Damaged Nail Help

[Moo Moo]

Hello Everyone. I must admit to being a lurking Geek for ever and I have learned so much from you all. A big thank you!! But now I am taking a deep breath as I need to ask your advice. A Client comes to me but uses other Salons as well which is absolutely fine. She came to me about six month ago for a manicure. She had been using Calgel for a long time applied by a technician who is very good at applying the gel but perhaps doesn't practice excellent hygeine. Anyway when the last application of gel was removed she discovered one nail had (part of it) become opaque/white in colour.Apparently there was no sign of this when the gel was applied. I wondered at the time if the gel had been removed incorrectly and the nail had become partially seperated from the nail bed during the removal. I also asked if she could remember hurting or damaging the nail in any way. She said no but she did remember the nail feeling tender whilst the gel was on. I didn't venture any diagnosis but suggested mentioning it to the Doctor but she felt the best thing was let it all grow out and not put any gel onto the nail until it had had chance to resolve itself.

She came to me yesterday and mentioned she had been somewhere for a french manicure. I asked to look (I love looking at other peoples work and picking up idears) but was surprised to see the nail still as it was approx six months ago perhaps a tad worse. She often has other treatments with me so I hadn't really kept an eye on her nail. She said the nail felt tender again and she had had no enhancements only manicures with polish.

Now if the nail plate had become temporarily seperated from the nail bed (say by trauma) surely by now the damage would be growing out. The nail (under the french clear polish) appeared to be the same white/opaque it was all those months ago and she agreed there appeared to be no diminishment in the size of this area.There is no green staining to the nail and the whiteness is mainly in zone 2 towards zone 1 (center to free edge, in case I have this wrong!!). I am now concluding (to myself) that there is an infection.

Now please can anyone tell me what they think/know has happened here. It seemed to have happened so fast, during the life of one set of gel overlays perhaps 3 to 4 weeks. Is this a fungal infection or could it be the nail has become detached from the bed with no infection present and as yet refuses to adhere back to the bed?

My Client things she may try tea tree oil do you think this will work sufficiently well??

Please forgive this long explanation. Thank you so much for ploughing your way through it and any help or advice you could give would be gratefully received.

Thanks to you all

Moo Moo

 

[Bagpuss]

Hiya Moo Moo x

Whats the length on this nail...? if there is nail separation from the nail bed and there is length to the nail then every time she catches the nail it will make the separation worse....hence it looking no better after 6 months.

The shorter the better with nail separation. HTH

 

[satinbaby]

I think you really should encourage her to go to the doctors nail problems can be of numerous things even underlying heath problems ..... xx

 

[Moo Moo]

There isn't really any length to the nail, the nail just reaches the tip of the finger. Yes I wish she would see the Doctor but I think she feels going for "just a nail" wouldn't be appreciated but I will continue to encourage her.

Thanks for your help though much appreciated

Moo Moo

 

[Nco London Gina]

We have 2 doctor clients who come into our salon.

Apparently even a fungal infection is not a priority - Nothing they will do, just send you to the chemist.


Gina x