Gel customer with nail lifting from nail bed

[CrystalH]

I have a customer who has been coming to me for gel fills for 3 months or so. She had been getting fills done elsewhere for around 7 years.

When she first started coming to me, the nail on her middle finger was lifted from her nail bed from the free edge to about halfway down the nail. It has since almost grown out, but two fills ago her index finger on the other hand was lifting underneath. This past fill, it was halfway down her nail and all the way to the edges so she decided to just rip it off after I had filed her nail and was setting up to apply the gel. She now has about half her nail bed exposed.

I suggested that we remove the gels and give her nails a bit of a break. That was about a week ago, now she has called and booked in to get the nails back on. I don't think I should, but I'm not sure what's wrong or what's the best course of action. Suggestions?

 

[Ice Princess]

On your clients firtst visit to you, did you ask what kind of product she had on her nails from the other nail shop? I would have recommended taking off the enhancements from the other salon and let her nails rest and repair, and then put on a new set of nails.

I don't like working over someone elses work! I had a lady come to me from another salon with the same situation but her nail bed was also damaged. She wanted me to fix her nail and apply an extension to the damaged nail! When I said I'm sorry but I won't work on your nails in that state and I recommend not applying anything but removing them. She go so upset and angry!

It really upset me, but I know that I made the right choice! I didn't know what kind of work this other salon did or how sanitary they work! Why should I be responsible for someone elses mess? What if I did work on her and she had a fungal infection and then turned around and blamed me for it? Not to mention contamination of my gel and the chance of spreading it!

She should respect your professional advice to remove the nails and if she goes to another salon she really doesn't care about the health of her nails. Her nails would not be ready after a week. Did you set up some sort of plan to get her nails healthy again?
Some at home drops that can be applied...Gehwol Med. nail care or thymol?

Hope this helps I'm going to stop now, I'm starting to ramble.

 

[Bagpuss]

does she have her nails too long...? she may be catching them, also over filing can cause this. A short NNO should be fine.

 

[geeg]

On your clients firtst visit to you, did you ask what kind of product she had on her nails from the other nail shop? I would have recommended taking off the enhancements from the other salon and let her nails rest and repair, and then put on a new set of nails.

I don't like working over someone elses work! I had a lady come to me from another salon with the same situation but her nail bed was also damaged. She wanted me to fix her nail and apply an extension to the damaged nail! When I said I'm sorry but I won't work on your nails in that state and I recommend not applying anything but removing them. She go so upset and angry!

It really upset me, but I know that I made the right choice! I didn't know what kind of work this other salon did or how sanitary they work! Why should I be responsible for someone elses mess? What if I did work on her and she had a fungal infection and then turned around and blamed me for it? Not to mention contamination of my gel and the chance of spreading it!

She should respect your professional advice to remove the nails and if she goes to another salon she really doesn't care about the health of her nails. Her nails would not be ready after a week. Did you set up some sort of plan to get her nails healthy again?
Some at home drops that can be applied...Gehwol Med. nail care or thymol?

Hope this helps I'm going to stop now, I'm starting to ramble.

Of course I hear you but, Hun, you have to realise that in actual fact, women don't respect your professional opinion; not if it means going 'naked' and having their nails look like hell for a few months; they simply will not do it. They don't want a health plan they want their nails!!

You would say, no doubt, "Well let someone else do it then, not me."

For me, I want their custom and I will sort them out with a plan that includes having their nails done if humanly possible. At least I know I will do them well and advise them well .. why give away business to the salon down the road??

You do not have to guarantee your work if it is over another tech's work and she can sign a client record card that says she understands that, so where is the problem?

I have worked over many other technicians' work (most of my clients came form other techs because they weren't happy about something .. my greatest source of new clients) and never had a problem getting a client to accept that I wouldn't offer any guarantees unless I did the whole job .. some let you and others do not but they all understand the implications.

 

[Ice Princess]

So if a new client came with a fungal infection, you would suggest what? Removing the nails and clearing up the fungal infection or filling over it?

 

[geeg]

So if a new client came with a fungal infection, you would suggest what? Removing the nails and clearing up the fungal infection or filling over it?

Of course if she HAD a true fungal infection I would not do that particular nail/s and would send her to her GP to diagnose it and prescribe the appropriate treatment .... but true fungal infections are VERY rare on hands.

If she had a bacterial infection I would remove the enhancement and apply a new one. I would do whatever it takes to keep her happy as well as safe (and in the chair opposite me).

 

[dunlaplori]

It sounds like you can tell if a client has a bacterial infection vs a fungal infection. How do you determine that? I had a client just yesterday who had her big toes lifting. She did have some debris, also some slight disfigurement of one nail, however,not much thickening to speak of. I told her it was possible she had a fungal infection which would require doctors treatment. I have to say that I have seen a person remove their own nail down to where it stops lifting and had a healthy nail regrow. Of course I did NOT replace that nail with an enhancement. I'm guessing her lifting was due to a trauma of some sort (which I find is common amongst postings on this forum). How do I know? What tell tale signs are there, whether on the hand or feet? Or am I right to not say and just send them to the doctor? Gehwol has a fungus treatment which has Clotrimazole. Maybe I could pass that on to them, that is, if I can determine what is going on. What do you think???

 

[geeg]

It sounds like you can tell if a client has a bacterial infection vs a fungal infection. How do you determine that? I had a client just yesterday who had her big toes lifting. She did have some debris, also some slight disfigurement of one nail, however,not much thickening to speak of. I told her it was possible she had a fungal infection which would require doctors treatment. I have to say that I have seen a person remove their own nail down to where it stops lifting and had a healthy nail regrow. Of course I did NOT replace that nail with an enhancement. I'm guessing her lifting was due to a trauma of some sort (which I find is common amongst postings on this forum). How do I know? What tell tale signs are there, whether on the hand or feet? Or am I right to not say and just send them to the doctor? Gehwol has a fungus treatment which has Clotrimazole. Maybe I could pass that on to them, that is, if I can determine what is going on. What do you think???

If it is a green nail, it is bacterial. If it is simple onycholysis then I would know it was due to picking, prising product off the surface, trauma or over filing. If the nail was flakey underneath, gooey underneath, very thickened etc, I would think it was fungal ( but this is very rare on fingernails, much more common on toes). I do not diagnose or attempt to treat a fungal infection ... It's a doctors or podiatrist's job.