Filed through to nail bed and made it bleed

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millyspook

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I have only been doing nails since last October and Gel nails since Feb so I am still a newbie, but I am so embarrassed to have to admit that I filed through my lovely clients nail bed today. I have also hurt my friends nails from over zealous filing. I have since become a lot more careful with my filing but now this has happened and has completely shocked me how easy it happened.:o:o

Her little finger enhancement had cracked and I filed the remaining gel off her nail as I was going to start from scratch. I was trying to file what I thought was a crack in the gel, when in fact the crack was in her nail and filed right through the nail bed. I was absolutely devastated but my client is so lovely as she's been a regular tanner with me for years and has just started having her nails done with me.

How can I stop this happening again? How can you tell where the nail starts at the gel finishes, its very difficult to see the difference. I was filing really slowly using a 240 grit file, and what I thought was gently but didn't realise her nail plate was so thin already. I am so worried about having to remove any gel now or even blending tips. Does anyone have any advise or useful tips to help me.

Also, I applied Shellac over the top as a bit of protection but am now wondering if that was the right thing to do. I have said she will need to grow the damage out.

Please be kind to me, I am really really trying hard to be a good nail tech and not cause damage to the nail but its not easy.
 
if you wipe the nail with some scrubfresh you 'll be able to see where there is still gel. the natural nail will whiten and the gel won't.
but you are probably better to remove the last couple of layers of gel with an acetone soaked pad and foil rather than keep on filing until you are more experienced.( file off the excess then revert to the same removal as with shellac when you get close to the nail)
 
Ok...blimey! Firstly how is your client?

It might be advisable to return to your trainer for some 1:1 advice.

A couple of questions - do you have really good, strong lighting over your desk? Do you wear glasses? If not do you need them, if you do, do you need a stronger prescription? Don't mean for that to sound as rude as it comes across, its just I know without my glasses (which I only need for work) I wouldn't be able to see enough detail.

When you were filing were you trying to remove just an area of lifting/break or were you removing the whole nail area?

btw well done for posting this as I'm sure you're not the first its happened to but most wouldn't be brave enough to admit it and ask for help.
 
Aww i'm feeling your pain. I'm a newbie too and can relate to your post. When i done my first set of gel over natural tips on my friend and damaged her nail bed while blending the tips. Left her nails thin and weak. Try not to beat yourself up it's done and you wont do it again. Best to leave a thin layer of gel on the nail when buffing off. I just stop often and brush off dust to make sure i'm not over doing it but it is hard to know how much gel is still on the nail. Fibreglass/silk will be good to put on her natural nails to give them a bit of strength and protection then shellac on top. I was a bit put off using a hard gel as i damaged my own nails buffing it off but i know now to be careful so i'm going to stick at it. :hug: Chin up
 
I think learning to hold the file properly would really help your angles ,
You will get a feel for the file , what s product, tip or nail ,

You really shouldn't be going over the same area more than 3 times before moving to the next area.

This video shows finishing but you can apply it to your over all file control.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPkKFkfA5NY&feature=youtube_gdata_player
 
Good advice from the others, and I am sure this incident will ensure you never overfile again. ;)

I don't want to be pedantic here but...you did not file through the nail bed....you filed through the nail plate to the nail bed. I have ammended the thread title as we do want to make sure the correct terminology gets used.
 
Thanks Izzidoll, you saved me from pointing out the same thing. I don't mind being a pedant and I'm proud of it :green: right is right and wrong is wrong.

To Milly, I will try to be kind and understanding but your post is telling a story..

For one, it is telling me you are overfilling and thinning your clients nail plates on a regular basis for the plate to be so thin that you could file through it to the living nail bed. I have done just about everything over the years, but I have never done that one. If you make it your mantra never to touch the nail plate with a file or buffer, it will go a long way to solving any future problems.

2. Control!! Control that file. If you can't, then you shouldn't be doing nails ... Our number one responsibility to every client who puts their hands in ours, is to keep those nails healthy and in tact! If you cannot guarantee that with the products you are using, then switch to another kinder and more gentle brand where less aggressive techniques for preparation are the norm.

3. You can SEE scratches on a nail plate ... You can SEE the nail plate turn pinker when it is being thinned! Use your senses and your common sense and watch what you are doing and be aware. I would never suggest one ever removes all of a nail coating with a file or buffer .... Very harsh way to remove anything.

:hug: Lesson learned, I hope.
 
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This happened to my nails about 10 or so years ago when I used to have nail enhancements and it was extremely painful. My friend had just set up as a mobile nail technician and asked if I'd like them doing. At first I loved them but after a while, I noticed a burning sensation when she filed and buffed them. Eventually, a small discoloured patch appeared on my little finger nail and I couldn't bear for it to be touched. I asked her to soak them off and there was a hole right in the middle of my nail! All I could do was keep it covered and wait for it to grow out. After asking advice from another nail salon, it turns out that my nails are very thin and the constant overfiling had thinned them even more. Happily, my nails grew back normally with no permanent damage but it certainly put me off having them done again.
Sometimes we have to learn the hard way and now you know what you need to do to put it right. Good luck with everything and don't feel too bad! xx
 
I have had work with my filing technique as I wasn't sure how to hold the file correctly but my trainer, Denise Wright, helped me with this, showed me how to hold the file correctly and not to do it more than three times in one place. I also have Geeg's book which has also helped.

