Am I giving the wrong advice about infills/breaks

[Bagpuss]

So when the nails are grown out do you then put another set of nails on or do you suggest to the client that she should then have a break?

Thanks

Love Kate

No you carry on re-balancing ... its just called a NNO from then on...(natural nail overlay)

 

[Vetty]

So when the nails are grown out do you then put another set of nails on or do you suggest to the client that she should then have a break?

Thanks

Love Kate

I just rebalance every 2/3 weeks and replace individual nails as and when they need it (breakages etc). I've got clients that have been 2 years without a complete new set!

I never suggest a break, there's no need for one if the client wants to wear nails all the time.....

 

[blossom]

Hiya, such a lot of good help and advice on this thread already, but it can be confusing getting to grips with it all!

The techs who are saying that they (like myself) have clients who go on and on indefinitely without having new sets, have mastered application of the white tip using a white gel, and clear or pink over the body of the nail,
instead of sticking on white tips and covering with clear gel (which, as you know, has a limited life before it grows right out).

Then, when the white tip appears to be growing up the nail, a French rebalance is done (where white gel or acrylic is used to re-align the white smile line back where it originally was, to make it look like a new set again).

hth xx


ps Maybe your mum has good strong nails underneath the overlay and the client who has the problems has weak, paperthin ones? Just a thought

 

[worthit]

I just rebalance every 2/3 weeks and replace individual nails as and when they need it (breakages etc). I've got clients that have been 2 years without a complete new set!

I never suggest a break, there's no need for one if the client wants to wear nails all the time.....

This is where I've been making my mistakes I've been telling the client that she needs a break ooooooooh god 2 YEARS!!! oh god that's brill so you know when the tip underneath cracks this is ok is it?? I just think it looks awful so do you put extra gel on the natural nail bit to compensate?

Kate xxxxx:hug:

 

[worthit]

No you carry on re-balancing ... its just called a NNO from then on...(natural nail overlay)

Thanks I'm begining to get it now:grr: I'm soooo blonde

Kate xxxxxxxx:hug:

 

[blossom]

This is where I've been making my mistakes I've been telling the client that she needs a break ooooooooh god 2 YEARS!!! oh god that's brill so you know when the tip underneath cracks this is ok is it?? I just think it looks awful so do you put extra gel on the natural nail bit to compensate?

Kate xxxxx:hug:

Do you mean the natural nail has cracks in it? If so, on the free edge or on the nail bed (the pink part)

 

[Bagpuss]

Its really hard to put into words the things we are trying to explain....but with respect i really do think that another course would be the best thing for you, to be shown and taught.

 

[blossom]

I agree with Angie, also make sure the course deals in maintaining nails, not just new sets . . . . the vast majority of our business is in maintenance

 

[worthit]

Hiya, such a lot of good help and advice on this thread already, but it can be confusing getting to grips with it all!

The techs who are saying that they (like myself) have clients who go on and on indefinitely without having new sets, have mastered application of the white tip using a white gel, and clear or pink over the body of the nail,
instead of sticking on white tips and covering with clear gel (which, as you know, has a limited life before it grows right out).

Then, when the white tip appears to be growing up the nail, a French rebalance is done (where white gel or acrylic is used to re-align the white smile line back where it originally was, to make it look like a new set again).

hth xx


ps Maybe your mum has good strong nails underneath the overlay and the client who has the problems has weak, paperthin ones? Just a thought

Thanks soooo much for your help OH GOD I've been shooting myself in the foot by saying to clients to remove their nails and losing money in the process. I still don't get how the tip cracks underneath on some clients and not on others when they say they are applying the cuticle oil the same I wonder whether they are though yeah the tips don't last long but silly as I am when it has got to this stage I have told the client that maybe it's time for them to come off OH GOD can you believe me!!!

Thanks for your help it really has helped me everyone is sooo kind on this site and I have had some great advice today

Love kate :hug:

I agree with Angie, also make sure the course deals in maintaining nails, not just new sets . . . . the vast majority of our business is in maintenance

Yeah I think I have been on naf courses I don't know anything compared to you guys quite intimididating actually

Thanks soooo much

Kate xxxx

 

[blossom]

Kate, a lot of clients are very naughty and do ALL SORTS with their nails that they shouldn't, they use cleaning products and bleach without gloves, they wash up and clean the oven without gloves, jeepers, of course all those chemicals are going to be responsible for problems with the nails . . . some clients are religious with their oil, some fib a bit, and yes, you can see the difference between the people that use their oil and the people that really don't.

In fact the "line" I tend to use when selling cuticle oil is that it will "make your nails look better for longer" , because it's true.

There are quite a lot of mobiles and salons round my way that do exactly what you are doing though, apply white tips, let them grow off, and do a new set. A lot of clients who now come to me for rebalancing instead of constant removals and new sets have told me this, so please don't think you are alone in what you are doing, you are not. :hug:

Applying the white gel or acrylic is a harder skill to learn but can be mastered (and charged extra for), and these nails tend to be stronger, mainly because with white tips you don't blend them

 

[worthit]

Are you using IBD tips? Have you been capping the free edge? Is there a gap between the tip and gel before you have stared filing?

No i'm not using IBD tips I use edge tips (for french which I find good I also use the star nails tips for the ordinary tips if client wants to paint them herself have you any advice on tops then? do you think it would help?

Happy with any advice you have to give

Kate xxx:hug:

Kate, a lot of clients are very naughty and do ALL SORTS with their nails that they shouldn't, they use cleaning products and bleach without gloves, they wash up and clean the oven without gloves, jeepers, of course all those chemicals are going to be responsible for problems with the nails . . . some clients are religious with their oil, some fib a bit, and yes, you can see the difference between the people that use their oil and the people that really don't.

