Manicure ... with or without soaking?

[izzidoll]

No doubt this has been covered at some point but I would like everyones opinions on this.....when you were training in manicures were you always taught to soak the nails in soapy water, no matter what.......I know this used to always be the way it was done, and in fact some clients feel cheated if their nails haven't been placed in a manicure bowl for a few minutes......But do you still do this as a matter of course?

Don't we do a consultation with our manicure clients don't we look at her nails to determine if they are good and strong (no problem,soak away)....or thin weak nails.....or the most common Dry Brittle nails neither of which gain any advantage to being placed in water...which will cause the plate to swell and tiny cracks to enlarge......I very rarely soak during a manicure service as most of my clients had some peeling on their nails or other signs of dry brittle nails.....I would have them wash their hands before the service, and then use my Products to soften cuticles whether it be AHA Cuticle Eraser or in extreme circumstances Cuticle Remover....and of course Solar oil would be used in the service.......

As long as you explain to your client WHY you are not soaking her nails ...(like her last technician did!).....i.e. that she has dry brittle nails because of a lack of moisture, and soaking in a solvent like water can dry the nails further, therefore you will use products to replace the moisture and help with this problem instead.......she will be satisfied that A. You are not ripping her off and B. You know what you are talking about!
Also it is the time to sell her some solar oil, or the appropriate products from the 411 range...or whatever products you stock.......because after all if her hair was dry/damaged she wouldn't even think twice about buying the appropriate shampoo AND conditioner.! Her nails deserve the same consideration.

I know this will seem common sense to most of you but I am amazed at how many people do just soak nails as a matter of course...and it was because that is what they were taught.....nobody seems to have any discretion.

So after all that the question is in my poll do you soak your manicure clients nails.......Always no matter what nail type.......never......or depends on nail condition.....and be honest now!!!

 

[Karren]

I will soak depending on nail condition - more often than not i do not soak and i explain to the client why.

interesting thread by the way

kx

 

[scattyfox]

I'm with you on this one Izzy i only soak depending on the condition of the nail plate, as you have said it can be detrimental to the nail condition to soak, but have to say my older ladies do wonder why, but as i give them such a nice hand and arm massage they soon forgive me lol
x

 

[Northern Nails]

We were always told to soak in a manicure, BUT, having read past threads on here i now understand when and when not to soak. Although i still ask my clients to have a quick splash around a bowl with citrus soak, i suppose old habits die hard!!


Plu waht about the spa Manicure, you cant really avoid soaking with this can you?

 

[izzidoll]

We were always told to soak in a manicure, BUT, having read past threads on here i now understand when and when not to soak. Although i still ask my clients to have a quick splash around a bowl with citrus soak, i suppose old habits die hard!!


Plu waht about the spa Manicure, you cant really avoid soaking with this can you?

I know it does add something to the Spamanicure ....I even had a different glass bowl to use just for the SpaManicure.....but if the nails were dry & brittle it was sufficient for the client to just wash her hands with the Citrusoak...rubbing into her hands before rinsing off, released the lovely aroma and got that uplifting relaxing feeling going before she had even sat down at your workstation!!!

 

[ValencianNails]

excellent thread Izzy
i voted 'never soak', the only time my clients hands come into contact with water is when they wash with Citrusoak or rinsing off the Solar Manicure.
i personally don't see the need for it... but, like you said, some clients expect a soak in a mani bowl.
the hand and arm massage more than makes up for the no-soak

 

[naturalnails]

When I did my manicure course at college Umpty years ago, they did the soaking bit and also the cutting cuticles bit - youch!

Almost the first book I bought after this was Spa Manicuring by Janet McCormick and it was a real eye opener when it comes to soaking during a manicure.

Since then I have never done it - I apply cuticle eraser and solar oil and a hand oil to the hands (obviously LOL) and then in plastic bags and "soak" in my heated mitts for a few minutes - this does the job of softening the skin in a much more efficient and less detrimental way than the soaking.

If my clients comment on this, I explain that it is the current way of thinking, that the water can be problematic to their nails and make them more brittle. I think this shows to my clients that I am up there with the current thinking and not still living in the dark ages LOL.

 

[RedAdmiral]

I'm a soaker!!!
It has crossed my mind esp with some of my housewives but it was what I was taught many moons ago!

this is a great topic I'm defo changing the way I look at my nat nail treatments now.

 

[ZOE!]

I dont do manicures but i noticed that the beauty girl who i work with, she soaks when doing it. She also soaks before applying Silk tips. I asked why she does it she said to soften the cuticle. Is this common?

