Client Home Care Guide

• In order to maintain your Nail Enhancements for long-term wearability, please read and follow these simple guidelines.
  

• Oil nails twice per day to maintain inherent flexibility. Product that is allowed to become brittle will crack and break. Oils in addition to these are generally added to condition and moisturize the skin and nails.  Applying oil to the nail enhancement will help to maintain flexibility by lubricating the product molecules.  Applying oil to the natural nail free edge will help prevent 'curling away' and to maintain proper levels in the natural nail plate. 

• Repetitive or severe pressure on the nail extension will lead to cracks that result in full-blown breaks. Treat your nails as jewels, not tools!

The use of 'tools' to help you perform your daily routines will help to insure against breakage.  For instance, use a pop-top opener to open soda cans, use the side of your hand or finger to open car or refrigerator doors, and never reach for anything with your fingertips as the nail extensions will reach the object first. 

• Nails that are too long for your lifestyle and activity level (repetitive downward tip pressure) result in service breakdown. If your nails become too long between appointments, shorten the length with the 240-grit file.

The higher the activity level, the shorter the enhancement should be.  An active length = 1/4 the length of the nail bed.  An average length = 1/2 the length of the nail bed, and a full fashion length equals the length of the nail bed.  Extensions longer than the length of the foundation (the nail bed) will cause undue downward pressure with normal use of the hands and fingers which may result in a broken or torn natural nail plate.

• Properly applied product will shrink when cured and create an airtight seal. Mechanical forcing of product through extreme pressure, picking or nipping rough edges will result in lifting. Use a 240- grit file to remove rough edges or blend any lifting into the natural nail plate. Holding the file flat to the area of lift, gently file in the direction of the lifted material until the area of lift is removed. Do not over-file! Over-filing removes vital nail plate layers and will weaken the natural nail foundation. To re-seal the product, massage a drop of oil into the nail surface, then buff to a dull shine with the 360-grit buffer.  You may also choose to buff to a high shine with a 3-way buffer.
  

• When changing polish between maintenance appointments, remove polish with regular polish remover and a lint free cotton or gauze wipe. I have never recommended the use of non-acetone polish remover as it requires more time to soften polish, thereby remaining on the product surface, softening and weakening the surface layer. After the enamel has been removed, wash hands and scrub nails with a soft toothbrush. Apply cuticle oil to the product surface and massage into the cuticles and overlay. Using the 360-buffer, buff the oil into the nail surface to re-seal the product. Buff to a high shine with a 3-way buffer or apply one thin coat of base coat, two thin coats of enamel and a thin application of topcoat, allowing the layers to dry between coatings.
  

• Fungus infections (Greenies) are caused by air-borne spores (pseudomonas bacterium) that have become trapped between the overlay and the nail plate layers. These spores require food to eat and moisture to grow. The nail plate layers contain contaminates along with the natural oil and moisture. Should any lifting occur between visits, buff away the area of lift. Do not attempt to glue the area of lift. Most instant glues are not moisture resistant. Instant glue also sets-up the instant it is exposed to air. The glue cannot ‘re-seal’ lifted material and may incorporate air-borne bacteria or spores into the area of lift. The bacteria or spores will be trapped between the nail plate and the overlay, utilizing the natural nail contaminates as food and the moisture to grow. The results are a greenish to brownish stain on the nail plate which is a by-product of the infection. Should any area of lift be too large to remove by filing, or visible discoloration is present, please call for a nail repair appointment.
  

• To prevent the spread of communicable or infectious disease, never share your files or implements with others, whether at home or in the salon.

Your personal implements can be purchased through several different outlets:  An 'over-the-counter' beauty supply, drug or department stores or from your salon.  If your salon does not supply individual files for individual clients, ask to purchase these files and keep them in a clean, dry storage container between uses.  Sanitize files and implements after every use in an approved sanitizing solution, rinse well, dry and store in the container.

• Wear gloves when performing household chores, working in the garden or whenever you use cleaning solutions of any kind. 

Most household cleaning solutions contain chemicals that will effect the overlay and result in service breakdown.  Some household pest sprays contain a chemical that may actually melt the surface of the overlay and compromise the integrity of the product.

