Do you use Nail Pinchers when doing acrylics?

[gemma lambert]

well i think its only fair i get to defend myself, i have been doing nails for 16 years and got taught to pinch by antony buckley back in 2001 and have been pinching ever since, i still have regular clients from the day i started with un damaged nails, if pinching is performed at the right point of setting it does no damage to the natural nail and does not cause onycholysis. this technique is taught by all the best technicians in the world and makes the extention look more natural as it fits the nail. yes it is a technique that we use in competitions but at a different stage as competition nails are expected to be a 50% c curve, i would not expect this in a salon nail or salon nail competition. but can i also point out my hand models that i use regularly in my competitions dont have any damage or onycholysis.
as for using a 180 grit nail file, i have also been taught this by some of the best techs in the world, leaders in the industry and its all about pressure which i explain in my tutorial to be extremely gentle.

what upsets me most is that i have done these video tutorials to help nail technicians on there journey in the nail industry and to have people try and discredit my hard work is very unproffessional.

 

[master30]

I wouldn't even bother to get upset Gemma, when these so called professionals are as well known as you in the industry then they should make a valid comment. Every nail tech thats been taught by someone reputable will know the benefits of pinching. Just treat the negativity as nothing more than jealousy....:green:

 

[scottishjoy]

Gemma, I wasn't attacking you personally or doubting your level of expertise.. I was giving my opinion on the OP's question.

I don't believe its necessary to use any less than a 240 grit on the natural nail. That's my belief but what's right for me may not be right for someone else...

As for pinching again its down to personal preference I guess! I would just be concerned that in the wrong hands damage could be done.

Sorry if you felt it was a personal attack but we were discussing the techniques and not your own personal work.

 

[scottishjoy]

I wouldn't even bother to get upset Gemma, when these so called professionals are as well known as you in the industry then they should make a valid comment. Every nail tech thats been taught by someone reputable will know the benefits of pinching. Just treat the negativity as nothing more than jealousy....:green:

There's no need to turn this into a personal attack

 

[missjodylee]

I don't think anyone was attacking anyone either.
We've all been taught the way we've been taught and I don't believe anyone of us is wrong.. Were just different! & there's nothing wrong with being different.
I mean after all that's what makes the world so beautiful isn't it?

 

[nikkisbeauty]

Sorry didn't mean too sound harsh with my words as others have said it's just what we have been taught and get used to doing x
No offense ment x

 

[Wooshka]

Can I just say, after reading some of these posts here, I can see why Gemma has said what she has.

Some posts are very forthright in that what that poster does or uses is the best or right way V's what Gemma does or others do, so it's only human nature to take some offence to some comments.

It's simple really, each to their own, we have all been taught a certain way and each way might be a bit different but that doesn't make you wrong and me right, it makes us different.

I was taught to remove shine with a 100 grit file, then a 180 and after some time, I myself decided I felt even a 180 is too harsh, so I changed to a 240 buffer, I have found no adverse effects from this change so I continue to use this technique but it doesn't mean I'm right or wrong, this is just what works for me.

Gemma, you are a huge asset to our industry and very good at what you do, each to their own I say and your history speaks for itself really, as to how good you are.
Thank you for taking the time and effort to provide your fellow techs with these tute videos, they are appreciated.
There are other techs out there who have won many awards to that use different techniques and IMO, all of you are right, cause you all do what YOU have found works best for YOU.

I mean no nastiness in anything I have said above, so please do not take it that way, I'm just expressing my thoughts that at the end of the day, we are all equal even if we do use different techniques (equal, providing the thorough training has been undertaken that is
:Love:

 

[Annebet]

Hi Gemma I have watched your video's and would like to say thanx, I have thoroughly enjoyed them and think your talent is amazing, it is really nice that you are willing to help other's for free and I only wish I was half as good as you are. We have all been taught differently I have dont conversion's with both NSI and CND and both teach the same way, I also do pinch after I watched Young nails video's and I think it makes for a nicer looking nail.