 

[Lellipop]

Yep I'm a soaker too, It was the way I was trainned and have always done it.

 

[izzidoll]

Wow...I can't believe that the soakers are in the lead...although some have said that they trained this way and now through this wonderful site have realised it isn't always necessary.....Just because its the way you have always done it doesn't necessarily mean you should....I mean when I was first shown how to do nail enhancements I was told to etch the nail with a coarse grit file!!!...thank goodness I was always attending courses to update my skills!!! and found Creative......and as far as cutting away cuticle during a manicure...well don't even go there.............!!!!!!

 

[colorflair]

I was taught to soak, then thought mayby not the way to go, after reading certain treads on the site but then......... ( which is why it can be soooooo confusing) Leighton Denny whilst on QVC said you should always soak!!!!! so really everyone seems to say something different. I do however always file my clients nails before letting them soak!! xxx

 

[fiona wallace]

Ok...you soak nail plate (which is dry and sometimes VERY VERY dry), it soaks up the moisture(water)...what happens naturally is that the nail plate expands with all the moisture...you apply base, enamel, etc....few hours go by...nail plate dries up again and loses the swelling, therefore shrinks back to original size....what happens to enamel?????????????? Chips/flakes/wears/whatever you want to call it...nothing to do with the product or application.... we personally never soak but make up for it with lots of moisturising, massage and conditioning.

 

[caz3]

I was taught to soak.

Caz xxx

 

[nemotail]

I was taught at college to soak but dont now because of the reasons Fiona has detailed. I used steam towels to remove Solar Manicure/ SpaCrystals because as well as avoiding soaking I think it adds to the pampering aspect of the treatment.
So apart from washing their hands before treatment my clients hands dont really come into contact with water.

Something I have been wondering about Brisa Gel toes after a pedicure. I recommend the 2 treatments together as the soak def. helps with cuticle removal which can be a major task on toes.
KxXx

 

[star chic]

For most part I soak and again that's the way I was taught but occasionally I decide not to.

We were taught that you must not soak for long enough to swell the nail plate.

Clients spend a lot of time with their hands in water - normal showering, bathing, washing up that an extra minute a month doesn't seem that excessive. Most constantly wash hands from a hygiene point of view and as I currently have a part time job in a hospital it is unavoidable as there are such major campaigns about cleanliness. In hospitals you are expected to spent approximately 2 mins thoroughly washing hands and wrists.

Many of you will disagree because clients already do have to wash their hands so frequently but at the end of the day I feel that in the scheme of things it is not that big a deal.

It also strikes me that at some point you have to remove excess product from the hands so how do you do that? Either you use water, steam (water!) or another product which probably contains some kind of chemical or preserving agent

 

[Monkeystails]

I too was taught to soak... But as time goes by, there will be new developments and hence the realisation that soaking isn't always the answer to softening cuticle skin.

When I swapped from soaking to using heated mitts, my clients actually preferred it! They loved the idea of oils and moisturisers being applied to their hands and that it would penetrate deeper with the heat, they loved the fact that there was no need to remove the creams/oils afterwards too.

When you explain that all that moisturising cream and oil you are applying stays on their hands rather than coming off into a bowl of water they then switch over to your way of thinking.

If money is tight and heated mitts are too expensive, then apply cream and oils to the hands and nails, then cover in cling film, and wrap in heated towels (damp hand towels heated in a microwave for 2 minutes) and leave on for 5-10 minutes.

Georgie. x

 

[tamimac]

I was taught to soak but only for a maximum of three minutes. I was told that after that the nail becomes saturated and then swells and starts to expand causing the problems you wrote about. I shape, apply cuticle oil, soak for 2 min then remove and carry on with the rest of to service. Clients are surprised that they get such a short soak but when I explain why they are more than happy.

Ok...you soak nail plate (which is dry and sometimes VERY VERY dry), it soaks up the moisture(water)...what happens naturally is that the nail plate expands with all the moisture...you apply base, enamel, etc....few hours go by...nail plate dries up again and loses the swelling, therefore shrinks back to original size....what happens to enamel?????????????? Chips/flakes/wears/whatever you want to call it...nothing to do with the product or application.... we personally never soak but make up for it with lots of moisturising, massage and conditioning.

 

[pmason]

Oooo I was taught to soak as well but you've got me thinking now...... With the solar manicure I've been using warm towels though to remove the crystals cos you can't very well soak the clients entire arm anyway! Oh pooh and I've just had a load of leaflets printed detailing my treatments and every one mentions soaking!!!!!!!

 

[MandyR]

Ialways soak without fail i was trained to always soak and have always done it! Mandy~~~