When a client needs convincing that removing excess cuticle won’t harm her, we need to take several steps to reassure her of our professionalism, knowledge, and compassion. The client’s fear is most likely due to the often negative coverage of unsanitary nail salons we’ve seen in the media around the globe.
First, explain to the client the difference between the cuticle and the eponychium. The cuticle is the dead tissue that rides up along the nail plate and needs to be removed to expose a clean, smooth nail plate. The eponychium, the visible nail fold at the base of the nail, is the part that we need to leave alone.
Second, explain your sanitation habits to the client (i.e., disinfected instruments, using new files and towels for each client, etc.) to calm her fear of “catching any germs.”
Third, understand that her fears are reasonable. As professionals, we better be prepared to meet the high demand for hygienic standards that is required of us. -- Elsbeth Schuetz is an celebrity nail artist based in Orange, Calif.