Your own nails when training at college

[TweezerHappy]

Hi Geeks

I started a Saturday class at one of the local colleges today. We are doing NSI balance gell nails. Today we practiced on each other prepping the nail, applying the tip and filing/blending the tip and buffing.

Two of my nails were practiced on today. One is alright, although still got the tip on. The other tip fell off and quite a bit of the nail has been filed away.

Obviously we are all beginners and I probably did this to my partner. I'm not complaining about what she did to my nails. I'm just wondering what my nails are going to be like at the end of the 6 weeks.

Is this quite common when doing a nail course that your nails are "worn away" a bit when you start learning?

I am loving the course already. I was quite nervous when I did my first nail and messed it up a bit, but I have to say I quite proud of the 2nd nail I did. I must remember to get my phone out next time to take pics.

Lx

 

[Urban Geek]

I have never let anyone practice on me and never will. Many nail technicians natural nails are ruined because of this. I understand though that at some colleges you have no choice.

I much prefer nail trainers to work on until you are at least semi-proficient.

My natural nails are in good shape and they are as much an advert for my services as when I wear enhancements.

 

[Annebet]

Hi Surely your instructor must have told you not to file to much all you need to do is take the shine off, so cuticle remover, pusher clean, then buff gently to remove shine, I have never ever filed the full nail only the free edge
before I stared doing nails a friend of mine used to get her nails done where they used to rough her nails up that bad her fingers throbbed for days, when she decided to have a break from enhancements her nails where paper thin and it took months of manicures to get them in good condition again.
If you are going to be practising like this then just use the white buffer as all you are doing is removing the shine so no need for a lot of filling maybe three strokes side, middle and opposite side, I may be wrong but this is how I was learned and I don't have a problem.

 

[Claudia]

Hi, I made this mistake on my first two courses, then someone mentioned that we were completely competent in the prep so we now just skip this part, I go with clear nail polish on which protects my nail but allows my partner to practice and then I just pop it off after class. No damage to nail.

If you are doing infills or rebalance you would have to fully prep though.

Some variation of this might help you x

 

[TweezerHappy]

I have never let anyone practice on me and never will. Many nail technicians natural nails are ruined because of this. I understand though that at some colleges you have no choice.

I much prefer nail trainers to work on until you are at least semi-proficient.

My natural nails are in good shape and they are as much an advert for my services as when I wear enhancements.

Someone did ask about the training hands but the lecturer said she didn't like them.

 

[Tracey Roberts]

Hi, I'm coming to the end of my course, but when we were taught to prep, take it in. and you should have no problem.
I think the problems occur when students blend the tips, I had one person blend tips on me and I hated it !! , as she went onto my natural nail this is something I'm very concious of, I practiced on myself, without attacking my nat nail, I think this helps much more, and now I'm told that I'm very gentle
I would hate the though of wearing someone nails away
Good luck with your course x

 

[TweezerHappy]

Hi Surely your instructor must have told you not to file to much all you need to do is take the shine off, so cuticle remover, pusher clean, then buff gently to remove shine, I have never ever filed the full nail only the free edge
before I stared doing nails a friend of mine used to get her nails done where they used to rough her nails up that bad her fingers throbbed for days, when she decided to have a break from enhancements her nails where paper thin and it took months of manicures to get them in good condition again.
If you are going to be practising like this then just use the white buffer as all you are doing is removing the shine so no need for a lot of filling maybe three strokes side, middle and opposite side, I may be wrong but this is how I was learned and I don't have a problem.

We were told to just take the shine away. That's what the girl did. Then she put the tip on and we had to file/blend the tip down. She just filed a lot of my nail at the same time.

At first there were only 2 of us working together but then this other girl had to join us. It was the other girl that filed away my natural nail.

I think it will be back to 2 of us next week.

 

[TweezerHappy]

Hi, I'm coming to the end of my course, but when we were taught to prep, take it in. and you should have no problem.
I think the problems occur when students blend the tips, I had one person blend tips on me and I hated it !! , as she went onto my natural nail this is something I'm very concious of, I practiced on myself, without attacking my nat nail, I think this helps much more, and now I'm told that I'm very gentle
I would hate the though of wearing someone nails away
Good luck with your course x

This is exactly what has happened to me. I hate the thought that I've done that to my partner and she's sitting right now cursing me.

