Discolouration on toes.....

[Vicky Macca]

Hope someone can help!

A client came into the salon this evening to book in for Hollywood Toes. She explained that she couldn't stand looking at her feet and wanted to treat herself....she then went on to explain that there was a mid-dark brown staining on her toes and she didn't know what it was but she hated looking at it. When I asked to see her toe nails her description was exactly right. Having no experience with nail mould, its hard to say,but thats exactly what I thought it was. It was a patch of mid-dark brown at her nail wall. Is it safe to apply gel to her toes? Should I just apply a french so light can get at it,or can i mask it with a colour gel until it grows out? I just feel that any kind of blending or buffing may cause too much trauma to that area??!!.....want to make this client happy, but don't want to cause her future problems and give myself a bad name professionally. Hope someone can steer me in the right direction. Thanks guys xx

 

[eskimonailtech]

I'm not really totally sold that it's mold... without seeing it I couldn't say for sure. Not that us nail tech's can diagnose anyways.

Mold usually shows up as a light green to dark green, not brown. And I doesn't always grow out. I'd be more likely to say she might have a bruise under her nail if it's dark brown. That would grow out.

My usual recommendation is to send the client to a doctor. If it's a bruise, you need to be careful when buffing. This could mean the nail has some damage and weird formations. I once was buffing a nail that had been bruised and went right through it because the bruise had bubbled up. (yes, gross!)

If it IS a mold or fungus, putting an opaque product on it would be the wrong thing to do. That would be a perfect breeding environment. And if it's UNDER the nail, there's not much we can do about it.

Long story short, without seeing it, I couldn't even make an "I think this is..." statement. Call her up and ask her to see a physician and let you know what they said.

 

[mizzy_dizzy]

Mould i'd hope not,
If it is that bad (you are the only one whos seen it)and you say your self "I just feel that any kind of blending or buffing may cause too much trauma to that area??!!."
then I think you need to go with your gut, tell her to get a doctor to take a look at it, and that if they are happy for you to do it then you will

 

[geeg]

Surely as PRofessionals we dO all know by now that mold is not a human pathogen and does not grow on nails????

I'm incredulous that any new technicians do not know this information. Please cut the mold word from your nail vocabulary as it does not exist.

 

[Vicky Macca]

Surely as PRofessionals we dO all know by now that mold is not a human pathogen and does not grow on nails????

I'm incredulous that any new technicians do not know this information. Please cut the mold word from your nail vocabulary as it does not exist.[/QUOTE

I was worried and genuinely concerned about the condition of a clients toe nails. I posted a thread to seek advice amongst my peers, having never been confronted with an issue such as this previously. I was of the understanding that this was an approachable and supportive network for new and seasoned nail technicians who may, hopefully, be able to help me. Apologies for the incorrect use of the word 'mould'.

 

[eskimonailtech]

Surely as PRofessionals we dO all know by now that mold is not a human pathogen and does not grow on nails????

I'm incredulous that any new technicians do not know this information. Please cut the mold word from your nail vocabulary as it does not exist.

I have to say, I think that was very rude. She was asking for help, not seven lashings. Instead of admonishing new technicians, perhaps you can kindly guide them in the right direction.

Some people are taught mold is it's own entity and some are taught it is strictly a TYPE of fungus. Regardless, mold as a type of fungus can and has grown between natural nails and enhancements, as opposed to being a yeast fungi or a dematophyte.

 

[Envy]

ok my two cents on this one.

no offense intended, we know there is much incorrect information being taught.

Firstly: the original question, discolouration of a toe nail
This could be caused by so many things it's far to hard to diagnose without seeing it and talking to the client.
It could even be as simple as a 'dye' discoloration from cheap nail polish. Alternatively it could be a sign of something more severe happening internally.. (assuming it's on ALL toe nails)

Fungus:
If this affects toe nails it will almost always be a thick, crumbly, opaque/whitish nail. the fungal spores burrow deep into the plate layers and as they grow swell it and cause it to break up. They don't go dark in colour (unless other problems are also occuring...)

Fungus almost never occurs on hands, it NEEDS warm, dark, moist to grow. Hands do not provide the correct environment.

Bacteria:
Bacteria appears on nails as a yellow/green/dark green or green/black. It tends to occur where there is a trapped unhygenic environment. eg. Lifting

I hope this clarifys things a little.
For further reading I would strongly recommend Doug Schoons, Nail Structure and product chemistry edition 2

 

[tigi]

I would say that with anything at all that seems out of ordinary you need to ere on the side of caution and refer her to her gp.

I had a lady in last year, similar symptoms and her gp diagnosed fungal infection. Of course, I am not saying it is, just that a gp is the only one that could say.

Anything like this at all and I dont touch it. I would rather turn them away and to the doc, than work on them.

sometime we cant make the client happy AND do the right thing honey. I have always found its best to do the right thing for me and at least then my professionalism is never brought into question.

Go with your gut instinct when its shouting STOP at you........

tigi
xxxxxx

 

[geeg]

I have to say, I think that was very rude. She was asking for help, not seven lashings. Instead of admonishing new technicians, perhaps you can kindly guide them in the right direction.

Some people are taught mold is it's own entity and some are taught it is strictly a TYPE of fungus. Regardless, mold as a type of fungus can and has grown between natural nails and enhancements, as opposed to being a yeast fungi or a dematophyte.

Since when is correcting incorrect information RUDE? Or considered seven lashings? Mold does not grow on fingernails. .. End of story. A bacterial infection CAN. A fungal infection could but would be rare on fingers and more common on toes. Sorry if giving out correct information is now considered rude on a site that is for teaching. lol

 

[Anna Lee]

Geeg is right.
If we post on here asking questions or for advice, then we want to learn.
So if we want to learn, then at least learn the correct terms and ways.
It is not for Geeg's benefit, it is for ourselves.