Please help - worried sick

[crumpet]

Ok, I'll start by saying that I have only recently qualified and that I don't charge people for their nails as I am not 100% confident (they just pay for the products I use).
I have been doing my friends' mums nails for about the past 2 months with hard gel overlays (with coloured hard gel) and she comes back to me every 2 weeks for infills. She came last night and I was shocked to see that she had green stains on most of her nails, especially down the sides. I was really shocked as I am OCD about hygiene and disinfecting. Also, everytime she comes back there doesn't appear to be any lifting at all, even at the sides, but then again, she does have dark coloured gel so maybe I'm not seeing it?. Anyway, I guessed that these were the "greenies" we had been told about in our training and we were told to just sanitise the nail and cover up with gel again, which I have done, including using sani, then nailfresh, then sani again. However, I am now terrified that I have done the wrong thing!. I am having sleepless nights worrying about this. Will I have made the greenies worse by reapplying gel? I did not remove all of the old gel, just thinned out and re-applied. OMG I'm scared stiff I've done something awful to her nails. I have now bought some pure tea tree oil and wondered if I need to soak her nails in that when she comes back in 2 weeks time??? Also, her next appt is before she goes away to a wedding abroad and she will defo want gels on, in fact she wanted French, will this still be possible with these horrible stains? (I do have a pink cover mask gel). She did not seem that worried about the stains as she said she is always gardening (in gloves) and thinks it may be that which caused it?. Could it be because she is constantly in gloves?, thus causing moisture??? How do I remove the greenies? If I use the tea tree oil will it make them too oily to re-appy a new set of gels immediately? Please, please can you give me any advice, What have I done????:Scared: xx

 

[mitsi88]

Sorr I cant help just felt bad to read and run!! Good luck with it though and try to keep calm, stay confident! It will all work out ok in the long run and you will learn a lesson, in a months time you'll look back on this as a distance memory! Keep yor chin up xx

 

[eden_beauty]

Ok, I'll start by saying that I have only recently qualified and that I don't charge people for their nails as I am not 100% confident (they just pay for the products I use).
I have been doing my friends' mums nails for about the past 2 months with hard gel overlays (with coloured hard gel) and she comes back to me every 2 weeks for infills. She came last night and I was shocked to see that she had green stains on most of her nails, especially down the sides. I was really shocked as I am OCD about hygiene and sterilising. Also, everytime she comes back there doesn't appear to be any lifting at all, even at the sides, but then again, she does have dark coloured gel so maybe I'm not seeing it?. Anyway, I guessed that these were the "greenies" we had been told about in our training and we were told to just sanitise the nail and cover up with gel again, which I have done, including using sani, then nailfresh, then sani again. However, I am now terrified that I have done the wrong thing!. I am having sleepless nights worrying about this. Will I have made the greenies worse by reapplying gel? I did not remove all of the old gel, just thinned out and re-applied. OMG I'm scared stiff I've done something awful to her nails. I have now bought some pure tea tree oil and wondered if I need to soak her nails in that when she comes back in 2 weeks time??? Also, her next appt is before she goes away to a wedding abroad and she will defo want gels on, in fact she wanted French, will this still be possible with these horrible stains? (I do have a pink cover mask gel). She did not seem that worried about the stains as she said she is always gardening (in gloves) and thinks it may be that which caused it?. Could it be because she is constantly in gloves?, thus causing moisture??? How do I remove the greenies? If I use the tea tree oil will it make them too oily to re-appy a new set of gels immediately? Please, please can you give me any advice, What have I done????:Scared: xx

I think you're worrying too much you have done everything you were taught. I know how you feel though about feeling you've done something wrong but in this industry as with any other we will make mistakes but you tried to rectify it. I don't do gel nails so I can't help with that however just see what her nails are like the next time. Stop worrying!

Lisa

 

[PurpleHayes]

Hi there,

Just read ur post there and was quite horified actually that ur nail educator told u it was ok to apply gel back over a greenie!!!
This is def not the action to take, what u need to do is remove her nails for about a week r2 and she needs to soak her nails in d strongest alcohol she has in her press to kill off the infection, nails should only be reapplied once the infection Is fully cleared up!

