The Nail Salon Manicure – Is It Hurting You?
The Nail Salon Manicure – Is It Hurting You?
ASK ANA
“Ana, I have a question that has been plaguing me for a while now. I have had several salon manicures from several different salons. They all have the same techniques when doing manicures. I have noticed that they go against just about every rule I have learned (mostly from you).
They used the roughest grit files, they file the sides of the nail, they file in both directions, they don’t cap the nails or paint the underside of the nail. It feels like I am worse off getting a salon manicure. I always notice my nails are in worse shape than when I went in. It goes without saying I don’t get them very often, especially not now that I know just how wrong their techniques seem to be!
So the question I have is why do they do them so wrong and what is the RIGHT way to do them at home?
Thank you so much and I am absolutely loving my Bliss Kiss™ Simply Pure™ hydrating nail oil! My nails are stronger and seem thicker than ever before! Oh, and it is only been 13 days since I have started using it!!! My nail polish has lasted longer than ever using your wrapping technique!! Thank you so much!” ~ Danielle
ANSWER
Danielle, thank you for this really important question. This is completely why I do what I do.
There was very little proper information when I was researching everything several years ago and I found it extremely frustrating.
The short answer is that there are very few regulations in the nail schools.
So a lot of places just teach the way they have through the decades and teach what’s necessary to pass the state board tests.
Doug Schoon’s book, Nail Structure and Product Chemistry, is not a required textbook. (I hope it will be someday).
When I asked Doug why, here is his email response.
“Ana, my book is not required in the nail school curriculum. In fact, few schools even know about my book- which I fault Milady-Cengage for entirely… and I’ve complained to them about this for years. They have done a very poor job promoting my book to anyone, let alone schools.
There is no standardized teaching, even in the US, let alone the world. The Milady Nail Standard comes the closest to achieving this and is a pretty good book. Since I am a contributor, I make sure that the key information is correct in the Standard, but it is an instruction guide.
It doesn’t focus on troubleshooting and problem solving. For a deeper understanding, nail professionals will have to read my book.” ~Doug Schoon
Shouldn’t They Know Where the Cuticle Is?
From what I’ve learned from Doug is that very few schools actually teach the Nail Structure portion of his book.
Most licensed nail techs still don’t know that the casual name “cuticle” is in fact the proximal fold of the eponychium. The cuticle is really a thin layer of skin on the nail plate.
It’s my opinion that when someone graduates from nail school, they are a Nail Technician.
When they search out more thorough education and truly understand all of the content in Doug’s book and his DVD Inside Doug Schoon’s Brain, then—and only then—can they be a “Nail Professional.”
Many graduates and licensed techs don’t know that the acrylic enhancement technology has advanced by leaps and bounds over the last 10+ years.
For example, the ingredients NO LONGER need a “roughed up surface” to create proper adhesion—but nail techs are still sanding down 1/2 the nail plate.
MMA
Acrylic nail enhancements are created with a perfect blend of monomer liquid and polymer powder.
Although banned by the FDA several decades ago, methyl methacrylate monomer (MMA) is showing up again in nail salons in the United States.
Why?
Price—MMA is available for about $15-$20 per gallon compared with about $200 for the legal monomer.
MMA is completely safe when used in medical and dental products. It has even been safely implanted in the body as bone repair cement.
MMA monomer is fine for making bulletproof windows and shatterproof eyeglasses, but not artificial nails. There are 4 main reasons that MMA monomer makes a poor ingredient for artificial nail products:
- MMA nail products don’t adhere well to the nail plate (hence the shredding of the nail plate by over filing.)
- MMA makes extremely hard nail enhancements—if it breaks, it’s taking your nail plate with it.
- MMA is extremely difficult to remove—it won’t dissolve in acetone.
- The FDA and most state boards of cosmetology say not to use it due to the massive allergic skin reactions that consumers reported in the 1970’s. [source: Nail Structure and Product Chemistry]
Health Risks
Podiatrist Dr. Robert Spalding, author of “Death by Pedicure,” states that “at this time, an estimated one million unsuspecting clients walk out of their chosen salon with infections—bacterial, viral and fungal.”
And no matter which salon you go to, there is always a risk of infection. He claims that in his research “75 percent of salons in the United States are not following their own state protocols for disinfections,” which includes not mixing their disinfectant solutions properly on a daily basis, not soaking their instruments appropriately, and using counterfeit products to reduce costs (for example Windex substituted for Barbicide), says the doctor.
And the problem is that there is no way to really “verify an instrument has been properly soaked and sterilized,” without watching the process. [source: TotalBeauty.com]
Speed vs. Quality
Nail Tech
For most Nail Technicians, time is money. The faster they can get you out, the more clients they can service each day. They will use lower grit files (damaging), and file faster.
Nail Professional
A Nail Professional will block the proper amount of time she needs in her calendar to create the manicure you desire while having a pleasant conversation with you. She’s interested in you as a person and your life.
