HELP! sculpting problem after problem...

[mrsbrooks34]

Hi, I really need some advice..I am new to nail enhancements and am currently learning with Creative's L&P system. I attend day 5 of the Foundation Course next week.

Today I practiced on a work colleague. I had a few problems:

1. She had always previously had her nails done in an oriental shop. She says they used to file her natural nail with a drill once they'd applied their tip....? Anyway, as a result she now has this weird buildup of skin and I can't get a form on properly. I know I could tip but i prefer to sculpt.

2. As she has really short nails - I'm having difficulty getting a form on. I have tried trimming it to fit but her nails seem to go up a bit at her natural free edge and with the build up of skin it's really hard.

3. When I put a form on I really need to build the tip up and it looks weird. (sort off down hill skiing)

4. I can't seem to get the balance right re. the tip. They always look too deep for the nail size. How can I ensure they stay the same size and look right for the nail size???

Sorry to go on - I have hopefully put 2 pics in an album which may help explain my problem.
Thanks in advance geeks.:hug:
Tracy

 

[geeg]

Hi, I really need some advice..I am new to nail enhancements and am currently learning with Creative's L&P system. I attend day 5 of the Foundation Course next week.

Today I practiced on a work colleague. I had a few problems:

1. She had always previously had her nails done in an oriental shop. She says they used to file her natural nail with a drill once they'd applied their tip....? Anyway, as a result she now has this weird buildup of skin and I can't get a form on properly. I know I could tip but i prefer to sculpt.

2. As she has really short nails - I'm having difficulty getting a form on. I have tried trimming it to fit but her nails seem to go up a bit at her natural free edge and with the build up of skin it's really hard.

3. When I put a form on I really need to build the tip up and it looks weird. (sort off down hill skiing)

4. I can't seem to get the balance right re. the tip. They always look too deep for the nail size. How can I ensure they stay the same size and look right for the nail size???

Sorry to go on - I have hopefully put 2 pics in an album which may help explain my problem.
Thanks in advance geeks.:hug:
Tracy

There is a time to use tips and a time to sculpt in order to get the best results in the end.

Why are you insisting on making life hard for yourself?

I would use tips on this person as soon as blink .. why? ..because it is obviously easier and will give you a more pleasing and longer lasting end result.

Don't be a sculpting 'snob' and realise that at the level you are currently in your learning (which is very very new) you are just making a rod for your own back by insisting to sculpt when even I as a very experienced sculptor would use a tip on this person.

Doctors don´t start out performing brain surgery!! They work up to it when they have honed their skill. So should you, I think. :hug:

 

[Bev Rose]

Sounds like she had what is known as solehorn
to quote Mr. Schoon.....

The bed epthelium remains attached to the underside of the nail plate until long after it grows past the fingertip. This thin epithelium can be seen by closely examining the underside of the free edge. It has the appearance of a thin layer of cloudy, yellowish tissue. This tissue is called the SOLEHORN, or solehorn cuticle. The solehorn usually sloughs away by itself or may be removed during a manicure.

Did it seem like this to you?

Are you using the CND Performance Forms? They are tricky to apply - but great once you get the hang of them.
The pics you have in your profile are not too bad - but you could of tried to elongate the nail bed with a custom blend, which I think would of helped the look of them.
When putting in the apex, it should be half way down the enhancement, regardless of the length of the natural nail - as told by Roxanne Valinoti at the Event recently, I remember it particularly, as I had a similar issue with a severe nail biter & my apex looked wrong when I'd finished (to me anyhow). So, on a biter/short nail plate - custom blend to elongate the nail and place the apex at approx the middle of the enhancement - which does not mean that it must be between zones 1 & 2, iykwim.

Or as Gigi says above - tip them.

xxxx

 

[Gilly T]

Reading your post it seems like Bev is right. My daughter has this on about half of her nails. I have still sculpted on her by tailoring the form to fit, I just trim out a little smile into the part of the form that fits beneat the free edge until it is comfortable for her. I make sure that the form fits well and will not have any seepage beneath it that may cause any discomfort. Not had any problems when I have done this.

Other than this you also said that her nails seem to go upwards.. do you mean that she has ski jump or spoon shape nails? It is actually better to tip a nail like this but first remove as much free edge as possible bearing in mind that she has got solehorn on some of them. This way you're tip will still curve downwards naturally.