I really am baffled as to where u trained tho how could she tell u such wrong information!!!

 

[crumpet]

Thanks girls, I just need to have a plan of action in my head so I know what to do when she comes back. I'm scared stiff that they'll be even worse when she comes back and cover the entire nail (OMG gulp). I'm pinning my hopes on killing the greenies with the tea tree oil but then I'm worried she won't be able to have another set of gels put on straight away and she really MUST have gels for this wedding, plus the vile greenies would be visible!!! xx

 

[Puffle]

You might find this helpful:
http://www.salongeek.com/health-safety-unatural/2641-moldy-oldy-fun-guys.html

As far as I'm aware, if you remove the gel and scrubfresh well - the 'greenie' will die when air hits it and the stain will simply need to grow out. When this is done, you will be fine to put gel back over. Have a read through the link above though.

 

[busybee32]

Hi there,

Just read ur post there and was quite horified actually that ur nail educator told u it was ok to apply gel back over a greenie!!!
This is def not the action to take, what u need to do is remove her nails for about a week r2 and she needs to soak her nails in d strongest alcohol she has in her press to kill off the infection, nails should only be reapplied once the infection Is fully cleared up!

I really am baffled as to where u trained tho how could she tell u such wrong information!!!

Im sorry but what you have just advise is the WRONG Information.
I suggest that you have a read of the link in the post above mine moldy old fun guys.
A greenie is caused by lifting and then bacteria getting under the lift and multiplying the colour depends on how long it has been going on.
The stain is caused by the bacteria waste, and once you remove the enhancement and let the air get to it it dies. You need to scrubfresh the nail plate which leaves pathogen fighters behind and you are good to reapply your chosen product.

With regards to the OP you cannot remove the staining left behind from a greenie it will have to grow out, but if you have done as advised above then it shouldn't spread. You just need to make sure that you have prepped the nail really well and got rid of all non living tissue and cuticle from the whole nail plate especially in the sidewalls as this is where your clients have been having lifting, pull the lateral folds down with your finger and really concentrate on making sure that area is spotless and free from debris before applying your product.
Also advise your clients that at the first sign of lift they must come straight back to you to correct this isssue or they will get more greenies. And they should be wearing rubber gloves when washing up as this is one of the worst culprits for this to happen, dirty washing up water and lifting enhancements create an excellent base and home for bacteria to grow and multiply.
Jen xx

 

[LoveSparklesXXX]

Ohhh Babe, sorry to hear you are in bit a upset by this....

I would take the advise from geek experts above.

The most important thing is that you have caught it early.

Please don't let it get you down or make you doubt your ability.

I would beg you though now your qualified to start charging full price for your services. You are a nail tech for real, remember that. It difficult to ask regulars who have had reduced price treatment for more cash. But it will help you draw a line in the sand (both actual and metaphorically) to mark that you are a professional and this is a bisiness. Sure it will help your confidence.

chin up darling

 

[LoveSparklesXXX]

To add to busybee32's post Marian Newman says to remove overlay, dehydrate (the stain will remain but will just have to grow out) then is ok to reapply a new overlay.

Looks like as in most industries there is a difference of opinon

XXX

 

[crumpet]

Thank you all of you (I've been out for the day and only just got in to check your replies).
Can I just clarify what you all mean so I have it straight in my head please for when she returns.

1. Completely remove all old gel and when the "air hits the nails the infection should die" - so shall I leave them bare for 5mins and make her a cup of tea or something? How long do they need to be exposed to the air?

2. I should use scrubfresh (which I will order online tonight) thoroughly

3. Remove all non living tissue from nail plate and especially sidewalls

4. Scrub with scrubfresh again until squeaky clean

5. Should I also use nailfresh or tea tree oil and use scrubfresh a third time??????

6. Apply new gel overlays and advise to always wear gloves washing up and to immediately tell me if there is any lifting evident.

