Too thorough?

[Deena]

Having just spent a day with my VTCT assessor <not on an actual assessment>, she was giving me pointers on where it might be possible to cut down on the timing. She suggested I speed up on cuticle work and maybe cut out the tip pre blending. This got me wondering about when is enough enough, without comprising my work?

So, would anyone care to provide a bit of a breakdown of how they spend their allotted time on a whole set, as in cuticle work, tipping, application and finishing please?

 

[loubylou]

Do you do a dry prep to remove the cuticle, if so change to using a cuticle remover like Creative`s cuticle remover,
it does most of the work for you,
sanitize both yours and your clients hands then apply the cuticle remover and leave it there for a minute or two to work while you make the client a coffee or update your consultation form,
then remover the dead tissue from the nail plate,
as for the pre blending of the tips, i think it would be better to advise you to use well less tips, these need no blending and if you use creatives performance tips you don't even need to etch the surface so this should save you 20 Min's or more depending how long it takes you to do the tip application and blending hth hun :hug:

 

[Sassy Hassy]

I think the main problem is when you are new is that you faff about!

For example you should be able to look at a nail and be able to know it's a size 5, get the tip out the box, preblend it and whack it on taking probably 30 seconds to a minute maybe (don't know never actually timed it lol). Then you jump straight onto the next nail and do the same.

BUT what happens when you are new or don't put yourself under pressure is this. You pick up the person's hand and look at the nail. Then you stop to chat for a bit (this is when IT IS okay to talk to the hand and not the face!) Then you look at the hand again. You go to the tip box and take out a size 5, then decide no that's not right and take out a size 6. Stop to chat to the client again. Place the size 6 and realise it's too small. Stop to chat to the client. Take out a size 5 and you think it fits but not sure so you try a size 4 also! You realise that the size 5 is correct. Stop to chat to the client. Decide you need to double check that tip again! A little more chat. Preblend but you overdo it and have to take out another one. Oh and then you decide you had better check if it's still the right size! Take an age to apply your adhesive. Fiddle about trying to get the tip on. Yay it's on. Looks admiringly for a while at how well it fits. Chat to client. Then stops to look at next finger. Have a chat. Have another look at finger and so it starts all over again!

Even when it's written down you can see it takes 4 times as long! And it's not an exaggeration of what happens! So there is no need to cut corners in your prep, you just need to learn to make the whole motion flow through your service and just get on with it and stop faffing lol :lol::green::lol:


As to the breakdown of timing, I take as long as it needs! Some clients have rock solid cuticles and eponychiums that need a lot of work, tips need to be pretailored, they want them extra long so application takes longer and so on. But what I can now do is look at the nails in the initial consultation and know exactly how I am going to approach it so I can just get my head down and get on with it without really thinking about it. That I am afraid is down to experience - the more you do the quicker you get.

 

['chelle]

Sass, have you been watching me work??:lol::lol:

I am still a new tech (under a year), and my full sets can take up to 2 hours.

One of the hairdressers where I work wanted a full set last week, but had a client booked in 1 hr 30 mins later, so I just shut my gob, got on with it, and a french set took me 1 hour 5 mins!!! A record!!!

Its occurred to me now that I need to perfect the art of chatting while I work. I dont want to sacrifice good client relations for the sake of speed, but I see it like when you first learn to drive. Remember when you first passed your test? You couldnt drive with the radio on, couldnt have anyone talking to you because all your concentration went on the actual driving? But now, when I drive, I can concentrate on what I'm doing, have the radio on, and talk at the same time. I need to get to that point with my nails too!!

Dont beat yourself up over your timings, in fact in my opinion I think its a little unfair of your tutor to suggest you reduce your timings while you are still a student. Dont miss any bits out, your end result will suffer for this.

 

[Deena]

Thanks all. :hug: Yes, it's amazing how much time you can lose just faffing about. When you're really new to it, there's no pressure and a whole set can take literally hours and hours. It's time to get really organised, keep quiet and get your head down. I have a 2 hour limit on my time for the assessment and I think I'm just about there. It's a question of knowing when enough is enough, as with the cuticle removing etc.

You can't take too long over the actual application and as that gets better, so does the diminishing need for loads of filing afterwards. It's the prep that needs to speed up, in her opinion.

 

[Sassy Hassy]

You should take as long as you need on the prep. If there is no cuticle on the nail then there isn't much work, but I have taken up to 15 minutes just doing my cuticle prep on some clients (especially bad nail biters). Don't cut this short as you are setting youself up for lifting and problems which could at best make your rebalance times too long; or at worst lose you a client.

 

[sian1979]

i found this thread really helpful deb....i am sure you will too.
http://www.salongeek.com/nail-geek/42019-l-p-timing-each-step.html
It was sassy's post i found helpful
hth's
xx

 

[Deena]

Thanks xx A dry prep, which I've been doing lately, caused consternation with my assssor and so I eventually decided to do a wet one for her. Thing is, I can see what's coming away with a dry prep. With a wet one, I could just go on and on, as I could simply be pushing the remover around endlessly for all I know! :irked:

Everyone has their own routine and preferences with the way they do things and eventually you've got to find what suits you best. I finally found a way of holding my file, for instance, which was comfortable and effective for me and that was questioned, too. I don't mind, as you can always pick up new tips from experienced techs, but it could get really confusing and for the assessment I have to conform to certain practises that I might not wish to use long term. I guess adaptability is the key at such times? :grr:

 

[lotus blossom]

when i do a wet prep , i apply the cnd cuticle remover, then leave for a few mins, then i wipe the excess away, then i start removing the non living tissue, then youre not confusing the non living tissue with the remover
then i wipe away completely with citrisoak and water
hth x

 

[Deena]

Thanks

 

[Sassy Hassy]

for the assessment I have to conform to certain practises that I might not wish to use long term. I guess adaptability is the key at such times? :grr:

That's the trouble with any test though - gosh how many of us drive as we did to pass our driving test? Sometimes you have to persevere to pass the test and then you really can get on and experiment ... but don't cut corners just for the sake of being quick, cut corners because you find a quicker and easier way.

 

[Deena]

Thanks sassy and I know exactly what you mean. I've evolved a little routine over time and then the assessment requirements throw a spanner <or file!> into the works. If I have to leave the remover on the nail for a few minutes <!> what can I be doing in the meantime, though? Two hours seems like plenty of time in theory, but it doesn't work out like that in practice for now.

There are times when I wonder why I'm putting myself through this, when so many don't, but it's still something I want to be able to say I've achieved and prove it! :irked:

 

[Sassy Hassy]

Put your cuticle remover on first and then file the free edge to shape the well of the tip whilst it is working.