There has to be a way to make these nails work?!

[Perfect-10]

Ladies I'm turning to you for advice!

I've been a self employed nail tech now for a year and have learnt heaps and getting good but there is one person I have a problem with and can't get anything to work on her..... My mother!

She chips everything I put on her, breaks nails and more so tips if using those with gel or acrylic overlays and Is the only person I know to chip n loose Gelicure!
Lucky she isn't a client, I would be in panic stations!!!
She has weak flakey and ridged nails is mid 50s n not on any meds.....
Suggestions?

 

[ellewopter]

Charge her and make her book appointments, harsh but I would say i'm pretty certain she will look after them a lot better if she has to pay.

My mum is exactly the same, I no longer do her nails after a nasty incident lol

 

[Rhiannon1408]

Ladies I'm turning to you for advice!

I've been a self employed nail tech now for a year and have learnt heaps and getting good but there is one person I have a problem with and can't get anything to work on her..... My mother!

She chips everything I put on her, breaks nails and more so tips if using those with gel or acrylic overlays and Is the only person I know to chip n loose Gelicure!
Lucky she isn't a client, I would be in panic stations!!!
She has weak flakey and ridged nails is mid 50s n not on any meds.....
Suggestions?

OMG my mum is exactly the same! She never follows any aftercare so I know it's not me but it's sooo frustrating! I charge my mum but only minimal amount to cover my costs but she still doesn't look after them...no suggestions I'm afraid
Rhiannon x

 

[YvonneW2011]

I agree with the other Geeks. My Sister is the exact same. Drives me nuts!! :evil:

 

[Perfect Pinkys]

Ladies ladies ladies...after all our Mums have done for us (child birth stings a bit you know)...and you are moaning about a few broken nails!!!

I bet she let you practice on her, sat through hours of torture for you just so you could get it right, listened when you bellyached on about 'not getting your ratio right' even though she didn't have the foggiest what you were talking about...and you want to charge her...SHAME ON YOU :sad::sad::sad:

Sisters however are a different thing all together...charge away :biggrin:

 

[VHunter]

Business is business and personal life is separate from that!

If her Mum worked at McDonald's, I'm pretty darned sure she wouldn't give away hamburgers and fries to her kids.
I know when my Mom worked at GE (General Electric), I didn't get a free fridge and stove.

HOWEVER, introducing a 'reduced' rate wouldn't hurt.

A) she's probably not respecting her nails BECAUSE she's not paying for them, so she's not out of pocket if she has to have them repaired
B) Mum's sometimes deny that WE know better than they do, in some instances. They don't like to be told by their DAUGHTERS when they are doing something wrong. It goes against years of the situation being in reverse.

You wouldn't do free repairs on a client that admits to not following aftercare advice, same applies to Mom.

YES, Mom is God and cleaned your butt and wiped your nose.
It still doesn't grant her permission to trash your hardwork irresponsibly, and expect YOU to pay out of YOUR pocket for those repairs.
You can't compare your business, to helping her paint her kitchen so that she doesn't have to hire someone.

And YES, my Mom does pay for services. Funnily enough, at her own insistence. She said "you're running a business!!" and that was the end of that discussion
:wink2:
What? I'm supposed to argue with my Mom's good sense?

 

[Perfect Pinkys]

Business is business and personal life is separate from that!

If her Mum worked at McDonald's, I'm pretty darned sure she wouldn't give away hamburgers and fries to her kids.
I know when my Mom worked at GE (General Electric), I didn't get a free fridge and stove.

HOWEVER, introducing a 'reduced' rate wouldn't hurt.

A) she's probably not respecting her nails BECAUSE she's not paying for them, so she's not out of pocket if she has to have them repaired
B) Mum's sometimes deny that WE know better than they do, in some instances. They don't like to be told by their DAUGHTERS when they are doing something wrong. It goes against years of the situation being in reverse.

You wouldn't do free repairs on a client that admits to not following aftercare advice, same applies to Mom.

YES, Mom is God and cleaned your butt and wiped your nose.
It still doesn't grant her permission to trash your hardwork irresponsibly, and expect YOU to pay out of YOUR pocket for those repairs.
You can't compare your business, to helping her paint her kitchen so that she doesn't have to hire someone.

And YES, my Mom does pay for services. Funnily enough, at her own insistence. She said "you're running a business!!" and that was the end of that discussion
:wink2:
What? I'm supposed to argue with my Mom's good sense?

