Severe lifting + odd nail shape

[alpina]

I have a L&P client who has a rebalance every two weeks. At every appointment she has severe lifting on 9 nails, the lifting is from the cuticle and sidewalls and is lifted almost to zone 1. I noticed also that there is a strange bit of excess product at the sides of the grown-out enhancement. It is on the sidewalls near the natural nail smile line and sticks out at the sides like a little bump (sorry, it's really hard to explain that bit).

We discussed all the usual possible causes, she is on no medication, doesn't do a lot of physical work and wears the enhancements quite short. She doesn't pick at the nail at all. I'm also using Retention + on her. I don't think this is a PREP issue, I rarely get lifting on other clients and never anything as bad as this, she doesn't have a buildup of cuticle on the nail plate.

At her last appointment I noticed the shape of her natural nail is different from others I have seen. It seems to be slightly wider at the cuticle, then tapers down to a thinner free-edge, like a reverse fan shaped nail. Am I right to think this could cause the lifting? Maybe because the shape of the product is wider at the cuticle as it grows down the nail it is being forced over the skin at the sidewalls causing the lift. If this is so, that would be causing the excess bit of product at the sides of the nail when she comes for a rebalance? This makes sense to me, but I'm wondering if I'm on the wrong track here.

She has booked her next rebalance for 10 days time, we are hoping to get the rebalance done before the lifting gets that bad again, but her nails grow fairly fast and the wider part of her nail is right at the top near the cuticle, so I don't know if this will help.

My only other thought is to apply the product in a straight line at the sidewalls, not covering this wider bit of nail with product, but then the nails will look like they need a fill right from the start. I don't know what to do anymore, has anyone else seen nails like this or what could be another cause of the lifting?

By the way, one thumb nail doesn't have this shape, the sidewalls are straight, and this is the nail that doesn't get any lifting.

Congratulations if you managed to read this entire post!

 

[nailartist]

Wow, I've never seen anything like what you're describing, if I'm picturing it right. A pic would be handy. Does her free edge curl into a deep C curve, by any chance? I can't picture how else the shape would taper. Sorry I'm no help!

 

[Mrs Geek]

Alpina I am going to send this link to Sam. I have heard of this and i think there is a solution for you. Hang fire

 

[alpina]

That would be great, I've never seen anything like it before and I haven't got a clue what to do about it. Thank you!

Nail artist, it's really hard to explain, I didn't take any pictures - it's dedinately not my best work :cry:. Her nails are actually quite wide and flat. You know how a fan shaped nail is, the sidewalls aren't straight, they are somewhat like this / \ , her nails are the opposite like this \ / . It's only very very slightly wider at the cuticle, I didn't notice until the third time I did her nails

 

[The Geek]

Based on your description, I would say that you are inadvertently touching product to soft tissue (i.e. cuticle) along the abnormal sidewalls. This would be fairly easy to do considering the lateral fold shape you are mentioning.

1. Get the client on regular SolarOil applications to help soften the folds and make them a little more pliable.
2. Do a double through prep, especially trying to remove cuticle from along the lateral folds with CuticleAway
3. Make sure the free edge is as short as possible.
4. Use NailFresh after the ScrubFresh application. Then ScrubFresh again after the NailFresh.
5. Tip this client. Make sure you are matching the C-Curve correctly (i.e. don't use Performance Tips when a Formation would fit snugger with less pressure)
6. When applying product, be double sure you leave a careful, clean margin along the folds. Its better to stay further than closer.

The type of lifting that you are describing sounds a bit more like the effects of enhancing Ski Jump (spoon) nails. These have a tendency to 'pop' off from zone 2 and 3 while leaving Zone 1 adhered.

The folds are merely 'hiding' the distal end of the nail plate. Having 'wider' product back near Zone 3 shouldn't make too much of a difference (unless its a very abnormal adherence or the plate is also abnormal).

A pic of the nails would also help if you get a chance

HTHs!