So, could you possibly confirm I'm on the right track here please? Also, how do I eliminate any lifting at the sidewalls which may be causing the problem? When she has come back for infills there is no visible lifting so I am very confused. Also, she never washes up (has got a dishwasher and cleaner) so could this have been caused by gardening do you think? Or is it most likely my fault and what have I done wrong?? Am now terrified of doing anyone elses nails (but will re-do this ladies' as she is banking on me for her trip) as I am scared to death of it happening again. I feel absolutely awful to think I've given someone an infection, god, how crap must I be:Scared: xx

 

[shedunlop]

Hi there,

Just read ur post there and was quite horified actually that ur nail educator told u it was ok to apply gel back over a greenie!!!
This is def not the action to take, what u need to do is remove her nails for about a week r2 and she needs to soak her nails in d strongest alcohol she has in her press to kill off the infection, nails should only be reapplied once the infection Is fully cleared up!

I really am baffled as to where u trained tho how could she tell u such wrong information!!!

This is the wrong information, this is not an infection.

I find it worrying that there is so much confusion with so many techs being so sure of their advice, even when it is not correct.

Busybee has given advice so I need to say no more. :wink2:

 

[crumpet]

This is the wrong information, this is not an infection.

I find it worrying that there is so much confusion with so many techs being so sure of their advice, even when it is not correct.

Busybee has given advice so I need to say no more. :wink2:

Thankyou, I am defo taking Busybees advice but can someone just please clarify that I've got it right in the steps above?.........
Thanks xxxx

 

[busybee32]

Thank you all of you (I've been out for the day and only just got in to check your replies).
Can I just clarify what you all mean so I have it straight in my head please for when she returns.

1. Completely remove all old gel and when the "air hits the nails the infection should die" - so shall I leave them bare for 5mins and make her a cup of tea or something? How long do they need to be exposed to the air?

2. I should use scrubfresh (which I will order online tonight) thoroughly

3. Remove all non living tissue from nail plate and especially sidewalls

4. Scrub with scrubfresh again until squeaky clean

5. Should I also use nailfresh or tea tree oil and use scrubfresh a third time??????

6. Apply new gel overlays and advise to always wear gloves washing up and to immediately tell me if there is any lifting evident.

So, could you possibly confirm I'm on the right track here please? Also, how do I eliminate any lifting at the sidewalls which may be causing the problem? When she has come back for infills there is no visible lifting so I am very confused. Also, she never washes up (has got a dishwasher and cleaner) so could this have been caused by gardening do you think? Or is it most likely my fault and what have I done wrong?? Am now terrified of doing anyone elses nails (but will re-do this ladies' as she is banking on me for her trip) as I am scared to death of it happening again. I feel absolutely awful to think I've given someone an infection, god, how crap must I be:Scared: xx

Firstly hun stop panicing, it happens to the best of us, our clients not following aftercare advise is one of the problems.
As soon as the greemie is exposed to air it dies, so the time doesn't matter.
Before reapplying the gel just make sure you perform a thorough prep, scrubfresh, primer and reapply.
No need to use scrubfresh 3 times hun, scrubfesh leaves behind pathogen fighters.
There must be lifting for the greemie to appear in the first place. As long as she wears gloves when gardening or cleaning the house, and she is aware that if she gets lift she must come back asap then you should have no more re-occurences.
Jen xxx

 

[crumpet]

Firstly hun stop panicing, it happens to the best of us, our clients not following aftercare advise is one of the problems.
As soon as the greemie is exposed to air it dies, so the time doesn't matter.
Before reapplying the gel just make sure you perform a thorough prep, scrubfresh, primer and reapply.
No need to use scrubfresh 3 times hun, scrubfesh leaves behind pathogen fighters.
There must be lifting for the greemie to appear in the first place. As long as she wears gloves when gardening or cleaning the house, and she is aware that if she gets lift she must come back asap then you should have no more re-occurences.
Jen xxx

Thankyou, so it's ok if the greenie is exposed to air for just a few minutes? Shall I use scrubfresh before removing the cuticle too?? Would nailfresh help to stop lifting do you think? and if so do I apply it before the scrubfresh? (I use NCO London hard gel so not used to CND products). Shall I not bother with the tea tree oil at all then? (maybe give it to her to apply round the cuticle and sidewalls areas as aftercare??). Finally, how can I stop the lifting as I am so diligent about not touching the sidewalls with gel so how does the lifting happen?
Sorry for all the q's and if I seem thick (I'm not honestly!) just this has made me doubt everything I know.
Thanks again, you've been a huge help xxx

