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Technique

How do I advise clients to care for their nails that were damaged by improper drill use?

November 1, 2003

Advise these clients to start on a natural nail care regimen. Start by having them visit you once a week to receive a manicure so you can personally monitor the progress of their nails. Use gentle care when servicing the damaged nails and send them home with instructions and products for home maintenance between appointments.

Put them on a nightly routine of massaging in a quality cuticle oil and/or cream. Also have them apply a gentle nail strengthening treatment or even just a fast-drying top coat daily or every other day. The frequent application of a strengthener or top coat will keep your clients more aware of the condition of their nails as well as giving the nails some extra strength and durability. The cuticle oil will condition both their nails and cuticles to help bring them back to good health.Advise them to always keep color polish on their nails, even if it is a very light shade. The polish will act as a type of “armor” for their nails and protect them in their fragile state. — Patricia Yankee Williams, second runner-up in NAILS' 2003 AVAs in the Nail Technician of the Year category

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