Stiff fingers!!!

[Beautylicious]

Hi There,

I am having real probelms with a particular client because she will not relax her hands! Her fingers are completely rigid, which makes filing and application really difficult because I cant manouvre her hands or fingers at all.

I have told her to relax her hands, as she doesnt realize shes doing it, she relaxes for all of 30 seconds then she is rigid again!

I havent given her any reason to be uptight or uncomfortable as I am always very gentle, and I am quite an experienced nail tech but I have never come across this before! Its got to the point where I just dread her coming in because I know I cant do her nails to the best of my ability which really frustrates me.

Has any one experienced this before, and does anyone have any advice/suggestions???

Jo

 

[Peter Pan]

i have flower, as most of the tech on here will also agree to this, i just tell my clients, if they cant relax i cant do there nails. another one is if they keep lifting there fingers to look at them , say this"you pay me to look at your fingers, if u can see them, i cant, and you paying good money for me to look at them" that usually works.
another one is when they go rigid, stop what your doing, and telll them that they wont get the service they are expecting, and they will be disapointed with the result - that works also (for me anyway)
hth

 

[Envy]

Hi Jo

I tend to get this a lot with new clients (especially if they have come from a salon where they were a bit on the rough side)

Make sure your client is in the most comforable position for them, everyone seems to be a little different, perhaps roll a towel up to support their elbow.

Personally I'll give their finger a good old wobble until they relax, it's only a gentle motion but it vibrates the muscle enough to release. Some clients I have to do this every few minutes. (if they're not the 'up tight' sort and you make it fun they might relax permanently for you)

You'll probably find the position they are sitting in doesn't help as they will be tense all the way up into their neck, so a relaxing chair is a must also.

Good luck

 

[beautynails]

I get this with a few peeps. I just give their finger a gentle little shake. After a while they learn to just sit there & do your thing instead of trying to "HELP" you by moving their fingers around.
I do though, have 2 clients that are older & have arthritis so there fingers are always stiff so I just have to deal with it.

 

[Fab Freak]

good topic - this is one of the bains of my life and its something I just can't get some clients to stop this even how much I try its a real nightmare my times are dramatically effected by this temporary rigamortis...

 

[VHunter]

Oh gosh.. nothing makes me crazier than 'stiff' clients.. my hands always ache afterwards from wrestling with them :evil:

and the ones that keep 'looking'? I tell them I'm going to put them in the time out chair.. .

then you have the helpers... at least they think that they are.. but they're only bungling things cause they really dont know what your'e going to do next.. and they move the wrong way and errrrr catastrophe. polish or gel is where it shouldn't be :evil:

These are the clients I want to knock out cold so I can get my work done lol

 

[Cameo Val]

I used to get a thick rolled up towel and place it under their arms but very near their elbows. This makes them immediately put their wrists downwards, pointing towards you. HTH

 

[pretty&pampered]

my sister has a habit of keeping her hands stiff so once if smacked her fingers with my nails file and told her to relax. NOT the best thing to do on your clients i must stress but it gets her to relax. i have threatened it to a few of my regulars which strangly enough makes them laugh!!!!! seems to do the job though lol.


x

 

[Susie H]

my normal response is to say, ok tell auntie susie all about it coz if you're this tense then somethings wound you up and yes they chat I work and everytime they tense up again I chant at them and relax, makes them laugh. New clients I just say relax hun I havn't amputated any ones fingures in a long time.:lol:

But I'd love to do something to the ones who help me:irked:

 

[Envy]

and the ones that keep 'looking'? I tell them I'm going to put them in the time out chair..

This makes life almost unbearable!!! - I tell my clients 'I know your fascinated, but if you can see what I'm doing I can't...'
They normally get the idea right there..

 

[Beautylicious]

Hi again

Thanks all for your replies, I will try the finger shaking thing, and if that doesnt work, I will just have to be firm with her and tell her. Shes coming to my salon on sat so I will let you know how it goes.

 

[CDN nail chic]

Over the years I have had many client who refuse to 'lighten-up'. Once even had an elderly lady who I had put her stiffness to arthritis, but realized she was watching my every move (even though I had done her nails for ages) I tried an experiment and gave her a magazine article to read while I preped one hand and what do you know she was completely flimsy...???? I think many clients are trying to watch what you are doing and subconsciously are pulling against you. It took me ages but I changed my way of holding their fingers to 'over the top' position which actually blocks what they see and now rarely come across a stiffy! And for myself, stopped having a cramp in the palm of my hand too.

 

[Ms.Matrix]

Maybe a quick mini hand massage would do the trick...

 

[Fab Freak]

Over the years I have had many client who refuse to 'lighten-up'. Once even had an elderly lady who I had put her stiffness to arthritis, but realized she was watching my every move (even though I had done her nails for ages) I tried an experiment and gave her a magazine article to read while I preped one hand and what do you know she was completely flimsy...???? I think many clients are trying to watch what you are doing and subconsciously are pulling against you. It took me ages but I changed my way of holding their fingers to 'over the top' position which actually blocks what they see and now rarely come across a stiffy! And for myself, stopped having a cramp in the palm of my hand too.

Oh I like this idea of the magazine - i've got some ladies where I just can get them to relax even after a year of working with them maybe this would be the solution - great post, thanks.