 

[aspenella]

Hi there.
Hope your feeling a little more confident about your situation now...and yes it does happen to the best of us. Ive been in this business 25 years.
I would only add that perhaps as a sign of great customer service that you call your client, tell her your concerned about her nails and if possible could she find the time to pop back in for a complimentary infill as you would like to make absolutely certain that all is ok. This will then able you to make sure they're not getting worse. (I think you mentioned you didn't remove all the gel, so there is possibly still something going on underneath).
This will then soothe your concerns and she will applaud you your professionalism and great concern. It will win you mammoth brownie points regardless of wether she takes up the offer or not.
As for the mould underneath, it would of HAD to of been lifting somewhere, or else the moisture could not get between the gel and the nail bed. Are you filling or fiddling at all with the gel or side walls after you've finished with your application, thus breaking the seal? In my experience and years of training, so many 'newbies' fiddle to much. I call it dancing around the nails. Its because they second guess themselves to much. Time yourself per nail as to how long you'll spend on each nail. Just do it and move on. No time for dancing when your working LOL!
Sometimes too, I have had clients that are just super prone to 'the greenies'!
Recommending to steer away from dark colored gel to will help as the 'greenies' thrive more on a damp 'dark' home. Perhaps stick with a lighter or clear colour.
I have found too, here is OZ, if you remove said gel, soak in a small anoint of bleach and water for 10 minutes or so, can sometimes lighten the offending colour. Make sure you wait another 10-15 minutes or so before continuing so the nail bed dries and and resumes its normal structure..
Hope some of this help and good luck in your nail journey! :biggrin::biggrin:

 

[crumpet]

Hi there.
Hope your feeling a little more confident about your situation now...and yes it does happen to the best of us. Ive been in this business 25 years.
I would only add that perhaps as a sign of great customer service that you call your client, tell her your concerned about her nails and if possible could she find the time to pop back in for a complimentary infill as you would like to make absolutely certain that all is ok. This will then able you to make sure they're not getting worse. (I think you mentioned you didn't remove all the gel, so there is possibly still something going on underneath).
This will then soothe your concerns and she will applaud you your professionalism and great concern. It will win you mammoth brownie points regardless of wether she takes up the offer or not.
As for the mould underneath, it would of HAD to of been lifting somewhere, or else the moisture could not get between the gel and the nail bed. Are you filling or fiddling at all with the gel or side walls after you've finished with your application, thus breaking the seal? In my experience and years of training, so many 'newbies' fiddle to much. I call it dancing around the nails. Its because they second guess themselves to much. Time yourself per nail as to how long you'll spend on each nail. Just do it and move on. No time for dancing when your working LOL!
Sometimes too, I have had clients that are just super prone to 'the greenies'!
Recommending to steer away from dark colored gel to will help as the 'greenies' thrive more on a damp 'dark' home. Perhaps stick with a lighter or clear colour.
I have found too, here is OZ, if you remove said gel, soak in a small anoint of bleach and water for 10 minutes or so, can sometimes lighten the offending colour. Make sure you wait another 10-15 minutes or so before continuing so the nail bed dries and and resumes its normal structure..
Hope some of this help and good luck in your nail journey! :biggrin::biggrin:

Thankyou very much for your advice. I have phoned her today and she has said she can come back on Thursday, which was a bit sooner than originally planned. What you've said about "breaking the seal" really made sense to me, as I have a tendency to check the sidewalls with a file, even after I've applied the topcoat so I will now defo leave them alone.

Instead of soaking the nails in bleach and water, could I apply some tea tree oil to the nails (yes, I'm obsessed with the stuff!) instead? as I read a "greenie" post on here and someone said it has antibacterial properties, but I don't know if that would bleach the stain though? Also, could I give her some tea tree oil to take home and apply round the sidewalls and cuticles and free edge or would it be too harsh??..........

