Sculpting bitten nails

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annalooby

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I had a lady come in yesterday with bitten nails. She was also a keen gardener and looked like she had never used a hand cream in her life! lol! She said she wanted to grow her nails for her wedding in October so wanted acrylics to allow them to grow. OK I said - thinking - Arrrrgh go away and leave me alone!!

Now I hate using tips so normally sculpt but there was no way I was gonna get a form underneath those nails so I had to resort to tips - grudgingly. I didn't want to turn her away as it was pretty obvious she was never going to grow any length with will power alone. So I did the set and kept them short but it was very difficult to get the tips on as she had calloused fingertips grown up above the nail and blending was a nightmare as they were the same at the sides of the nails so I couldn't get a file anywhere near the groove! I was really dissapointed with the end result, even though she seemed pretty happy, and I warned her that the pressure from the calloused ends of her thumbs would probably push the tip off and lift the nail and if it did to give me a ring and I'd put them back on. Trouble is I'm a tad of a perfectionist and I really wasn't happy with the set- but I don't know how else to treat badly bitten nails and callouses. Any ideas?? I really much prefer sculpting!!

Thanking y'all in advance!

Looby:green:
 
Looby, the fact is that tips offer a choice and when the nail is bitten using a tip is the right choice.

You are right in everything you say about pressure on the tip from the skin at the end of the clients finger that is why you have to 'relieve' that pressure by pre-tailoring the tip in the way which is taught on Creative Master classes. It is a fantastic trick and it works.!! What's more, the end result will be much more pleasing because the technique also narrows the look of the finished nail.

Size your tip so it fits perfectly from side wall to side wall. Press it down right onto the nailplate and when you take it off. look at the flesh at the end of the finger to see where the tip is digging in.

Take a pair of curved scissors and cut a sliver away from the tip, down each side of the tip but NOT including the well area. You only have to cut the sliver away for about 2 mm as your finished nails will be short on a biter. Follow the curve that is already in the tip. Smooth slightly with a buffer.

Now this trick works ... re-try the tip to make sure it is not cuttinginto the skin -- if it is, remove a little more. Apply the tip and blend. It may start off looking a little strange, but when you have applied your product, it will look beautiful and NO pressure. This technique is called 'saddling the tip'.

Try not to be a 'sculpture' snob. Tips are brilliant in their place and blending is a breeze when you use a good brand of tip.
 
I'm afraid I am a 'sculpture snob'! Tips are time consuming, make the nails look false and in my experience dont hold up anywhere near as well as sculpts!

I did do the saddling, as you mentioned, but the callouses were right on the ends of the fingertips as well which meant that the tip was still never gonna stick right, unless of course it was shaped like a spoon!

As for the brand - they are creative - which blend fine - when you can get the file somewhere near them!!!

Groan....:rolleyes:
 
I remember in the dim and distant past someone mentioning something about sculpting a tip on top of the area of skin to form a free edge before continuing with the sculpt - sounds slightly dodgy to me!! but I'd be interested to hear if anyone had tried this????

:biggrin:
 
Prionace said:
Hi! Anna from toronto has a great toturial on her site explaining how to sculpt on bitten nails, the only thing is that she does it with gels, but maibe you can take a look and maybe get somes ideas from it :)

http://groups.msn.com/BeautyPro/sculptingbittennailswithgel.msnw[/QUOTE]

I have to say that I wouldnt consider that the model that Anna is using has badly bitten nails and you would not be able to get a form under if the end of the finger was bulbous as is often the case and as was probably the case for Looby. I think you'd also have to be extremely careful in that case because of the overexposure aspect with the product touching the skin. Does that sound right, Gigi?
 
Prionace - yes that was what I had heard of doing thanks! Carol - yep - my clients fingers were way more bulbous than that! As for overexposure - I had wondered about this myself. Not sure how you would release the acrylic from the fingertip either - it might hurt!! :confused:

Still I might give one of her nails a try with a sculpt like this next time - it might end up pretty thick tho!!

Looby:biggrin:
 
Good luck with whatever way you do it and do let us know how you get on coz it's good experience for us all :lol: . I must say that your client presents a pretty funny picture in my head. This buxom woman with a gardening fork and mud under her nails, lol.

Best wishes.
 
annalooby said:
I'm afraid I am a 'sculpture snob'! Tips are time consuming, make the nails look false and in my experience dont hold up anywhere near as well as sculpts!

I did do the saddling, as you mentioned, but the callouses were right on the ends of the fingertips as well which meant that the tip was still never gonna stick right, unless of course it was shaped like a spoon!

As for the brand - they are creative - which blend fine - when you can get the file somewhere near them!!!

Groan....:rolleyes:
As Gigi said Tip and saddle is the best choice, sculpting might give her chicklett nails........?thick and chunky!!!!

Use Gelbond after saddling the tip..........You can then place the tip on the nail and make allowances for the bulbous skin all around the finger tips............

Gelbond will give you cushioned adhesion.........and it will give you a bit of breathing space on the finger tips and will ensure a snug fit....................Reduce the contact area to a minimum, saddle the tip, preblend, make sure the free edge of the nail butts on to the tip stop point, use gelbond and there you go !!!!
Sometimes tips are the right tool for the job and sculpting is not an option.....
here is a visual taken from Marians book, The Complete Nail Technician.....A must have............Well I think so.........
hth
 

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HI

I have used a method very similar to the one anna has on her site very sucessfully. I used gel and once cured "gently" seperated it from the skin then i buffed and cleaned then sculpted with L+ P . This works fine for me. Overexposure: well i dont think it would overexpose the client as i only do this as a one off! NOT everytime they come in.
I know some of you will disagree but it works well for me and i have done it for years with absolutely NO problems or complaints.
 
Carole Lindsay said:
I think you'd also have to be extremely careful in that case because of the overexposure aspect with the product touching the skin. Does that sound right, Gigi?

I think this is not something you would do again and again to the same person. Remember that overexposure is caused by prolonged and repeated exposure to a substance, so to do the 'bridging technique' would not cause any harm on a one off basis and it can be quite effective.

You are right though to think of this aspect (good thinking) and take it into consieration. I would not do it repeatedly!
 
Carole Lindsay said:
I have to say that I wouldnt consider that the model that Anna is using has badly bitten nails and you would not be able to get a form under if the end of the finger was bulbous as is often the case and as was probably the case for Looby. I think you'd also have to be extremely careful in that case because of the overexposure aspect with the product touching the skin. Does that sound right, Gigi?

Hello Carole

Yes, my client didn't have the shortest nails I have seen.....but still there was no free edge (look at the pinky)
This method works for me even on people with bulbous figners like you mentioned. Like Gigi said, this is not repeated exposure we are talking about and other then this 1 coat of gel (that is fully cured after 2 minutes, fully because it is a semi-transparent gel that cures well)..I never touch the skin with any gel and make sure that I wipe the sticky, uncured layer very well (this uncured layer is actually more "dangerous" as its easier to be left on the finger)

I usually sculpt short extension (2-3mm or so), because bitten nails grow almost twice as fast at the beginning. I see my client first after 10 days, 2 weeks max...and give her a rebalance.
Then I usually see them in 2 weeks.

PS. During my initial consultation I tell my clients what is involved when it comes to correcting and growing out bitten nails...so there is no misunderstanding
 
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