Really bad cuticles

SalonGeek

Help Support SalonGeek:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

MummyCat

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2012
Messages
1,109
Reaction score
0
Location
London
Good morning Geeks,

Well I'm seeing a bit of a trend recently with new clients and that is REALLY bad cuticles, but these clients are coming to me for Shellac treatments, which of course I do a mini manicure.

However some of their cuticles are so bad that Cuticle Away is simple not removing it all and I refuse to cut what they think is the cuticle (the eponychium). Some of them have previously been to NSS and are used to having the live tissue cut (which I refuse to do) and they're skin looks like hard callouses.

So they're leaving with fab looking nails that last, but the skin around the nails look terrible.

I'm telling them to smother themselves in Solar Oil, but some really don't care...they just want pretty nails...but I feel like they're leaving with a job half done as the time I have allocated for Shellac is not enough to deal with their cuticles.

What would you suggest? Manicure appointments for intensive cuticle work?
 
so are you talking about really bad cuticles (which are easy to remove) or really bad skin (eponychium) which is trickier to improve. I'm guessing the latter.

The only way of instantly making the base of the nail look better is by cutting. Now more and more technicians are understanding that this is far from ideal (it is living skin and cutting it will encourage it to grow back thicker). So, this is an improvement that takes a little more time and that's just how it is (no one expects instant results from a facial product so why should this be any different)

The client can work on this with you to get the quickest results. My preference in dealing with this is to gently lift as much as the skin as you can without forcing it (this is the bit that many would cut off!) Explain to your client that it is living skin and, without being attached to the cuticle on the nail and the nail growing and pulling it along, if its kept moisturised by daily massage with oil, it will shrink. This only takes a couple of weeks, job done. However, if the lifted skin is not kept soft and moisturised it will get very dry, catchy and ugly.

Nail technicians can perform 'miracles' but some of those 'miracles' take just a little longer
 
so are you talking about really bad cuticles (which are easy to remove) or really bad skin (eponychium) which is trickier to improve. I'm guessing the latter.

The only way of instantly making the base of the nail look better is by cutting. Now more and more technicians are understanding that this is far from ideal (it is living skin and cutting it will encourage it to grow back thicker). So, this is an improvement that takes a little more time and that's just how it is (no one expects instant results from a facial product so why should this be any different)

The client can work on this with you to get the quickest results. My preference in dealing with this is to gently lift as much as the skin as you can without forcing it (this is the bit that many would cut off!) Explain to your client that it is living skin and, without being attached to the cuticle on the nail and the nail growing and pulling it along, if its kept moisturised by daily massage with oil, it will shrink. This only takes a couple of weeks, job done. However, if the lifted skin is not kept soft and moisturised it will get very dry, catchy and ugly.

Nail technicians can perform 'miracles' but some of those 'miracles' take just a little longer

Hi Mum,

Thanks for taking the time to help me, it's very much appreciated.

Yes, it's the actual eponychium that's the main problem with some of these clients...but also some clients seem to have a thick skin-like cover on their nails (much thicker than the cuticle), using Cuticle Away and and pushing it back doesn't seem to even lift it in the slightest.

Like I said, these are quite often new clients, so hopefully I can educate them by telling them the benefits of solar oil and using it often x
 
sometimes you have to cut, but you have to know what to cut .... if you don't, don't do it .......

The reactions to that should be interesting, Carl!!! :hug: But you know what I think ... lol Trust you to stir things up a bit! xx
 
sometimes you have to cut, but you have to know what to cut .... if you don't, don't do it .......
Natural Nail Transformation Full Video - YouTube

That's how I was trained many years ago and recently but after reading on here I have stopped cutting and I've noticed a huge improvement on my own nails, they are still a little hard but nothing compared to how they would get by cutting them

Sent from my GT-N7000 using SalonGeek mobile app
 
sometimes you have to cut, but you have to know what to cut .... if you don't, don't do it .......
Natural Nail Transformation Full Video - YouTube

:lick: There are times and then there are times (if you know what I mean!). Too many people read this forum and too many have insufficient knowledge and understanding to know when those times are. I prefer the safer route as those that understand will work it out for themselves :wink2:
 
That's how I was trained many years ago and recently but after reading on here I have stopped cutting and I've noticed a huge improvement on my own nails, they are still a little hard but nothing compared to how they would get by cutting them

Sent from my GT-N7000 using SalonGeek mobile app

I was trained to cut too, but have never felt comfortable doing so...so have never really done it, unless it was completely necessary...but I'm talking about cuticle not eponychium.

I've just had a client in for a manicure, who had terrible sore/calloused eponychium and I asked her whether her last tech used to cut her, low and behold, she did...the client said that last time she even made her bleed!

I hopefully managed to get it through to her that cutting is a quick fix to make the hands look better short term, but cutting leads to the skin fighting against it, hence causing hard calloused eponychium. I told her that she should moisturise and use solar oil regularly.

I think she'll listen as she's already booked another appointment for 2 weeks to see me again. x
 
:lick: There are times and then there are times (if you know what I mean!). Too many people read this forum and too many have insufficient knowledge and understanding to know when those times are. I prefer the safer route as those that understand will work it out for themselves :wink2:

The *only* time I cut is when totally necessary on hangnail (to stop them catching) and fraying bits of dry skin that are on the nails.

I generally try to be as gentle as I possibly can...and have never to my knowledge caused any of my clients any discomfort...I'd be mortified if I did x
 
The *only* time I cut is when totally necessary on hangnail (to stop them catching) and fraying bits of dry skin that are on the nails.

I generally try to be as gentle as I possibly can...and have never to my knowledge caused any of my clients any discomfort...I'd be mortified if I did x

If it is white, or clear, and clearly has no blood supply and it will make it look neat and tidy ... then I trim ... just like Carl. Experience will tell if you know what you are doing or not. It's not an evey time thing. Do what you need to do if it is right to do it at that particular time. I never cut or trim anything that is living; only dead material. I know what I am doing and when I can and when I can't. If you aren't sure or do not know then DON'T
 
Last edited:
If it is white, or clear, and clearly has no blood supply and it will make it look neat and tidy ... then I trim ... just like Carl. Experience will tell if you know what you are doing or not. It's not an evey time thing. Do what you need to do if it is right to do it at that particular time. I never cut or trim anything that is living; only dead material. I know what I am doing and when I can and when I can't. If oyou aren't sure or do not know then DON'T

The shame is that most clients expect the cuticle to be trimmed which puts a lot of pressure on a new nail tech that isn't comfortable doing it. I get clients in hours after they had their manicures asking me to redo it because the 'other' girl didn't trim their cuticles, I try and explain the best I can, and educate clients but "it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks" saying can be attached to most clients we encounter :(
 

Latest posts

Back
Top