Q Why do I need regular manicures?

A Just as you are, your nail technicians is committed to keeping your nails healthy, strong, and attractive. While you can do some upkeep at home, a nail technician is the only one who can apply and repair artificial extensions, and she has been trained to care for nails in the healthiest manner possible. Think of how you care for your teeth – you brush and floss daily, but you wouldn’t skip regular cleansings at the dentist. It’s important to see your nail technician regularly, especially if you have artificial extensions or are a nail biter.

Q What does my nail technician do to prevent spreading germs in the salon?

A Salon sanitation is of great concern not only among nail technicians, but also among clients. Your nail technician will do everything she can to prevent germs and disease spreading. Her procedures include disinfecting the manicuring implements and workstation. She will always wash her own hands and have you wash yours before any service, and she will dispose of orangewood sticks and files that can’t be sanitized. She will explain to her clients exactly how she disinfects her area and implements and will have the knowledge to put any fears to rest.

Q Why won’t my nail technician cut my cuticles or my calluses?

A The skin is designed to protect the body. Your cuticles are skin that keeps germs from entering the body, and calluses are toughened skin that keep friction from taking your skin off altogether.

Cuticles should not be clipped unless they are ragged or overgrown. They should be pushed back gently, and only hangnails and bits of dead skin should be trimmed. Your nail technician doesn’t want to cut your skin around the cuticle or increase your risk of infection by removing the cuticle.

Calluses are the skin’s natural reaction to friction. People will often develop a callus where the skin is constantly being rubbed (writer’s callus, for example). Calluses can be safely reduced and softened, but not removes completely. Your nail technician won’t cut or shave off calluses because they’re your skin’s natural protection (also, many states prohibit a nail technician from using a blade to remove hardened skin). She can apply a pedicure wand (or foot file), a purnice stone, or lotion to soften and smooth calluses. The only way you will be able to get rid of your calluses is to get rid of the friction producing them. That is, if you wear shoes that are causing calluses to build up, you’ll have to give up the shoes or keep the callus to a minimum by using the tools recommended by your technician.

Q Why won’t my nail technician cover green stains on nails with artificial extensions?

A “Green nails” are caused by pseudomonas bacteria and usually occur because a wet pocket has gotten between an artificial nail and the natural one, or between the bail bed and a lifted natural nail.

Once an infection under an artificial nail clears, there may still be a green stain on the natural nail that may be safely covered with nail polish, and, in some cases, with an artificial nail. If the infection is under the natural nail, it’s best to wait until the infection is gone, then cover any green stain remaining with polish. It’s important to discover what caused the natural nail to lift before putting an artificial extension on a newly healed nail. If the chemicals in the artificial nail caused the natural nail to lift, leading to the infection, it’s best not to continue wearing artificial nails.

The important thing is to be sure any infection is gone, then to decide the best way to cover the stain and eliminate the chance of future infection.

Q Why does my nail technician ask me about my health and what medicines I take?

A Your health record and the medicines you take influence how well you will wear artificial extensions (some medicines, for example, can cause the product to lift off the nail). Clients with circulatory disorders or immune system conditions require greater care when doing certain services. A technician asks for this information to protect you. While medication or a health condition won’t prohibit a nail service in most cases, the nail technician can serve your needs better knowing how a products or service will affect your nails.