But your Mum didn't own GE...or did she? :biggrin:

 

[BeeBeautiful]

I have the same problem with my mum, but she does listen to my aftercare, and she does take care of them when I do them, I've done both tips (l&p) and gelez, and try literally just fall off. I've actually seen it happen! It doesn't happen with anyone else, so I know it's not me., but it's very frustrating. She is on thyroxine for her thyroid, and I wondered if this might have something to do with it,.. Her nails are now weak, and badly ridged, and I can't even buff the ridge off cos it hurts her. Any suggestions? Sorry to hijack the thread, but I figured I may give a different perspective to everyone assuming her mum mistreats her nails.. xxx

 

[VHunter]

But your Mum didn't own GE...or did she? :biggrin:

Doesn't really matter.
I don't own EZ Flow or CND-Shellac and those are the products that I use for my services; so in a way, I'm employed by them.

I understand your humour:wink2:

BUT if you want your Mom to respect YOU and respect your BUSINESS, then you may have to treat her like a client and YOU will have to act like a BUSINESS-WOMAN.

Some Mom's don't want us to grow up. It's the way of it.
Gosh, I see how I am with my youngest sometimes... we want our little ones to stay little and when they show independance EEEEKS

It took a very long time before my Mother saw me as a "Woman", and then later as a "Business Woman". She had very little faith in my chosen career.
Now she shouts from the rooftops and defers to my expert opinion.
Allow me to add, these changes in our relationship are only VERY VERY recent and I'm 40yrs old!!
YES FORTY!!

So suck it up, buttercups.
Your Mom will see you as her little girl for a very long time, UNTIL she has no choice but to acknowledge you as a BusinessWoman.
Until she does, she won't respect your "Expert Advice" with regards to aftercare, because "Mom's know best" don't they?
:wink2:

 

[Perfect-10]

Wow not the responses I was expecting if I'm honest!
Although my mum on this occasion does look after her nails and does all I tell her for aftercare but nothing last longer than 3/4days with out something happening!
I'm assuming coz her nails are so thin that they don't hold product well, thought the Gelicure wud be the solo union as my horse rider friend follows none of the rules inc using bleach etc and ridding n doing the horses with no gloves and hers are still perfect after 4weeks!

 

[VHunter]

I've been a self employed nail tech now for a year and have learnt heaps and getting good but there is one person I have a problem with and can't get anything to work on her..... My mother!

She chips everything I put on her, breaks nails and more so tips if using those with gel or acrylic overlays and Is the only person I know to chip n loose Gelicure!
She has weak flakey and ridged nails is mid 50s n not on any meds.....
Suggestions?

If they're flakey, then they are clearly dehydrated.
This means she's not hydrating/oiling them as often as they need and/or exposing them to something that's dehydrating them.
Some people NEED it more than once a day. In colder months, as much as 4 times a day. Just as with your skin and hair, there are occasions when someone needs extra hydration.

Is she wearing gloves while housekeeping?
Overexposure to water and/or housekeeping products will dehydrate nails.
This includes hot dishwater. We know the soap isn't harmful, but the water is; it's dehydrating.

Wow not the responses I was expecting if I'm honest!
Although my mum on this occasion does look after her nails and does all I tell her for aftercare but nothing last longer than 3/4days with out something happening!
I'm assuming coz her nails are so thin that they don't hold product well, thought the Gelicure wud be the solo union as my horse rider friend follows none of the rules inc using bleach etc and ridding n doing the horses with no gloves and hers are still perfect after 4weeks!

Can we have a pic? How thin are they?

 

[Ambur30]

My mother is the same way. I can get Shellac to stay on everyone else in town, but it chips for her!

She went for a while without paying anything, insisting that she is my mother and shouldn't have to. Now, she pays because I have complained enough that I am using MY product purchased with MY money on her nails. She pays me $10 for a $25 service! I think that's pretty fair, even for my own mother.

Oh, and by the way. This last Shellac service she paid for? It's still on and going strong and it's been 9 days.

 

[Perfect-10]

Il take a picture when she's home..... They break off all the time so not sure if ul see how thin they are!
She always wears gloves for housework etc, she uses cuticle oil every night but no more.
The only thing I can think is before I qualified a friend used to do mine on the cheap n as I was uneducated at the time didn't know but she was over filing both mine an my mums natural nails..... When hot she'd say 'pain is beauty!!!' obviously now I know she was filing my nail bed n they are thin and weak that was a yr ago now but neither mine not my mums have recovered and I can't cope without gel as like paper I don't know how to strengthen the natural nail 😞😓😥

 

[VHunter]

Oh, and by the way. This last Shellac service she paid for? It's still on and going strong and it's been 9 days.

