What to do in the event of “nail accidents”?

September 23, 2020

The nail is broken, the gel has drawn air or has splintered – there are many “nail accidents” that customers can come to a nail salon with. If they are regular customers or if the gel modeling of the nails was no more than a week ago, then our nail designer Stefanie will act as a gesture of goodwill and renew the affected nails free of charge. If it happens more often with customers and they don't follow the nail designer's tips for maintaining their nails, the expert says you can also skip the goodwill gesture. She explains which “nail accidents” occur more often in the nail salon, what to do if a customer comes to the studio with these problems and how mistakes can largely be avoided.

**The 3 most common “nail accidents” in the nail salon**

Our nail designer Stefanie has put together the three most common “nail accidents” in the nail salon for you. She explains how to recognize them and gives you tips on what you can do to fix them. She also addresses a special case that is often found in nail salons and requires special caution.

Nail breakage

Torn nails with a breaking edge from one side of the nail bed to the middle of the nail - the nail break is a classic among the "accidents" that occur as a problem in the nail salon and can affect gel , acrylic and natural nails equally .

What to do if a nail breaks?

If a nail breaks, it is important to first determine how far the nail break extends and whether there is a more serious injury. If the nail is injured or there is bleeding, pus or the wound is weeping, then the nail should only be shortened with disinfected tools (do not file) and given a plaster so that it can then heal in peace for at least a week before working on the nail again is being worked on. A visit to a doctor may even be recommended. “Working on open wounds is an absolute no-go and should not be carried out at the customer’s request in order to avoid infections and further injuries,” warns nail designer Stefanie. If natural nails without gel repeatedly tear painfully, you should see a doctor to rule out a nutrient deficiency or diseases such as thyroid disease or psoriasis.

Chipped gel

With gel nails, the various layers of gel, from the gloss gel to the color gel to the base gel, can chip off. This increasingly happens at the edges of the nail tip and can be easily recognized by abrupt edges and transitions. Flaked gel, like lifting, can be caused by external mechanical influences, i.e. impacts.

Liftings: Air bubbles under the gel

Air bubbles may appear under the gel, either soon after completion or some time later. The air bubbles can appear between individual gel layers or under all gel layers directly on the nail. They are increasingly found on the sides of the gel nail and at the so-called nail edge, and more rarely at the tip. These are places where the gel layers or the gel are not firmly bonded to the nail underneath.

Liftings & gel chipped off: tips from the expert

If the gel on a nail has chipped off or has drawn air, you should first determine whether the areas are small or larger and exactly where they are. Small spots can often be repaired by filing and renewing the glossy layer - for an attractive result, it is not enough to simply apply a new glossy layer without first filing down the old layer, warns the expert. However, caution is advised here too, as the damage is often greater than expected, meaning that further blemishes can occur despite a professionally renewed gloss layer. However, if the chipped areas or air bubbles are larger, moisture and bacteria can collect and lead to infections. In this case, it is necessary to file down the entire nail and remodel it, advises the nail expert.

Special case of nail biter

A special case of “nail accidents” is inflammation of the nail bed caused by chewing on the cuticles - this is of course not the nail designer's fault. However, you should be careful not to work on the affected areas, as filing can be painful and promote infections. It is recommended to pay attention to sterile wound care and to let the nail rest for the time being. Once the nails and skin have completely healed, it is recommended for very strong nail biters to initially choose short gel nails with a round shape in order to offer as little attack surface as possible for further chewing. At the beginning, nail biters may need to have their gel nails filled at shorter intervals in order to check the nails regularly, shorten them and remove the cuticles that often grow rapidly in chewers.

**How to avoid “nail accidents” in the nail salon**

Satisfied customers are the be-all and end-all in a successful and professional nail salon. Careful work and the use of high-quality products are particularly important in order to achieve durable and attractive results. “I make sure to only use matching products from one manufacturer so that the components are coordinated and complement each other optimally,” says nail expert Stefanie. Furthermore, the products should be stored properly - i.e. cool, clean and dry and of course the expiry date must be observed. Clippers, metal files and scissors are not suitable for working on gel nails, says the nail designer; coarse and fine files are better here and protect the material and the nail.

Work carefully
Use high-quality products
Rely on a manufacturer
Store products properly
Note expiry date
Do not use clippers, metal files or scissors on gel nails

5 tips for long-lasting beautiful nails

“I recommend that my customers strictly adhere to the refill appointments so that weak points cannot develop in the first place. “It is important to determine the time interval for each customer individually, as some nails grow very quickly and should be reworked at shorter intervals,” explains our nail designer Stefanie. She also makes sure that the nail shape and length are adapted to the customer's everyday life so that they fit her hobby, job and family life. The thickness of the gel layers must be adjusted to the length of the nail, because the longer a nail has to be, the more material has to be applied for reliable durability. Stefanie also informs her customers about how to properly protect their nails, because natural nails, like artificial nails, suffer from chemicals such as cleaning agents and should be protected from these with gloves in order to avoid “nail accidents” .