Major biter - what could I have done?

[sodabubble]

ok, so I had a client yesterday who I have never seen before, she is a MAJOR biter! her nail plates were tiny and her finger ends were very bulbous.

She wanted tips but I wasnt confident tipping her as I feared her bulbous fingers would just push them off. I couldnt sculpt as there was no free edge or anything (could not even file them, the natural nail just sort of blended into the nail bed)

I suggested we tried clear nno's - as she says she doesnt bite or pick when she wears enhancements. She also said that she has been wearing tips for about 15 years but not had any since a few months ago.

After I had applied the builder layer of gel she asks if its ok to tip on top of the gel, I said no. She was so dissapointed, she has an 'do' this next week and wanted lovely nails - which I did not give her (yes I am mad with myself too)

Anyway, she has booked in for a r/b in 3 weeks time. Do you think I should assess her nails and maybe try natural well-less tips? Just to give her some length? I use Brisa.

Would I have been better off using L&P on her?


thanks for reading xxx

 

[nicky's nails]

hey hun dont know if it would help, but there is a tutorial about tipping a bitten nails on here, its how to tailor the tip to fit over the bulbous part (makes sense when you read it) and it does work hun

ill see if i can find it chick xxx


here you go hun have a look at this

http://www.salongeek.com/nail-application/5746-tipping-bitten-nail.html

 

[sodabubble]

hey hun dont know if it would help, but there is a tutorial about tipping a bitten nails on here, its how to tailor the tip to fit over the bulbous part (makes sense when you read it) and it does work hun

ill see if i can find it chick xxx


here you go hun have a look at this

http://www.salongeek.com/nail-application/5746-tipping-bitten-nail.html

thanks, have had a look but its not making much sense to me, I feel like a real idiot and I am so mad with myself! xx

 

[ValencianNails]

Anyway, she has booked in for a r/b in 3 weeks time.
I would have asked to see her after 7-10 days, just to check on her enhancements and make sure they were all ok.

Do you think I should assess her nails and maybe try natural well-less tips? Just to give her some length? I use Brisa.
I would have saddled the tips as per the link Nicky gave, you cut the side of the tip so that it fits over the bulbous skin.
Doing a NNO will probably bring you problems as you can't have been able to cap her natural nails.

Would I have been better off using L&P on her?
L+P wouldn't provide you with any more strength than you would have from using Brisa, I would use whichever system you feel most comfortable with.

Give her a ring and ask her to come back to you sooner.
Let us know how you get on, nail biters can be really challenging :hug:

 

[Susie H]

thanks, have had a look but its not making much sense to me, I feel like a real idiot and I am so mad with myself! xx

Now stop that:irked: Stop being so hard on yourself:smack:
The first time a very bad nail biter came in to me I took one look and sent her to another tech. I just couldn't see what to do. Finally I got one who wanted nice nails for her wedding, so I rang Susan (Angel Fingers) and asked her to do them and I watched what she did.
Susan put a clear tip on what was left of the ladies nails, trimmed tips to the end of the finger and then treated the whole thing like a nno when finished you could just about see where the natural nail finished so Susan did some nail art flowers to cover that area. lovely and yes she did L&P. Now that tutorial. the idea is that you look at the tip from the side, so hold it up to eye level and turn the tip so that the bit you glue is facing the wall to your left.
Now image that you have glued it to the clients nail and its trying to lift over that bulbus bit, so you would take your scissors and cut a curve into the side so that the tip slots over the bulbous bit then repeat on the other side ie you are cutting a recess into each side to accommodate the extra skin.
I have done a couple since that time and to be honest I'm never happy with them. I am now looking forward to the next one because I am dieing to try out the popits:lol:, no tip just the popit.
Peter Pan sculpts on nail biters and she doesn't use a form she just puts a bit of solar oil over the bulbous skin and then sculpts over the top, thats what I want to try with the popits. I keep looking for a nail biter to pounce on, but no luck yet

 

[sodabubble]

thanks so much for the replies :hug:

I think I panicked too much. And I know what you're saying about how I couldnt cap the free edge, I will try to see her earlier than in 3 weeks time.

My concern about the tips is, I don't think I would have been able to blend them, due to the little amount of nail plate she had left.

What would you have done with regards to blending it?

 

[ValencianNails]

What would you have done with regards to blending it?

Pre-tailor (saddling tip etc) and pre-blend as much as possible... then if you can still see the tip after the service and it looks unbalanced (ie white to pink ratio) I would have applied enamel.

Don't be hard on yourself, nail biters aren't easy to do :hug:

 

[Susie H]

Pre-tailor (saddling tip etc) and pre-blend as much as possible... then if you can still see the tip after the service and it looks unbalanced (ie white to pink ratio) I would have applied enamel.

Don't be hard on yourself, nail biters aren't easy to do :hug:

yep what Sandi said:lol:

 

[sodabubble]

yep what Sandi said:lol:

thanks so much! again!

just one more thing, she doesnt like french, only natural, would clear gel be best or brisa pink sculpting? just incase the seam is slightly visible?

Do you think I should offer her tips at her next appt? Would I have to buff her current nno totally off first? xx

 

[NailsByAgnes]

what i do when nail plate is 4-5 mm long? sculpted nails ONLY! no point to stick tips on... usually i extend nail plate first with camufflage powders (entity) and then add white or other color french if i have a problem to attache foil i put very thin layer of acrylic on finger and when dry i lift it gently and apply sculpting foin under...or just cut foil into the nail shape...dont know it it makes a sense for you but it really work!
o! and if they got bulbous nail you can help yourselve with seller tape... of course i recommend nail bitter to come back after a week if natural nail plate is extremly short for buffing or even "half-way" infills, but this is only if they really want stop bitting and grow nice nails :lol:

 

[Bev Rose]

Hi Hayley,

Stop being hard on yourself - you did not slap any old tat on her nails as could of happend if she'd gone down the high street:wink2:.

I had a client who bit her nails for 54years! She had about 3/4 mm of nail from the very overgrown cuticle. The nail then just seemed to blend into the nailbed at the hyponichium iykwim. The ends weren't bulbous tho? She was desperately needing them done, otherwise I would of recommended a few manicurs to beging with to get the cuticle sorted.
I did a tip & overlay and saddled the tips. Cut them to level with her hyponichium.
I used a custom blended powder in zones 2&3 and a natural free edge colour in zone 1.
Persoanlly, I was not all that impressed with them (I'm a perfectionist btw!) but she was delighted.
I also sold her some CND Cutuicle Eraser & Solar Oil to use together to shampoo & condition her nails & she has now grown her nails out, sadly for me, stopped having overlays, but buys solar oil , Cuticle eraser & Scentsations, so is still a customer.

I would mask out her nail/custom blend if you have a gel that will do this.

You should also tell her that she needs to 'bear with it' as her foundations are no too stable to begin with because of her biting, but, by keeping regular appointments - say every 7-10 days you'll get there.

PM me & I'll show you the pics of the biter if you want.

 

[tracey louise]

i think you have done well just by trying.nail biters are not easy to do.im in a similar situation to you but ive been using peter pans (glynis) method.i probably wouldnt have even attempted if i hadnt of seen that as there is just no way i could of used tips on hers.
my client in gthe first week nearly lost all of hers but this 2nd week she has only broken one and as there is no lifting and not really any growth area for an infill i havent needed to re-do them yet,so she was really pleased.
i would definately see your client between 7-10 days because she could of lost all of them in 3weeks which means more work for you.
good luck and i hope it all works out.x