Do antidepressants really affect the nail or is this a myth?

[K-Nails]

This week has been horrible Ive lost three clients who all had their nails done fortnightly which accounts for a fair chunk of money each month and yet another dent to my confidence.

The three ladies in question all suffered with peeling nails and after 4 months of trying both shellac and OPI with and without smoothing gel (plus one lady with brisa sculpting gel) they have decided not to have their nails done anymore. I tried to advise them to try acrylic as a final resort but they didn't want to. Their nails were literally lasting a couple of days to a week tops, but rarely a week to be honest. They always went from the tip and I followed everything to the rule and Ive had training with Liza Smith and Kayley Cairns.

My question is this, I have other peely clients who although they need to be very careful they don't loose their shellac or OPI.

The other ladies all followed very good aftercare and used solar oil all the time however they were
all on anti depressants. I've got other clients who wear their shellac for weeks on end. One of the ladies also tried brisa sculpting but this literally just popped off her nails. My mums as a trial lasted six weeks with no lifting and no infills.

Is is me or could it truly be the meds I know the products are good but I don't just want to find an excuse why they went wrong..

Im going for my custom colour enhancements 121 on friday and this has really knocked me again. Im not sure whether its worth spending all the money for my Masters Architect if I cant even keep polish on. Grrrrr damn peely nails
x

 

[Koraoke]

No it is not a myth, antidepressant can affect the stability of any product applied to the nail plate. I have been on antidepressants for years, and have had many clients using them as we'll, it is usually only a problem in the time when you start taking them and again when coming off.( about 4 weeks).

The trick is be persistent, and I like to rebalance and maintain after 8/10 days in the transition period.

It is not limited to just antidepressants, I have encountered similar experiences with other medications as well.

Hope this is helpful x x x

 

[Trinity]

I've been a nail tech for 9 years and I truly believe that medications can have an effect on nails/enhancements/overlays/etc. despite being told it's not possible and/or unlikely by various sources.

Over those years, experience, supported by loyal and open clients, has proven to me that antidepressants, antibiotics, HRT, and a range other meds have affected my clients nails in various ways. I'm not saying it's only the meds that caused it, I believe a whole host of other reasons are applicable at the same time but it happens far too often to be a co-incidence.

There may be other factors to take into account, such as those depressed will struggle with day to day grooming, let alone taking care of their nails. In my darkest days it was as much as I had to get in the shower and clean my teeth, let alone solar oil my nails twice a day. Physical aspects such as disturbed sleep patterns make for exhausted people which makes me super clumsy causing all sorts of breakages.

Anxiety/stress makes me bite the skin around my nails and pick at anything on them, Shellac, polish, L&P, gel, whatever, it's a nerves thing and usually I'm unware of it.

Lack of appetite, etc causes a lowering of the immune systems abilty to fight off infection, this in turn makes us more likely to pick up colds and bugs floating around, this in turn affects the body's ability to repair and function, which directly affects nails, hair and skin.

So yes I believe meds to have an impact, but it's not necessarily the only reason.

 

[SugarMama]

I agree with everything that's been said, but there are also plenty of people on these meds who have no problem keeping their nails on. As with everything it's an individual thing. It's really disheartening to lose a few clients at once and I know you must be so upset but don't let it hold you back. You have plenty of clients that don't have problems right? So there's proof that you're doing a good job. Keep going and get your master architect, you can always pull the EA to the side on a break and ask other questions like these. Hang in there.

 

[K-Nails]

Cheers girls,

Im just sooooo frustrated at the moment, honestly when I do my mums nails its always in a rush and Im not at my most careful with prep and application etc yet hers last 4/5 weeks without so much as a chip. These ladies I literally spent 1 and a half hours meticulously Pepping, applying, making sure the layers were thin, everything possible and yet two days later they were losing them.

Im going to stick with acrylic rather than brisa sculpting gel, not that I dont think it is a good product its just not suited to my type of clients (mostly very hands on girls). Thank you for taking the time to reply, Im just going to have to bite the bullet and accept that some clients really cant have anything on their nails at all. They have however said they will keep in touch and when things inprove in their lives they are going to try again. Also one has just texted me saying that the doctor has put her on calcium tablets, would this help her nails???

xxxx

 

[*Toni*]

I decided to make the daunting decision to come off anti depressants a short time before Easter and since then I have noticed a major difference in my nails, they're so much stronger and Gelish clings on to them for dear life now lol. I was struggling to keep it on for more than a week before but now I find I'm lasting four!

