The curling upward of the nail could be a reaction to the long-time use of the acrylic product. Therefore, despite the fact that the client would like to keep the artificial nail on, I recommend against that. At the very least, you should remove the acrylic from the affected thumb and allow for a reasonable period of time to see of the distorted nail corrects itself (about 4-6 weeks), which it very may well do if the problem is related to the acrylic. If it does not improve then there are two possibilities. One is that there is some scarring in the nail bed as a result of the long-term use of the acrylic, or it’s a completely different problem unrelated to the acrylic in which case a dermatologist’s evaluation should be sought to determine the cause of the distortion. I don’t think that it’s a good idea to cap the nail with acrylic because if the problem is related to the acrylic product, this will cause the condition to worsen. -- The Nail Doctor
Technique
More FAQ
How do you do a backfill without using a drill?
Can you do a proper backfill without an electric file?... read more
What causes burning with UV gel lights?
I recently tried out a UV light-cured gel system on myself. A couple of times, when letting the gels cure, I experienced a really intense burning sensation. What causes this and how can I avoid it?... read more
Can you use any primer with any acrylic?
Can you use any primer with any acrylic?... read more
What causes sculpting liquid to turn yellow? What causes artificial nails to turn yellow?
What causes sculpting liquid to turn yellow? What causes artificial nails to turn yellow?... read more
Is it true that when you remove calluses with a razor, they come back harder?
Is it true that when you remove calluses with a razor, they come back harder?... read more
Is it common to have to change products or procedures (including changing the ratio of the product) depending on the weather? Is it possible for persp
Is it common to have to change products or procedures (including changing the ratio of the product) depending on the weather? Is it possible for perspiration to make the product lift?... read more
What can I do for a client who has a lot of cuticle growth but doesn’t like to have her cuticles trimmed?
What can I do for a client who has a lot of cuticle growth but doesn’t like to have her cuticles trimmed?... read more
How Do You Deal with Breakage Caused by a Bad Batch of Product?
How Do You Deal with Breakage Caused by a Bad Batch of Product?... read more
Clients Shouldn't Be Afraid Of Acrylics
Q. I had a client recently who said that, although she would like to wear artificial nails, she wouldn’t because she had heard they could cause cancer. Do you have anything to say about this?... read more
Could my nails have been damaged permanently by acrylics or electric filing?
I wore acrylics for about four years before removing them a year and a half ago. It took four months for my nails to grow out and return to normal. All but one nail is now strong and healthy. The bad nail (on my ring finger) is split vertically and there is a ridge where it splits. The nail grows slower on one side of the split than the other—it never grows straight and I have to keep filing one side down the nail is also still very weak. My nails were healthy and strong before I started using acrylics. Could my nails have been damaged by the acrylics or by the filling? Is this permanent or is there something I can do to bring it back to normal?... read more