One thing I am not sure what you mean when you say don't go down to the natural nail when removing gel but to use acetone and foil, how will this work when I am using a hard gel as I was led to believe that a hard gel is completely resistant to acetone. I'll also try the scrubfresh technique as this will make the gel more obvious to see.

I appreciate all your comments and I am really, really going to try to be more gentle as I don't want to hurt my clients or damage their nails.
 
Good advice from the others, and I am sure this incident will ensure you never overfile again. ;)

I don't want to be pedantic here but...you did not file through the nail bed....you filed through the nail plate to the nail bed. I have ammended the thread title as we do want to make sure the correct terminology gets used.

Sorry Izzidoll, that's what I meant. It's not possible to file through the nail bed as the client wouldn't have a finger left!! i'm bad, but not that bad :biggrin::biggrin:
 
One thing I am not sure what you mean when you say don't go down to the natural nail when removing gel but to use acetone and foil, how will this work when I am using a hard gel as I was led to believe that a hard gel is completely resistant to acetone.

Remove the majority of the gel with your file leaving a thin layer which you can then soak off.
 
Remove the majority of the gel with your file leaving a thin layer which you can then soak off.

I use a hard gel though so will this work with the acetone?? I don't use a soak off gel??

I will def do this though if it works, that will solve all my problems :Love:
 
I use a hard gel though so will this work with the acetone?? I don't use a soak off gel??

I will def do this though if it works, that will solve all my problems :Love:

Yep its fine, I use a hard gel too and it works fine. Soak a cotton pad in acetone, place onto the nail and wrap with foil. It won't take long to soak off the last little bit and it ensure that there is no filing on the nail plate :)
 
Yep its fine, I use a hard gel too and it works fine. Soak a cotton pad in acetone, place onto the nail and wrap with foil. It won't take long to soak off the last little bit and it ensure that there is no filing on the nail plate :)

Thanks so much for your help, I feel a lot happier now knowing that I don't have to get too near to the natural nail. Do I just use an orangewood stick to scrape the last remaining bits of gel off the nail plate? Like shellac?
 
Thanks so much for your help, I feel a lot happier now knowing that I don't have to get too near to the natural nail. Do I just use an orangewood stick to scrape the last remaining bits of gel off the nail plate? Like shellac?
Similar to Shellac but Lordy I hate the word 'scrape' that everyone uses ... It sounds so harsh and aggressive. I prefer the word remove (gently with an orange wood stick). I do not scrape at the nailplate. In fact I never do anything aggressive to the nail plate. If something does not come off easily with the orange wood stick, then it gets a good wipe over with Acetone until it comes off completely ... Never scrape at it because if you do, you might just as well have picked it off in the first place.
 
I really admire your honesty millyspook . It sounds as though you just have to improve your filing technique. A good friend of mine had a fantastic technique for showing her students how to file properly (high 5 Izzidoll). She would use a pencil to colour in an egg then have her students file it off without harming the egg. I tend to file just above the infill line avoiding the natural nail but also blending the product. Hope that helps and good luck with your future career. xxx
 
Could you try applying gel to a tip and practice filling off? Maybe try painting the tip with a dark polish first to make it clear how quickly the filing is taking layers of gel off (if that makes sense?!) xx
 
I did this today for the first time, I feel terrible!! I have only worked with soak off gels and someone came to me with hard gels that needed to be removed. I wish I'd never touched them now! I'm so annoyed with myself. I apologized profusely and put a thin layer of soak off gel on to protect it. Really hope I done the right thing. I feel so bad
 
Yep its fine, I use a hard gel too and it works fine. Soak a cotton pad in acetone, place onto the nail and wrap with foil. It won't take long to soak off the last little bit and it ensure that there is no filing on the nail plate :)

Real gel does not soak off, it has to be filed. I always leave a thin layer as to to go near the clients natural nail. I use NSI so they have a product called Line Out that gets rid of the fill line, then just a cover gel over top!
 
Real gel does not soak off, it has to be filed. I always leave a thin layer as to to go near the clients natural nail. I use NSI so they have a product called Line Out that gets rid of the fill line, then just a cover gel over top!

Real gel? You mean hard gel as opposed to a soft gel. They are all gel .. Soft or hard. The harder the gel, the longer it takes to remove it .. The hardest gels need to be filed off leaving a thin layer behind to protect the surface of the nail.

The perfect scenario is a soft gel that is hard and durable but able to be removed quickly and completely.. Brisa Lite Removable Sculpting gel from CND

Or

A hard gel that is soft enough to file away very quickly leaving a thin layer behind .. Brisa Gel from CND

:green:
 
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