 

[tasha555]

I think medication does affect on clients and the nails. I did a set of acrylic's on my cousin, and as she is on anti depressants and other medication, her nails felt itchy and irritated, we had to remove them. However my sister is on AD tablets and she is totally fine with having acrylic's. So it can happen to anyone or everyone.

 

[K-Nails]

I decided to make the daunting decision to come off anti depressants a short time before Easter and since then I have noticed a major difference in my nails, they're so much stronger and Gelish clings on to them for dear life now lol. I was struggling to keep it on for more than a week before but now I find I'm lasting four!

Thank you sweetheart that makes me feel soooo much better. Two of the clients are mother and daughter, both on anti depressants both with peeling nails so it stands to reason that both are having problems.

I wish I could say they dont do aftercare but they are religious with it you only have to look at their cuticles to know they bath in solar oil, plus they buy it regularly. Im just so gutted that they had to stop because I really liked them and they are not blaming me at all. Just feel Ive let them down :sad: xx

 

[anonaw]

I'm glad this topic has been discussed and the so glad at the info everyone's given. My mums nails used to last two weeks with gel and at least one week with polish but the last couple of weeks the polish hasn't lasted and neither has the gel(making a week max!) and I was worried it was something I was doing but everyone else's I have been doing have been fine and wonderful so was it me or my mum? Turns out that she has been taking antibiotics for a while and herbal stress relieve meds, hoping this is the main cause for her nails! Luckily I don't charge my mum but obviously if its happened to her it could happen to others so now knowing that anti depressants and anti biotics can cause lifting I will always ask my future gel clients from now on!

 

[K-Nails]

I think medication does affect on clients and the nails. I did a set of acrylic's on my cousin, and as she is on anti depressants and other medication, her nails felt itchy and irritated, we had to remove them. However my sister is on AD tablets and she is totally fine with having acrylic's. So it can happen to anyone or everyone.

Thank you and you have highlighted exactly why I asked this question. Im on 200mg of thyroxine a day and can wear shellac for up to 5 weeks with no chipping whatsoever. Acrylic doesnt lift on me at all and for the past two weeks I have worn one acrylic overlay on my nail in the kitchen at work (naughty girl) and it still looks like new even tho Ive been constantly in water.

Yet some people with under active thyroid have all sorts of problems.

I just didn't want to use meeds as an excuse for poor workmanship, although Im 100% certain that its now not up to me anymore being as the rest of clients are thrilled with their nails.

Unless of course its not meeds and literally just the quality of their nails, wish there was some easy way to tell lol xx

 

[sparkle_beauty]

I've been on anti depressants for a year now and since taking them my nails are horrible! There so weak and have ridges they weren't like this before and nothing lasts on my nails, regular polish, vinylux, shellac and gellish all peel of after 1-2days x

 

[K-Nails]

I've been on anti depressants for a year now and since taking them my nails are horrible! There so weak and have ridges they weren't like this before and nothing lasts on my nails, regular polish, vinylux, shellac and gellish all peel of after 1-2days x

Oh you poor poor thing, so perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel for you and my clients after all.

I just have got to stop blaming myself all the time, Im terrible. Thank you for your message, horrible for you but comforting for me. I wish you better very soon, had depression myself for five years, absolute nightmare but had very very good counselling and now I cope better. Good luck sweetie xxxxxxxx

 

[*Toni*]

Thank you sweetheart that makes me feel soooo much better. Two of the clients are mother and daughter, both on anti depressants both with peeling nails so it stands to reason that both are having problems.

I wish I could say they dont do aftercare but they are religious with it you only have to look at their cuticles to know they bath in solar oil, plus they buy it regularly. Im just so gutted that they had to stop because I really liked them and they are not blaming me at all. Just feel Ive let them down :sad: xx

Bless them, maybe suggest they try gelish vita gel and use normal polish over the top? I found that lasted a little better for me. Came up with all sorts of things to help keep them on, found i didnt catch them as much when i changed from square to rounded and i kept them short!

Don't beat yourself up over it though lovely, these things just can't be helped sometimes! xxx

 

[NailsXpress]

Contraindications caused by meds is one of the first things we were taught when training. All strong meds like antibiotics, antidepressants, etc can cause lifting, flaking, peeling etc.
we have to ask if the client is on meds during the consultation and then if they are we need to advise that it is possible that whilst they are on them they could possibly encounter problems. We would pay particular attention to prepping and application to elevate lifting etc.