Nail Care Tips

Nail care tips for clients to use at home between appointments.......

Treat your nails like jewels, not tools.

Wear gloves when you do your household work and when you do gardening.

Use a tool for opening soda cans.

Dial the phone with a pencil.

Learn to do things with the pads of your fingers rather than your fingertips and nails.

Test your hold when lifting heavy objects to be sure you won't break a nail. Never do anything that would put upwards pressure on the tips of your nails.

A good time to push back your cuticles is after you have taken a shower, bath or after washing the dishes. This is because these activities help to soften the cuticles, making them more pliable and less likely to cause injury.

Nail polish thinner can be used to thin out nail polish that has become too thick. Keep the polish in the refrigerator to make it last longer.

Try not to use nail polish remover more than once a week. Nail polish remover causes the nails to dry out. Dry nails crack and split more easily than nails that are well hydrated (well-moisturized).

A top coat or sealer is a liquid that is applied over the nail polish. Any clear nail polish can be used as a top coat or sealer. This will minimize chipping or cracking of the nail. On natural nails, a clear coat can be used every day for seven days to give the nail protection and keep the moisture in.

After washing your hands, apply a cream or lotion. Hands and nails tend to get dried out from soaps and cleansers. You should try to keep your hands and cuticles well lubricated, with a moisturizer such as Aquaphor, Eucerin, Vaseline. You should use an oil (like rice bran, olive or other natural, edible oil) or moisturizer at bedtime every night.

Sometimes nail polish, dirt and bacteria can stain the nails. This can be removed by using a Q-tip or an orangewood stick with a cotton tip. Soak the cotton in 10 parts water mixed with 1 part bleach, then rub the nail where the stain is. This will remove most stains from the nails. Scrub under the nails with a nail brush or toothbrush with soap or bleach solution to remove stains under the nails.

Your fingernails
What do they reveal about your health?
Originally published in Mayo Clinic Health Letter, October 1991
Take a look at your fingernails. Are they strong and healthy-looking? Or do you see ridges or areas of unusual color or shape? The condition of your nails may offer clues to your general health. Illnesses can cause changes in your nails that your doctor can use to develop a diagnosis.
Here are fingernail disorders that may be linked with illnesses:

Beau's lines — Indentations that run across your nail. This can appear when growth at the nail root (matrix) is interrupted by severe illness such as a heart attack, measles, pneumonia, or by fever.

Clubbing — Your fingertips widen and become round. Nails curve around your fingertips. Caused by enlargement in connective tissue as compensation for a chronic lack of oxygen. Lung disease is present in 80 percent of people who have clubbed fingers. Also may appear in heart disease or cancer.

Half-and-Half (Lindsay's nails) — Look for an arc of brownish discoloration. May appear in a small percentage of people who have kidney failure.

Mee's lines — White lines that run across your nail, following the shape of the nail "moon." Arsenic poisoning is the cause.

Onycholysis (ON-i-ko-LY-sis) — The nail separates from the nail bed. Most of the time, this problem is associated with physical injury (trauma), psoriasis, drug reactions, fungal disease or contact dermatitis from using nail hardeners. Sometimes onycholysis is related to an over- or under-active thyroid gland, iron deficiency anemia or syphilis.

Pitting — Small pits or depressions. Most common nail problem seen in 25 percent to 50 percent of people with psoriasis.

Spoon nails — Soft nails that look scooped out. Depression is usually large enough to hold a drop of liquid. Often indicates iron deficiency anemia.

Terry's nails — Your nail looks opaque and white, but the nail tip has a dark pink to brown band. May accompany cirrhosis, congestive heart failure, adult-onset diabetes, cancer or aging.

Vertical ridges — Narrow ridges that run the length of your nails. May appear in adulthood and become more obvious as you age. Also may accompany kidney failure.

Yellow nail syndrome — One or more nails turn yellow or green. Nails grow more slowly, and the cuticle and "moon" disappear. May be associated with swelling of the hands and feet, or a variety of respiratory diseases such as chronic bronchitis.

Reminder - Nail problems offer clues to medical conditions. If you suspect you have a problem, see your doctor or a dermatologist. He or she will likely include an examination of your nails along with other observations and tests in making a diagnosis.