She’ll teach you that the cuticle is actually the eponychium. She’ll teach you that massaging nail oil into your manicure can improve the life of your manicure and keep your skin soft.
Most likely she knows your birthday and may even send a card. The relationship she creates with you is most important to her as well as giving you her best work.
She’ll be hard to get an appointment with because her loyal customers don’t leave. … and …
She won’t come cheap.
New Knowledge – Experimenting On Myself
Like many of my fans and customers, I’m a Daughter, Mom, Wife, Sister, and Friend with a passion for pretty nails and the plethora of glorious, sparkly, rainbow of lacquers available to us today.
But I also have an insatiable appetite to know, “Why?”
Fab 5 Nail Wrap
No one knows about the Fab 5 Nail Wrap because I created it. I wanted my polish to stop chipping in the shower. When I learned that nails can absorb 1/3rd their weight in water—combined with my experience of my sharp C-curve practically disappearing when my nails are soaked—I started thinking about the lacquer to nail bond.
I realized that no matter what I did to the top of my nails, the bottom of my nails were going to absorb water. This would always destroy the lacquer to nail bond.
The solution—paint the bottom too.
Inventing a Nail Oil
Bliss Kiss™ Simply Pure™ hydrating oil was created because I am allergic to almonds yet all cuticle oils have almond oil. My research taught me the importance of cuticle oil for keeping skin soft and that it could help brittle nails.
I studied ingredient lists of every cuticle oil on the market as well as home-grown recipes on the internet. I paid attention to the ingredients chosen repeatedly.
I also noticed how many cuticle oils contained ingredients I couldn’t pronounce, so I decided they weren’t necessary.
Little did I know—when I went to my kitchen to whip up my first batch of oil—that I was going to be creating a “nail oil” rather than a cuticle oil. I had some essential oils around my house and figured vanilla, lemon and pomegranate sounded good—so I added a few drops of them to my oil concoction.
Inventing the 3-Day Hydration Treatment
I applied the oil to my skin and nails. In 5 minutes it was gone. I reapplied. Periodically, I’d rub my nails checking if they still had a slippery feel.
When it was gone, I reapplied. By day 3 I noticed that my nails were staying oilier longer.
Unknowingly, I had created the 3-Day Hydration Treatment that would change the lives of women around the world.
The Right Way to Create a Nail Salon Manicure at Home
Nail Preparation
I will be creating a series of videos to demonstrate my steps to caring for my nails.
My hopes are that people will learn from what I publish and say, “That makes sense.” Forget the marketing and advertising—does it make sense?
But for those of you who just can’t wait for the videos….
- File Nails before Removing Polish ~ The color will help you see your final shape better. 20 strokes with a 180 or 240 grit file will remove one week of growth.
- Protect Skin ~ Apply any inexpensive kitchen oil to your skin completely around your nails. (You’re protecting your skin from the drying effects of acetone.)
- Remove Polish ~ Use my Soak and Swipe™ technique in the video above. (Saturate that cotton! Let it dissolve the polish for 60-90 seconds if you’re wearing 5 to 10 layers of polish.When you see the color seeping into the cotton, use another piece of saturated cotton to remove the piece on your nail with one clean swipe. If there is still polish on the nail, use a new, clean, saturated piece of cotton. Yep, I go through A LOT of acetone.)
- Wash Nails with Warm Water, Soap and Nail Brush.
- Mini-Hydration Cycle with Nail Oil ~ For 4-24 hours with 4 to 8 hours being the norm. (This reverses the drying effect of acetone to your nails.)
- Remove the Cuticle ~ Using a cuticle remover (or after a bath or shower), gently slide a cuticle removing tool across the surface of your nail plate. Polish doesn’t stick to skin.
- Rinse Nails ~ with Warm Water, Soap, and Nail Brush. (Your nails will be filled with water and very soft if you wash too long.)
- Apply Nail Oil ~ Continue applying your favorite jojoba wax ester based nail oil periodically until your nails have returned to their normal shape. (1 to 2 hours.)
- Prep Nails for Manicure ~ Wipe dirt and surface oil off nails with rubbing alcohol and a lint-free wipe. Use alcohol saturated Q-tip swab to clean the underside of the nail plate.
What? No Buffing?
You’ll notice that filing down ridges IS NOT part of my nail prep regimen.
This is because ridges are the healthy portion of the nail. The valleys are the weak portion. Buffing down ridges is a HUGE NO-NO!!! I explain why in much more detail in this article.
The Fab 5 Wrap
I created the Fab 5 Wrap to help prevent my nails from absorbing water. Does it stop my nails from absorbing water if I’m doing dishes without gloves for 30 minutes?
NO!!!
But it does stop my nails from absorbing water in a 15 minute luxurious shower! And as a Mom to 4 active children and an entrepreneur, I need a little indulgence!
- Two Base Coat Wraps: Apply 2 coats of ridge filling base coat, wrapping completely to the underside of exposed nail tip. Any polish that gets on your skin will wash or peel off.