 

[geeg]

I have a L&P client who has a rebalance every two weeks. At every appointment she has severe lifting on 9 nails, the lifting is from the cuticle and sidewalls and is lifted almost to zone 1. I noticed also that there is a strange bit of excess product at the sides of the grown-out enhancement. It is on the sidewalls near the natural nail smile line and sticks out at the sides like a little bump (sorry, it's really hard to explain that bit).

We discussed all the usual possible causes, she is on no medication, doesn't do a lot of physical work and wears the enhancements quite short. She doesn't pick at the nail at all. I'm also using Retention + on her. I don't think this is a PREP issue, I rarely get lifting on other clients and never anything as bad as this, she doesn't have a buildup of cuticle on the nail plate.

At her last appointment I noticed the shape of her natural nail is different from others I have seen. It seems to be slightly wider at the cuticle, then tapers down to a thinner free-edge, like a reverse fan shaped nail. Am I right to think this could cause the lifting? Maybe because the shape of the product is wider at the cuticle as it grows down the nail it is being forced over the skin at the sidewalls causing the lift. If this is so, that would be causing the excess bit of product at the sides of the nail when she comes for a rebalance? This makes sense to me, but I'm wondering if I'm on the wrong track here.

She has booked her next rebalance for 10 days time, we are hoping to get the rebalance done before the lifting gets that bad again, but her nails grow fairly fast and the wider part of her nail is right at the top near the cuticle, so I don't know if this will help.

My only other thought is to apply the product in a straight line at the sidewalls, not covering this wider bit of nail with product, but then the nails will look like they need a fill right from the start. I don't know what to do anymore, has anyone else seen nails like this or what could be another cause of the lifting?

By the way, one thumb nail doesn't have this shape, the sidewalls are straight, and this is the nail that doesn't get any lifting.

Congratulations if you managed to read this entire post!

This is what I would do and I'm sure you could blend the product carefully in the area near the eponychium so that it won't even be noticable that your free margin is a little wider there. I don' think they will look like they need a fill right from the start. I'm sure you are clever enough to do it.

 

[Bagpuss]

I noticed also that there is a strange bit of excess product at the sides of the grown-out enhancement. It is on the sidewalls near the natural nail smile line and sticks out at the sides like a little bump (sorry, it's really hard to explain that bit).

This para leads me to also think that you may be getting too close to the skin...if there is a build up of excess product then its because its been put there in the first place...i would leave a bigger margin...and make sure that the product is blended flush into the natural nail. thin thin thin in zone 3

 

[alpina]

Thanks so much guys, I think I understand. Sam, do you mean that her sidewalls are probably straight, but the nail folds are covering part of the nail plate and making it look narrower?

She is coming in tonight for a soak off and new set so I'll follow your steps above (I have nail fresh, but I haven't used it on her each time, I forget this step sometimes).

I'll pay extra attention to the sidewalls when I remove cuticles. I have been using performance tips on her, I'll re-assess tonight whether formation will be more suitable - her nails are fairly flat, but not as flat as most formation nails, I'll have to have another look at them.

I must be touching the skin where it folds over the nail plate. When I do zone 3, I use a wetter bead and let it sort of 'flow' into place around the sidewall/cuticle area. This must be flowing down a bit and touching the sidewalls - I don't mean that I use a really wet bead and run the product onto the skin, but maybe because I am concentrating on guiding the product into place around the cuticle area I don't see it touching the sidewalls further down the nail. This wouldn't be an issue on other clients because the sidewalls are not in the way - now that I type this I can picture doing this in my mind, and the product usually does move down the nail a bit, but then on other clients i would just just smooth the extra bit of product back over zone 2 - this must be the extra bit of product i see at the sides during the rebalance :idea:

Right I'll try keeping the product slightly narrower tonight as Geeg and Bagpuss have suggested. I use sheer pink on her, so hopefully I can blend it nicely into the nail. We'll see how I go tonight, I know I can do this now that I know what I'm doing wrong.