 

[gemma lambert]

thank you for your reply's really appriciate it xxxxx

 

[eskimonailtech]

Ladies, we're talking about nail pinchers here, not civil unrest in Burma. Let's all just take a deep breath

 

[dee]

hi gemma , thanks for the vid it was fab , i feel lucky that you are around and put so much effort into helping other techs :hug: with either videos or competition pages etc..
and as stated pinching can be done quite safely if performed correctly, i have been taught it too and can say i dont often do it but have done so and havent caused anyone and damage yet,

 

[nailstudio]

Gemma, thank you for taking the time to produce your training videos. I for one will be recommending my students watch them to help further their techniques.
I have been a nail technician for 9 years and like you still regularly provide acrylic nail services to clients I've had from day 1 and have NEVER caused damage or pain in any form to any of their nails through pinching.
I too am an advocate for retaining the health of the natural nail and have to say that in the wrong hands a file of any grit will cause damage!
Keep up the good work Gemma and hopefully a valuable lesson has been learned here, ie think about what you say and how you say it before you go into print!

 

[Wooshka]

Ladies, we're talking about nail pinchers here, not civil unrest in Burma. Let's all just take a deep breath

That's why I said what I said......

each to their own, it's no biggy, there is no right or wrong way, we have all just been taught differently.

 

[Kittensgotclaws]

Hi kittensgotclaws
Thank u, I was hoping an educator would jump in here and let us know..
Can u pinch a nail that has a tip and then acrylic over the tip? As in a rebalance?

Yes you can pinch a tip, personally however if you size the tip correctly you shouldn't need to pinch it. Xx

 

[Tigan]

I heard it was to do with the different types of forms that different companies use, with some forms they have to pinch and with others they dont, also i know they have to pinch to make stilletoes, i dont pinch, ive never had to i use performance forms for acrylics and they shape easily. as for the grit, i use 240 grit, lightly as it is enough to remove shine, a higher grit i imagine would go further than removing shine and there is a risk of the nail plate thinning through time and if this did happen then the product would no longer stick to the nail plate anyway, so for this reason i go light as it works anyway and i feel its safer

 

[Tigan]

However, i do remember way back when i first started doing nails, i was frustrated by it taking me so long and so i tried to cut my time back by changing a few of the things i was taught, one of those things was switching from a 240 to a 180 grit to speed things up, luckily i was only practising on my own nails at the time, it was ok for a couple of times, but then i started to have problems with adhesion, also as my nail plate was getting thinner it also looked a bit flatter, the curve had gone, so i gave my nails a break for a while and let them grow out till they were healthy again, then i went back to doing then how i was taught to do them and i had patience with the length of time it took, you just get a little faster at a time, just little by little, but ive been doing it the way i was taught ever since and i would never change that. it took me 3hrs, 2/3 years ago when i first started, just now it takes me 1 1/2 hrs and i dont cut corners, i still file by hand, but i use my e-file if i have a rushy client.
Thats not to say that a pro couldnt use a 180 and make a good job of it, but when i first started it wasnt a good idea, simply because i was doing it for the wrong reasons, if you get my drift, someone with years of experience wouldnt be worried about the speed they go at

 

[shuntersue]

No No No Nooooooooo!

 

[Wooshka]

No No No Nooooooooo!

What exactly are you referring to???

 

[Sarah.Payne]

I love Gemma!!! Shes very inspiring!!! I was tought to pinch in school with INM but I only now pinch on myself. When doing the nails I have noticed it can hurt people if not done right so I try to just make a c-curve with my forms and save the pinching for myself. Also a bad nail tech in Victoria was spreading around that pinching was really bad and that you can snap the nail plate in half ... I know thats untrue but now people who hear pinching are scared so she kind of ruined it because she was never tought it so she wanted to spread rumours so I just dont bother anymor.

 

[jac extreme]

I heard it was to do with the different types of forms that different companies use, with some forms they have to pinch and with others they dont, also i know they have to pinch to make stilletoes, i dont pinch, ive never had to i use performance forms for acrylics and they shape easily. as for the grit, i use 240 grit, lightly as it is enough to remove shine, a higher grit i imagine would go further than removing shine and there is a risk of the nail plate thinning through time and if this did happen then the product would no longer stick to the nail plate anyway, so for this reason i go light as it works anyway and i feel its safer

There is no need to pinch, but it does slim the nails and if done correctly causes no damage, if someone has a really wide natural nail, it can help it to look slimmer and give a nicer c curve.