Nail Tech in New Jersey?????????

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Sydney0502

New Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2011
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Location
New Jersey (Morris County)
Please, I am hoping, (praying) for someone from New Jersey (United States) to be reading this. I have lived in New Jersey now for over 15 years. For the last 12 I have been getting my nails done professionally. I am extremely loyal once I find a good nail tech and will recommend her to all my friends and definitely keep her busy (and well tipped).

Unfortunately, I live in a state that has nail salons on every corner however I have not been able to find a decent nail tech the entire life cycle of living in New Jersey (originally from Ohio then lived in Chicago for a few years). I have a fantastic gal that does fabulous pedicures but unfortunately she does not do gels or tips on nails.

She has excellent filing and "shaping" skills and I am always geetting compliments on my "toes". I never had pretty feet before and my pedicures looked average until I found her. She also does the most spectacular "designs" which makes me actually excited when it is time to go to my next appt on which design i will try next.

Now with the finger nails..a totally different experience. I can't find a nail tech that is "competent" to understand the value and difference between the different nail services for one. The most frustrating and exasporating experience lately is I took all my tips off the last 6months only to find I had most of my fingers separated due to all the heavy drilling done over the years for my "tips". I had fungus on almos all my fingers. It was my "toe" gal that actually mentioned this to me when she saw one of my finger tips broke off one day getting a pedicure. She told me I had a fungus. So I immediately took off all the tips to discover that all my fingers were near death they were so bad. I never knew nor did at any time any nail person advise me or warn me.

So since December of last year I have diligently soaked my nails twice sometimes 3 times a day for 30min to over an hour (at times)..stinking up my house so bad my daughter was ready to "divorce" me and move out she couldnt stand the smell so bad. But, I kept at it. The hardes part was not using any polish at all as that was what is required when you have a fungus or any bacteria issue with your fingers. That and the fact my nail bed had separated from most of my finger nails.

So I did this, and soaked also in cuticle oil,,,every oil or product for nail growth, treatment of fungus and strenghtenhing I could find I used.

Finally they looked healthy enough to move forward. I discovered a couple people that had what they referred too as "gel overlays" which is gel over their natural nail to help strengthen them and give them a decent manicure as they grow underneath. The difference between this and regular gels is the nail tech is NOT to file down your natural nail nor touch it at all with electric drill, just keep it well "manicured"..at visits, push cuticle back, lightly file off gel and fill it. The result is these women swore to me their natual nails were so strong. So this confused me as in all the years I have been getting gels, not one time have I ever considered my natural nail doing "well". They file it down so aburd, never treat the cuticle at fills, just start filing away and in many cases never even file the free edge or clip it when my tip popped off or I was getting a new set. Basically they do NOTHING for my natural nail which I always wondered about as I would think they would care.

But I just trusted they did what they did and thought I had to sacrifice my natural nail to get the "fake" ones.

Anway, I was so tired of my natural nail looking so dull and short and "ugly"..I wanted so bad to have it look better and start with the polish. I was normaly going to keep up the vinegar treatments until a good year but read up on the internet these gel overlays were populare. The internet raves that the goal is to help your natural nail, blah blha.

Anyway, after visiting no less than 4 different salons in the last month I have experienced the following:
  • Noone knew what "natural gel overlays" mean? Tried explaining it to them but they only hear "gel" and thats it which to them means tips.
  • I asked for "sqoable" shape and again, noone knew what that means (square shape with rounded corners to look more natural).
  • I asked for "forms" to use for extending my nails as that was what the internet shows is most commong for natural overlays to help with the length of your natural nail until it grows out. So you can have an instant nice shape while they are growing out All 4 techs called it different things...none of them understand "form".
  • No matter how hard I explained I want the natural shape..my nail came out either super wide at end (wider than my finger) or it was rounded and pointy which I hate. None of them used a regular file an it is obvious that atleast the 4 I went too had no skill on shaping my nail when it comes to tips. So I dumped the tips. It is my personal opinion (atleast around here) that the tips are all very wide and not natural looking any more. I never had issues with tips before but the techs are not shaping them nice anymore. I can spot a "tip job" miles away here in NJ as the salons all have these super wide free edges that look totally unfinished or shaped when done. This has prompted me to leave my nail tech I had for years. I noticed the work just getting worse and worse. Went to 3 other techs and they did the same thing. So now, no tips.
  • The techs all use the electric drills on my fingers. I just wanted to cry yesterday. Went in for my natural overlay after 6months of getting my nail up to par. EXPLAINED till Im blue in the face over the phone then again in front of him, and he looked at me like he completely was clueless. Started ranting on about "his" services of "gel" which all were the same stuff I have been getting for years and went right at me with the drill. In less than 60 secends he drilled off my entire natural nail until it ws nothing. This was "his" natural overlay? I went home and typed in gel overlays and in evey website ...all of them..YOU DO NOT USE ELECTRIC DRILLS ON NATURAL NAILS. Theys say NEVER. Then why did all 4 of these techs (as the guy last night was my 4th) in one month as I keep going back to see if I can explain it correct and find someone I can trust for future appts). They all used the drill on me.
The language barrier is horrible. Nothing against asians or whatever but the people jsut dont get it.

Where are these people getting trained? Isnt not using an electric dril on natural nails Nail lesson #1? I even know this instictly as it makes sense?

One of the ladies has been doing nails for 20 years and she didnt understand the word 'squoble", or sculperted nails and also used the drill on me. None of them treat my cuticle with care or try to ensure at each fill my natural nail is shaped nice underneath and ensures it is healthy and grows out nice.

So I am desperate. Can anyone recommend someone that does good work. That is all the main stuff but I also want what every customer wants..great results. I like the nails that you see photos of on the internet...that look natural, not built up and stocky or stubby with gel. That look like they are real. I love the longer nails but would go for the short "sqouble" if they looked natural enough. I am big on shaping the nail. The filing the nail is most important. Someone that is skilled with this and also takes care of the nails not jsut piles on gel or whatever.

Please email me if you have any recommendations. [email protected]. I live in Florham Park, NJ (morris county). All my friends are big on nails so whoever gets me as a customer would get alot of other people too if I could find someone good.

I am not a complainer..picky yes, demanding no. The issues I talk about above are to me "no brainer". Also, in over 15 years I never said anything..just keep tring to find the good nail person. I can t find a website that lists photos of techs in my area ...just wnat a decent person that is consistent with her/his work. I am venting now..because I am so frustrated.
 

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