does a greenie make me a bad tech!!

[x_lisa_x]

hi guys.
i haven't been doing nails for very long and have opnly got a couple of regular customers at the minute. one of them came last night to get a rebalance done, when i took the nail varnish off though i saw the dreaded greenie!!

i remembered reading about them on here and thought oh no!!

i took off the enhancement and explained to her that there must have got some dirt in the enhancement or something and had caused this to happen. she kept saying that it might have been some colouring that she had used at work as she's a crafty person.( i know it's not)
i explained that i wasn't going to put another overlay on and i was going to just paint it and see how it was at her next appointment.

was this the right thing to do???

sorry to go on but i'm a bit worried that this makes me a bad technician!!

 

[blossom]

No you are not a bad tech!! :hug:

If she has knocked the nail, causing a little lifting, moisture will seep in (just while washing etc) and thus pseudomonas (bacterial infection) takes a little hold and shows itself as a dreaded greenie. It does happen.

If you remove the acrylic/gel and sterilise the nail plate you can then safely apply another overlay/tip and overlay to the offending nail although the green colour will remain, and grow out. The lady may like to wear a coloured polish (or you may be able to disguise the greenie with a cover pink)

 

[user 17140]

If you know that you have been hygienic , then dont worry about it, you are with the client a small percentage of her time, you dont know what else she has been doing, these things happen ! Sounds like she is being okay about it !:hug:

 

[x_lisa_x]

yeah she has been fine about it. she just said ' i'm not phased by anything, i know your only learning still!!!'

can a greenie be transfered from one nail to another??

 

[Vetty]

can a greenie be transfered from one nail to another??

No it can't. As soon as the bacteria are exposed to the air they die, so aren't contagious.

hth's

 

[Classy Claws]

safe to enhance over it... when the colour appears on the nail plate its whats left over of the bacteria after it has died..so they are dead when the colour is showing.. safe to continue as normal

 

[grafxgal]

Have a read of this article http://www.salongeek.com/health-safety-unaturale/2641-moldy-oldy-fun-guys.html
there's 2 pages to the article so don't forget to read the second page, it should answer any questions. HTH

 

[JDs]

Just another thought on fungus..It can be internal also.
I have (had) one client that she got fungus (greenies) on her toes and fingernails. It had nothing to do with my technique. The doctor confirmed that it was internal.
some people are very susceptible to it.

We finally decided that having nails on her was not going to be a good thing , so I took them all off, gave her Nail envy to apply and by god..she has her own long beautiful nails now.

 

[grafxgal]

Bacterial infections (greenies) are different than fungal infections(chalky white/yellow).
Bacterial infections are caused by one celled living organisms, which are trapped between coatings, fungal infections are caused by parasitic, plantlike organisms that eat the nail plate, so to speak.

 

[Retired]

Jayne,

Being just qualified, can you tell what Nail Envy is, please, as my own nails are splitting from letting colleagues practice their techniques! :cry:

Thanks

 

[carlabarbie]

Jayne,

Being just qualified, can you tell what Nail Envy is, please, as my own nails are splitting from letting colleagues practice their techniques! :cry:

Thanks

OPI - Nail Envy I personally havent used it and dont really know anything about OPI, but I have heard brilliant things about Nail Envy from many people. Its a nail strenghtener.

Hopefully one of the Geeks who uses OPI will be along to explain better!

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Jayne,

Being just qualified, can you tell what Nail Envy is, please, as my own nails are splitting from letting colleagues practice their techniques! :cry:

Thanks

Hiya hun best to start a new thread to get a good answer as this one is about greenies!!! :hug:

 

[Sassy Hassy]

A greenie can be the fault of an inexperienced tech as your technique can often lead to lifting in the early days and so your clients will be more prone to them. This is often down to poor prep or getting the product too close to the skin. However it is still not a common occurence thankfully.

To treat it remove all the product and then SANITISE (not sterilise as this would involve placing your clients nail in an autoclave) the area thoroughly. The green stain may remain and will grow out in time, but the bacteria will be well and truly zapped. you may then apply fresh product straight over the top. Make sure you make a note of it on your client record card so when they come back next time you can assess it to make sure it's not come back - the green will be darker.

As it is bacterial you can run the risk of cross contamination from one nail to the other and one client to the other so your sanitation has to be spot on (as always of course). Throw away any files you have used on your client - I tend to keep an old one which I only use on that nail. And make sure you disinfect and sanitise your tools and work station thoroughly.

Polish also makes the chance of greenies worse as it gives a lovely dark, damp and warm breeding place for bacteria. When you are presented with a case do not look alarmed as you will panic your client. If caught in the early stages it will not damage the nail at all ... just the annoying stain that may be left.

Read the article by Sam in the link given in a post above, he has such a fun way of explaining things!

 

[JDs]

Bacterial infections (greenies) are different than fungal infections(chalky white/yellow).
Bacterial infections are caused by one celled living organisms, which are trapped between coatings, fungal infections are caused by parasitic, plantlike organisms that eat the nail plate, so to speak.

You are correct in your terminology.
Greenies can also be caused from internal problems. Fungal can be caused from internal problems.
It isn't always because of mositure/bacteria trapped between nail and enchancement.

 

[Oceana]

I was always told it was ok to wear polish as it actually lessened the chance of bacteria reproducing??

 

[x_lisa_x]

I was always told it was ok to wear polish as it actually lessened the chance of bacteria reproducing??

so have i, i did actually put varnish over it. is this ok???

 

[lotus blossom]

if my clients have ever had a greenie, i remove completely, sanitse, buff the stain lightly, then reapply wiht a camoflage pink or advise them to wear enamel as it grows out,
its not due to being a bad tech, it can be down to many things, mainly knocking the nail or catching it, then waiting 3 weeks or so, before the next appt!!!

 

[Sassy Hassy]

I was always told it was ok to wear polish as it actually lessened the chance of bacteria reproducing??

Sorry I should have said the darker the polish the worse the problem can be. At least that's what I was taught!

 

[Oceana]

Sorry I should have said the darker the polish the worse the problem can be. At least that's what I was taught!

How weird!! I am sure also in Sam's article it says wearing polish is beneficial!

I think there are SO many misconception about "greenies", i.e. they are fungus, they are contagious, they cause gangrene etc etc.......people get slightly confused!!

 

[Sassy Hassy]

How weird!! I am sure also in Sam's article it says wearing polish is beneficial!

I think there are SO many misconception about "greenies", i.e. they are fungus, they are contagious, they cause gangrene etc etc.......people get slightly confused!!

You aren't wrong there CB, I was always taught it was water mould, so I wouldn't be surprised if the polish thing I was taught is crap too!