- Two Color Coat: Keep an orange wood stick available to wipe polish off of skin before it dries. Do not wrap the color because it’s difficult to remove.
- One Top Coat Wrap: Apply 1 coat of your favorite quick dry top coat, wrapping completely to the underside of exposed nail tip.
- Clean Smudges: Dip a small makeup brush or art brush in acetone to clean up polish on skin and create a clean line near your eponychium (“cuticle” line).
- Rinse and Oil: Rinse acetone off—Apply nail oil to skin.
The Perfect Marriage
The Mini-Hydration cycle between manicures with the Fab 5 Wrap technique is a marriage made in heaven.
(Ok, well maybe not that extreme—but pretty darn close to me!)
Nail oil absorbs into your nails brilliantly but soap and water wash it away. The Fab 5 Wrap traps the oil into your nails.
Your nail bed continues to nourish your nail plate with m
oisture and sebum (body oil). Polish traps all of that wonderfulness in your nails keeping them strong yet flexible.
But then the polish must be removed and we start over. Acetone—dissolves polish and takes precious oils with it. The mini-hydration treatment—reverses the damage.
It’s simple. It takes extra time—but it works—and it’s worth it. To have healthy nails in the 20th Century, you really can’t have one without the other.
Hydrate—Protect—Dissolve—Repeat.
Wow… This article is amazing.. I used to do exactly that in the past but my friends used to say that I am wrong and it is very time consuming. I am so so glad I can across this article, I will continue doing that same and I have started using nail oils daily thanks to you! The world needs more dedicated people like you, thank you so much!!
Came across* sorry for mistakes
Ana-reading your info about how to do a manicure makes me think I should remove my polish and apply base coat myself prior to going to a manicurist – I have yet to find someone who stays at my local salon more than a month or two so I usually have a new nail tech.
I have to tell them NOT to cut my distal skin fold-I hate it when they cut it back and always end up with more hangnails. Now I want to tell them I don’t need to soak my nails, just to do a polish change maybe?
Whats the best way of getting good care in a salon..what dos and don’t’s can we insist on when getting a salon mani/pedi?
Best-Elle
Elle,
I’m so sorry to hear you’re having trouble finding a nail tech who will respect your wishes. Keep telling them what you want.
This is correct, you don’t want them to soak your nails in a water bath. A warm oil soak would be fine, but 15 minutes usually isn’t enough time for the oil to penetrate. I’ve found that my nails respond best to several very thin applications of Bliss Kiss™ Nail Oil over several hours.
There are many things to look for in a good nail salon or professional, probably enough to write an entire article or two, so it’s easier to give you the DON’T list right now:
1. Don’t let them CUT your proximal nail fold of the eponychium (cuticle line skin). Proper removal of the cuticle (thin layer of skin on the nail plate) is to use a cuticle remover solution and ever so gently, use a spoon shaped cuticle remover tool to scrape the skin off of the nail plate. This will improve adhesion of any product. https://www.nailcarehq.com/nail-anatomy/
2. Don’t let them buff your nails smooth. This actually weakens the nail plate. I explain more here: https://www.nailcarehq.com/ridges-in-nails/
It’s quite alright if you bring your own tools, files, etc and polishes if you wish. You can apply your basecoat before or ask them to do it for you. My guess is if they don’t apply basecoat, it may be due to waiting for the layers to dry. Time is money. In that case, it might be beneficial for you to apply basecoat a few hours before your appointment.
Hope that helps! Thanks for stopping by! ~Ana
Ana I love your knowledge, I went thru Beaty school 30 years ago when chemistry,anatomy and sterilization were taught before any thing else there wasn’t just a nail tech license available at that time. My reputation is built on the complete knowledge of what is being done I investigate everything I work on a appointment only schedule and I add more time to any service even if it just because my client likes to visit I am so greatful for finding your Facebook. Thank you, Catherine Feliz-Smith
Catherine, thank you so much for stopping by and for the compliment. We need more dedicated nail professionals like you. I’m thrilled to hear that your clients are loving Bliss Kiss™ Nail Oil! ~Ana
I went to a new salon yesterday because i was in a hurry and my salon had an hour wait and i was in a hurry. The tech who gave me my pedicure cut my big toe nail way to short and cut my skin. I’m not sure if he did this with the clippers or another instrument because I was reading a magazine and didn’t notice until he poured alcohol on my feet and it burned really bad. I told him it was burning and he wet it wiped it with cotton and it was fine. That night I woke up to it hurting bad! So I put alcohol on a q tip and rubbed underneath my toenail where it hurt and it burned! What else should I do if it still hurts I’m worried about infection?
Victoria,
I’m so sorry this happened! It is possible that the cut will get infected. Keep it moist with Neosporin™ antibiotic gel and wrapped with clean bandages, changed once a day. The body is a miraculous thing and you will heal nicely. ~Ana