I have a feeling I might have done this to the first nail I did but the 2nd nail was really good. I don't think I did it to that nail.

 

[TweezerHappy]

Thanks for all the replies.

Right now I have 1 nail with a tip on. There is no product on top. The tip has just been glued on, blended and buffed. Can anyone tell me the best way of getting this off? The lecturer said if we soak it in hot soapy water it should just come off. Is that all I have to do?

Am I wrong in taking this off or would I be best leaving it on?

 

[anna592]

bless you hun...it makes me cringe the thought of somebody doing my nails...im absolutely dreading it as im starting college in sept to do my nvq in nail services and ive been doing nails for the last 6years!! im going to be one of those awkward students i think!!

i remember though when i very first started in a nail salon as a trainee, i had to sit practising on one of the other girls. well, she was absolutely awful at doing nails..overfiling and she was so rough and constantly cutting me!! luckily enough i learnt from that and i get told im very gentle xx

 

[Susie H]

To take the tip of, put some acetone on half a cotton wool ball and hold it over the place where the tip is glued to your nail for about 30 seconds, this should loosen the glue that is holding the 2 together.
As for tip blending:irked:
I was taught to pre blend my tip. I file the tip until the corners are flexible when gently pushed together between my finger and thumb. Then I glue my tip to the clients nail. At most you will need to give a couple of swipes with your file to get the tip fully flush with the natural nail, but after doing this for a while you will find that you will get your pre blending to a point where you wont need to do this. I find this method much better. But better then this I now buy tips that are well less and with no need to blend.
Mean while between classes make sure every night that you give your natural nails a good soak in cuticle oil, rub this in well with the pad of your thumb, paying special attention to the cuticle area, this will help the blood supply to your nails and help them to grow well.
Don't be afraid to speak up when your nails are being worked on and tell your partner to do the same to you if she spots your filing going anywhere it shouldn't:hug:

 

[bellabeautie]

Hi, before I started my course last september at college, my nails were lovely, and when I started the course, my nails are wrecked :-( Its now nearly 10 months since it started and my nails are just starting to look nice now. I havent had anything done to them since before xmas, I refused to have people working on them anymore as they were so sore and ruined :cry: I had dents in my natural nail where they had obviously filed into my nail. They were really strong before I started, and now, they get a little bit long and just break off! Grrr! Im sure they will recover properly over time, I certainly hope so! Pre blending is a good idea, as you wont have to do so much filing when the tip is stuck onto the nail xx

 

[abook]

bless you hun...it makes me cringe the thought of somebody doing my nails...im absolutely dreading it as im starting college in sept to do my nvq in nail services and ive been doing nails for the last 6years!! im going to be one of those awkward students i think!!

i remember though when i very first started in a nail salon as a trainee, i had to sit practising on one of the other girls. well, she was absolutely awful at doing nails..overfiling and she was so rough and constantly cutting me!! luckily enough i learnt from that and i get told im very gentle xx

I remember those days all the well! And like you I have learned from that too and am very glad that I get told that I'm gentle. One of the girls I was in school with called me very upset one day because her clients weren't coming back. I told her to make annonymous feedback cards for them to send back in after service so she could get an idea of why they weren't coming back. Most of the them that sent them back said that it was because she was to rough and filed to much. I felt so bad, but that's why I wouldn't let her practice on me anymore. She finally got it, and now is greatly sucessful! I think some people just don't realise that you don't have to remove the whole nail to do an enhancement.

 

[anna592]

its great if you can learn from little things like that...sadly in the case of the woman i worked with, she got worse as time went on. the sadder thing was, she knew she was too rough when filing, and we gave 3years of training and advice but never seemed to learn from it

 

[catsaremad]

Unfortunately I have no one to balme but myself ! I have over filed on my wrong hand whilst practicing (this was taking off rather than prep), Its a harsh lesson to learn but a lesson still learnt !!!!!!!

 

[TweezerHappy]

I have definitely learned from this. When I go back this Saturday I will be looking at the shape of my partners nail from the side and trying not to change that shape.

Thanks for all your replies. :green:

Lx