I'm still confused as to the exact routine I need to do when she comes back so if anyone could please just confirm step by step exactly what I need to do (in what order), that would be a huge weight off my mind. For example, I don't know if I should use scrubfresh AND nailfresh???............

Thank you everyone who has helped me and hopefully, I'll leave you in peace soon xx

 

[waffle4]

Well i thought nailfresh was used for lifting so it may be of help to you. Hopefully someone more experienced than me will be along soon 2 help you out. Good luck x

Sent from my GT-I5500 using SalonGeek

 

[loulabelle]

I wouldn't have thought you'd need the tea tree oil as the air will kill the bacteria for you.

I haven't done a set of gels for a few years but if I remember right you would soak off, then scrubfresh, then apply nail fresh immediately before you reapply your gel product

 

[crumpet]

Hi all, Well I'm still having sleepless nights over this and going over and over in my mind what could've caused the greenies. I always get my ladies to wash their hands with antibac soap before a treatment and also after I have thinned/shaped the old gel ready for infills. Could it be that the nail structure is still damp when I begin to apply product and that may contribute to greenies? Also, I tend to sanitise and dehydrate the nail with alot of sanitiser - again, if the nail is still slightly moist would that contribute to greenies? I'd be ever so grateful for your opinions on this.....

I now have in my head that I will do the following steps when she returns:-

1. Wash hands throughly with antibac handwash and dry on clean towel.

2. Spray her hands (and mine) with sanitiser

3. Remove all old gel using a clean, new file on each nail that has a greenie and discarding file (used on a greenie nail) immediately

4. Thoroughly scrub dust off and throw away nail brush immediately.

5. Saturate nails with scrubfresh and clean until squeaky clean.

6. Do a dry manicure ensuring to remove all non living tissue, especially in the sidewalls.

7. Thoroughly dust off all debris with new clean nail brush

8. Apply nailfresh & let dry.

9. Apply scrubfresh and scrub until squeaky clean. Use a fan to ensure each nail is 100% dry.

10. Apply primer sparingly around sidewalls

11. Apply gel product as usual and complete set of gel nails.

Does this sound alright to you? Or am I doing too much to the nail???

If I could just get this sorted I'll leave you all alone I promise and so sorry to be such a pain in the neck:sad:

Thankyou for all your help xxx

 

[geeg]

There is a fair amount of to-ing and fro-ing going on in this thread plus some misinformation too.


Someone used the word 'mould'. A green nail is NOT caused by mould and the word should never be used as it just confuses.

This sounds like a classic 'greenie' problem and it is caused by by a simple bacterial infection that is easy to get rid of. As mentioned, just removing the product and exposing the bacteria to air will kill it .. plus a good thorough prep and scrub with Scrub Fresh to sanitise and dehydrate further before a normal re-application.

People are all saying it is not your fault and not to worry. I say, you are right to be concerned and it may very well be your fault. Your lack of experience for one in that you used an opaque coloured gel and of course it is very hard to see what is going on underneath the enhancement if you use an opaque product. You have to be very secure in your application ability and to have the confidence to use an opaque gel or powder on a persons nails. At this point in time you say you are not confident. If a client wants colour then use polish until you are skilled at what you are doing.

Another thing to bear in mind is the length of the nails that you gave this client. If nails are too long they are inclined to bend under pressure (gardening in gloves!!) and when the nails bend, they kink in the corners and lift and allow moisture to become trapped between the product and the overlay ... instant recipe for a bacterial infection to get going and when they get going, they multiply fast. With an opaque gel, you cant see it happening and the client can't see it so make sure the nails are never too long for the client's lifestyle. Even short nails can be too long for some if they are very active with their hands.

It is our job and our responsibility to annalyse the lifestyle and the activity level of our clients when doing a consultation and then to prescribe the right length for that client. This is a huge part of what we do to customise the service for our clients.

I am quite surprised by some of the posts you have received in this thread and that so many still do not understand the issue of a bacterial infection and tell you not to worry about it! Of course you have to worry about it and more importantly, you need to look out for it and prevent it from happening. Doing good maintenace is primary and if you can't see what is going on under the overlay, then you cannot do good preventative maintenance as this incident has proved only too well. HTH