreme ski-jump nails, they too cause cuticle zone 3 lifting as they grow upwards it changes the pressure on the overlay and they start to lift.

Your best course of action is to keep the natural nail as short as possible, so probably no natural nail overlays for her, or switch to something like Gel polish which is much more flexible, however, it's likely she will always be susceptable to lifting,

HTH

 

[Claire@OBNMK]

OMG that's fantastic Trinity thankyou so much. (love u forever xx)
So I'm thinking 2 options
#1 Like you said a gel overlay and keep nails short
#2 If she wants longer nails do extensions (using my soak off hard gel) but at the 3rd service file extensions down, remove free edge and re build)

I'd rather do a gel polish TBH less of a ball ache

 

[Claire@OBNMK]

I was really beginning to doubt myself cos I've had 3 other serious lifting issues reported back to me in the last 3 months (although I didn't get to see the damage)

I need to stop lumping all problems together and treat them individually.
I almost considered stop using hard gel and doing extensions yesterday cos I felt so fed up. But nail buddies are telling me to get a grip lol x

 

[Trinity]

OMG that's fantastic Trinity thankyou so much. (love u forever xx)
So I'm thinking 2 options
#1 Like you said a gel overlay and keep nails short
#2 If she wants longer nails do extensions (using my soak off hard gel) but at the 3rd service file extensions down, remove free edge and re build)

I'd rather do a gel polish TBH less of a ball ache

Both of your options are exactly what I'd offer a client with the same issues

I would suggest very short overlays for regular appointments, extensions for special occaisions, short term if she wants them. However, I think once you get a handle on how often she needs rebalancing, etc. you'll be providing her with beautiful short natural looking nails and she won't long for extra length anymore.

Gel polish may be the ultimate goal for her and you, it will offer some protection and strength, less chance of lifting. See how you go, she needs plenty of Solar Oil too don't forget.

 

[Trinity]

I was really beginning to doubt myself cos I've had 3 other serious lifting issues reported back to me in the last 3 months (although I didn't get to see the damage)

I need to stop lumping all problems together and treat them individually.
I almost considered stop using hard gel and doing extensions yesterday cos I felt so fed up. But nail buddies are telling me to get a grip lol x

Only 3 cases of lifting in 3 months - hell I'd take that any day!!

Well done on learning the trick of not immediately assuming you're at fault (and I don't mean that to sound patronising) - it's a lesson I took many years to learn. As soon as I hear or see of any lifting, breakage, etc. I immediately think it's my fault, but 9 times out of 10 it's not me or my work, it's how clients treat their nails. I have to remember that whilst nails are 100% of my focus, they are probably 5% of my clients. How very rude of them

 

[Claire@OBNMK]

Only 3 cases of lifting in 3 months - hell I'd take that any day!!

Oh I meant bad extreme lifting, I do still get the odd little here and there bit but it never causes any issues x

 

[Biljana]

I have a client in 15 minutes with extreme curvature when her nail grows. I did figure out that the previous gel I used on her didnt work but once I switched her to LCN Bondique her nails have never once lifted and they can grow to unimaginable length. Even go up to 5 weeks!

 

[Cindy2021]

You're nearly right, the shape of the natural nail is very curvy, in lots of different directions creating the 'club effect' - when you put the first set on, the nails were very short so not much of the curveture had started to happen so they stayed on fine. As the length grew the natural change of shape started and the second set (now an overlay) lifted from all directions. Thats because the natural nail is curving and growing in all directions so it's pulling away from the straight structure of the gel which wont'/cant flex as much as natural nails.

The presure of the overlay didn't cause it, the natural growth of the nail away from the overlay caused it. More at the stress area probably won't solve it as it will make it even less flexible.

I have a similar problem with my extreme ski-jump nails, they too cause cuticle zone 3 lifting as they grow upwards it changes the pressure on the overlay and they start to lift.

Your best course of action is to keep the natural nail as short as possible, so probably no natural nail overlays for her, or switch to something like Gel polish which is much more flexible, however, it's likely she will always be susceptable to lifting,

HTH

Trinity I have 2 clients with ski jump nails on their little fingers. I kept the natural nails short then applied tips and acrylic but they didn't look great and one clients lifted between 2 and 3 weeks. Only on these fingers. Could I do anything else?

 

[Trinity]

Trinity I have 2 clients with ski jump nails on their little fingers. I kept the natural nails short then applied tips and acrylic but they didn't look great and one clients lifted between 2 and 3 weeks. Only on these fingers. Could I do anything else?

Why didn't they look great? Did you ensure the tips were applied to the angle you wanted not just replicating the ski jump shape? By removing as much of the natural nail length as possible you can apply the tip at the correct angle so it grows out flatter. As soon as you get any length of the natural free edge the ski jump shape with start to appear and the lifting will start. Those nails will need complete removal and replacement once the lifting starts.