Ready to quit....

[annalooby]

Sorry but I need to moan! - I've had a bad time of it lately, have been unwell and am suffering from tragic homesickness on account of it being a year now since we left home. To top it all off my acrylic application seems to have gone to pot!

I just had a call from a girl I did p+w sculpts on last week to say that they have all lifted. I was so happy with her nails when she left that even though she said she had had lifting when she had her nails done before, I was sure there would be minimal lifting and now she has told me that I just don't know where I'm going wrong. I told her to come in tomorrow and I will do a fill for free but I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall not to mention feeling stupid in front of the client. I scrubfresh each nail thoroughly, dust and press down at the cuticle as well as I can but it's obviously just not sticking. The only thing I dont do from looking at Sams prepping demo is cuticle remover, so I will try this tomorrow but thats all I can think of.

I am saving to go to the city and have a one to one with the Creative Team to see what I'm doing wrong but I feel so cut off out here in the bush - hence winging to you lot....sorry!

Looby:|

 

[naturalnails]

Please don't give up Looby - in the short term if you could find another nail technician near to you who could give you a bit of mentoring that would hopefully help to build your confidence a bit as well as all of the support you get from here.

There is another message group on yahoo for Australian Nail Techs - maybe you might find someone on there who is close to your area.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/australiannailtecs

Good luck.

 

[Dawnie]

Hiya

Oh Bless don't give up thats easy.................working for your passion is hard but you get there in the end ..............it sounds like if you are not using cuticle remover prior to prep that would cause lifting as there will be living tissue on the nail bed Creative do a fab cuticle remover and its a bargain and works brill.

Let us know how you get on.

Take care chin up Dawnie xxxxxxxxxxx

 

[MissNailPro]

Hi Looby,

Keep your chin up--- practice makes you better and better.... Attending as many continuing education classes as you can will be a great help... Sam's tutorial is awesome--take notes there!

You could even practice on a tip with your ratio & application, and/or use a practice finger.. another good tip is to put a tip into a ball of playdough- apply your product. If you see any wetness on the playdough- then you are probably working too wet and maybe touch the client's skin (overexposure risk).

Hope this helps- good luck.. and happy nailing!

 

[nailqueen]

Hi missnailpro
I'm having the same problem which is why i've just registered. I do the fibre glass nails and mine all seem to be lifting, i'm not sure if its because i'm over-blending this is the bit which i take the longest time on. Nice to know i'm not the only one so hang on in there and let me know if you find the answer.

 

[MissNailPro]

Hi nailqueen,

Sorry-- don't know what you mean- when I find the 'answer'?

What was the question???? (maybe I'm having a brain freeze! lol)

 

[geeg]

LISTEN!!! :lol:

If lifting occurs within days of application (whether it be L/P, wraps or gels) it is because there is some 'barrier' between the product and the nailplate.

This 'barrier' will be either moisture (water or excessive amounts of sanitiser) or cuticle/oil (exfoliated skin cells).

If you make sure that the nail plate is free of all moisture and free of all oil and cuticle, then lifting will be a thing of the past.

You may think you are doing everything to rid the nail surface of these things, but often a newish technician does not go far enough or use the right tools to remove these barriers.

A sanitised metal cuticle pusher or chisel is a MUST HAVE (along with cuticle eraser or remover) if you want to remove all non living tissue form the sidwalls and eponychium area a MUST. A wooden cuticle stick is not enough and nor is a block buffer (which so many use and which holds contamination immediately that you use it).

When you sanitize the plate using ScrubFresh, you must 'scrub' the nail plate with a gauze pad (not cotton wool) and not use too much. Too much leaves the nail surface too moist. It is not called SwipeFresh or wipeFresh, it is called SCRUBFresh so scrub with it for a thorough clean surface.

Often new nail technicains are too tentative and too gentle when you need to be firm. If all yur clients are having this porblem, then it is down to you. If it is only one client then you may be doing everything right and it could be down to her. Only you know this. Avoid doing freebies unless you know that the probelm is absolutely down to you.

This lady says she has a history of lifting so ... hey ... she took her chances with you. Did you guarantee that her nails wouldn't lift?? Why did you do her again for free?? Maybe she is one of the rare ones who can't wear nail enhancements well. NO MORE freebies.

 

[annalooby]

Thanks everyone for the kind words - Its so nice to have support. Have just had a big bowl of choccie icecream so feeling a bit better now!!

Missnailpro - the playdough suggestion is a great idea!

Geeg - *Stupid Question Alert* - How do you use a cuticle chisel?? I was only ever taught with an orange stick and one of those curette?? things (v shaped end). I have seen the type that is shown in the prepping demo but have never used one. AND yes she did say she had a history of lifting - but I thought that if it had lifted so soon then it must be something I had done, or not done as the case may be. I feel bad charging for something that was, or may have been, my mistake.

natural nails - thanks - I'm off to have a look at the board down under!

Thanks again everyone
x

Looby

 

[geeg]

Thanks everyone for the kind words - Its so nice to have support. Have just had a big bowl of choccie icecream so feeling a bit better now!!

Missnailpro - the playdough suggestion is a great idea!

Geeg - *Stupid Question Alert* - How do you use a cuticle chisel?? I was only ever taught with an orange stick and one of those curette?? things (v shaped end). I have seen the type that is shown in the prepping demo but have never used one. AND yes she did say she had a history of lifting - but I thought that if it had lifted so soon then it must be something I had done, or not done as the case may be. I feel bad charging for something that was, or may have been, my mistake.

natural nails - thanks - I'm off to have a look at the board down under!

Thanks again everyone
x

Looby

Get yourself the Mehaz implement called the 'pushey'. One end is rounded for easing he eponychium back and the other end is chisel-shaped for running up the sidewalls and around the cuticle area. (In the UK Designer Nails sell several different implements for doing the job of cuticle removal, but you are a long way from the UK)

You use the 'pushey' at approximately a 30 degree angle to the nail plate and smoothly (without digging in) run it up the side walls and along the cuticle area. You would not believe what comes off when the area has first been softened with Cuticle Eraser or Cuticle remover. There is no more effective way of removing cuticle from the plate than this (well you could etch and file it all off and thin and ruin the nail plate -- but that is not our way is it?)

 

[taintz]

Annalooby,

It's a common problem in oz atm with the weather changes etc alot of people's ails just aren't holding on like they should. Did you double prime??? It's become the norm for me and helped tremendously.

Good Luck

Jadey