Funny coincidence, isn't it? LOL

Il take a picture when she's home..... They break off all the time so not sure if ul see how thin they are!
She always wears gloves for housework etc, she uses cuticle oil every night but no more.
The only thing I can think is before I qualified a friend used to do mine on the cheap n as I was uneducated at the time didn't know but she was over filing both mine an my mums natural nails..... When hot she'd say 'pain is beauty!!!' obviously now I know she was filing my nail bed n they are thin and weak that was a yr ago now but neither mine not my mums have recovered and I can't cope without gel as like paper I don't know how to strengthen the natural nail ������

After 3months, the damage from overfiling would have grown out and would no longer be affecting the nail plate.
If her eponychium and skin surrounding her nails appears dry, as well as her hands and her nails are flaking; they're definately dehydrated.
Time to increase oil-therapy.

In addition, if they're breaking at the free edge; they are too long for her.

If your other clients are doing fine, it's not you; it's her.

I know, folks will insist "I'm not hard on my hands! I didn't do anything! They're not too long and I like them this way".
But proof is in the pudding, broken nails means they are too long for their lifestyle (meaning the way in which they use their hands).
Some folks sit at home all day and break nails willy-nilly doing nothing.
Then there's those like me that have done home renovations and all sorts of hard work with their hands and not so much as a single chip.
It's not WHAT you do, but HOW you do it with your hands.

Here's an example:
Ask two people the very same size to walk across a room.
One will thunder like an elephant.
The other will be nearly unheard because he/she is light on their feet.

Some folks are bulls in china-shops, and others are as delicate as fairies.
It's just the way of it.

Hope that all made sense to you.

 

[Perfect-10]

Why are mine still so thin too and I'm the tech! Iv tried everything and had such strong nails before the friend filing! I thought Gelicure would be kinder on them than gel all the time but it's not strong enough for my flimsy nails!

 

[VHunter]

Why are mine still so thin too and I'm the tech! Iv tried everything and had such strong nails before the friend filing! I thought Gelicure would be kinder on them than gel all the time but it's not strong enough for my flimsy nails!

As I said, the nail plate damage would have grown out in 3mths time.
The part of the nail that was within the matrix, being formed was not overfiled.
The nails of a year ago are long since gone.
This is not an opinion, this is biology and science.

As you BOTH have thin nails, I would chalk it up to a DNA/genetic predisposition and perhaps you just don't recall how very thin they were to begin with. It's likely the very reason why you both chose to get nail enhancements to begin with.

It is true that some people's nails are so thin, that they do not suit such products as Shellac, Gelish etc etc. That they require stronger overlays.

You and your mother might both do better with something stronger.

In the meantime, please stop putting exclamation points everywhere.
I'm only trying to help and not fond of being 'virtually' yelled at.
Thank you.

 

[JuicyLucy]

In the meantime, please stop putting exclamation points everywhere.
I'm only trying to help and not fond of being 'virtually' yelled at.
Thank you.

Since when did exclamation marks mean "yelling"???? An unnecessarily harsh comment to a relative newbie.

The only person I know who can't keep Gelish, Gelicure or extensions on for any length of time is my 16 year old daughter. I've watched her picking. I know if she was actually paying for the treatments she would look after them more. I now refuse to do her nails unless it is for special occasions. No point in me charging her as her only source of income is me!

I wonder whether Gelish Foundation Gel would help the OP.

 

[VHunter]

Since when did exclamation marks mean "yelling"???? An unnecessarily harsh comment to a relative newbie.

.

The exclamation point has been used to express 'yelling' since the creation of punctuation.
Exclamation mark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The exclamation mark, exclamation point, or bang, or "dembanger" is a punctuation mark usually used after an interjection or exclamation to indicate strong feelings or high volume (shouting), and often marks the end of a sentence. Example: “Watch out!”

I wasn't harsh, I made a polite request.
I assure you, you will know when I'm being harsh.

 

[Silver Fern]

I agree with Victoria about it probably being a genetic predisposition - I would recommend you both start applying solar oil at least twice a day and have nothing on your nails for a month - also try paraffin wax weekly to rehydrate your nails and hands.
The other thing to try is a different brand - eg Shellac or Gelish or Geleration - different strokes for different folks and all that.
The other alternative is to go to a GOOD L&P tech and get some protection that way.

 

[Ambur30]

I use exclamation marks, too! <--- See, I did it again! Oh gosh...

LOL.

Seriously though, and I don't mean to hijack the conversation between the two of you. (Nor make light of it!) I read the comment as well, and thought, "Okay... calm down, it'll be okay." But, then I re-read it with a "benefit of the doubt" way of thinking, and thought, "Okay.. she's probably just frustrated!"

Text is so difficult to determine mood or intention. Hugs to you both!!