In fact the "line" I tend to use when selling cuticle oil is that it will "make your nails look better for longer" , because it's true.

There are quite a lot of mobiles and salons round my way that do exactly what you are doing though, apply white tips, let them grow off, and do a new set. A lot of clients who now come to me for rebalancing instead of constant removals and new sets have told me this, so please don't think you are alone in what you are doing, you are not. :hug:

Applying the white gel or acrylic is a harder skill to learn but can be mastered (and charged extra for), and these nails tend to be stronger, mainly because with white tips you don't blend them

Thanks for your lovely kind words your confidence can be sooo easily knocked in this business I find I have just put my prices up for my nail ext's actually coz of the time they take I do both french tips and plain tips charging more for the plain ones coz of the blending but I now include the cuticle oil in my price coz I find people will use it then am I right I charge £35 for my nails telling the prospective client that I include oil and a dry manicure which a lot of people in my area don't do so that seems to go down well have you any advice for pricing am I right including the cuticle oil?

God if anyone says that this industry is easy they are lying coz I'm finding it hard to get off the ground and I don't seem to know anything compared to you guys this site is the best!

Thanks again

Kate :hug:

try a little less buffing off. I made the mistake of taking too much away when I first started extensions and the tips ended up so thin they cracked. Most of the time our nightmares turn out to be something so simple, don't worry about it just work on your own technique and you will find your own method which will be successful for you. Don't over analyse it will begin to knock your confidence trust me I speak from experience.

Yeah your right about the confidence thing that's like a rollercoaster up and down all the time. Perhaps I am buffing tooo much I will look out for that but I like to blend it so that it is flat so that I have a fine line to re-apply the gel any suggestions?

Thanks

Kate

Do you mean the natural nail has cracks in it? If so, on the free edge or on the nail bed (the pink part)

No not the natural nail the actual tip cracks leaving a big gap that I usually fill in with gel is this right they look soo naf though coz you can see that the tip underneath has split (what do I do about this do I put an extra layer of gel in the first place?)

Thanks

Kate

Its really hard to put into words the things we are trying to explain....but with respect i really do think that another course would be the best thing for you, to be shown and taught.

I do understand how hard it is for you to explain to me your very kind to try though.

Have you any suggestions on any courses because I would like to do Acrylics to? any suggestions would be gratefully recieved I don't now feel like I'm up to the job really I feel like I know a bit more now thanks to you all for your help

Thank you sooooo much

Kate xxxxxx:hug:

 

[blossom]

When I started out in this business (nearly 5 yrs ago), I couldn't understand why "French" seemed to be more expensive than a plain nail, because, as you rightly say, the natural tips need blending and thus take longer! Finally (quite a while later lol) I realised that the French ones that are more expensive are the ones which are done with a pink and a white product (be it gel or acrylic) rather than with a white tip!

I think people will tend to use their oil if you give it to them, and appreciate the freebie. Sometimes, if people already feel that the nails themselves are a "treat" because they are quite expensive, they can really baulk at being asked to part with more money for cuticle oil and so don't use it at all. And your dry manicure will remove cuticle from the nail plate and so help with preventing lifting - why are other nail techs in your town not doing it as well? More fool them. (or maybe they charge extra for it?)

Just to add (to make you feel better), I have around 40 regular clients, and I do the same with them all, yet they all come back with their nails in different states for maintenance. Even presuming they all come back after the recommended 2.5 weeks (which they don't, some try to stretch it out to 3.5 or even 4:irked::smack around 75% of my clients have perfect nails, just the extra growth to deal with, the others may have some lifting, a breakage or two, etc, so what I'm saying is that the difference is in a) how they look after their nails and b) the state of their natural nail underneath.

 

[blossom]

If you do a search on the forum "Nail Courses" you will find an absolute stack of info hun :hug:

 

[worthit]

If you do a search on the forum "Nail Courses" you will find an absolute stack of info hun :hug:

Thanks for your help mostly around in my area are the chinese nail salons and to me they are just a joke they just slam the nails on:irked: and they don't care if people go back or not I care very much about my clients and I want to keep them 40 regular clients is excellent on just nails or do you do other things? I do a bit of everything but I do feel sometimes like throwing the towel in coz I don't feel like it's building like it should is it something I'm doing what do I do for clients to stick with me am I doing the wrong thing?? don't worry if you can't answer all my questions I'm just glad to have the feed back that this site provides.

Thanks

Kate xxx:hug:

 

[blossom]

I care very much about my clients and I want to keep them That's a brilliant attitude to have

40 regular clients is excellent on just nails or do you do other things? Just nails

I do a bit of everything but I do feel sometimes like throwing the towel in coz I don't feel like it's building like it should is it something I'm doing Hard to say why it isn't building, but I can tell you I felt like throwing the towel in after about a year, did some more training and that seemed to make the difference

what do I do for clients to stick with me Do your best, every time, be professional and have confidence in yourself. Do you market yourself? If you work from home you can have a free lineage ad in Yellow Pages and Thomson (pm me if you need the numbers), try message boards at the local school/newsagent, personal ads. But by far the best and cheapest way of building your business is by word of mouth referrals from contented clients. I have a little poster on the side of my trolley (I work from home) saying if you recommend a friend, you get a 25% discount off your next appointment as a thank you, and the friend gets 10% introductory discount), its amazing how many more people they tell lol!

don't worry if you can't answer all my questions I'm just glad to have the feed back that this site provides. It's a pleasure, I wish I'd had internet access when I was in your position, unfortunately we only got it a year ago! If I can help I will. x

Thanks

Kate xxx:hug:

What other services do you offer Kate?