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
What methods and type of equipment do I need for paraffin treatments?
I want to start doing paraffin treatments on my manicure clients, but I’ve never done this before. I’ve heard some techs use a crock pot for warming the paraffin. What methods and type of equipment would you suggest?... read more
Why do my clients' acrylic nails look discolored?
I am a new tech and have noticed that two of my clients who have been wearing acrylics for more than three months have discolored nails. One client’s nails look gray and the other’s nails have a yellow-orange tinge. What am I doing wrong?... read more
Should I apply more than one coat of primer before applying gels?
I applied one coat of gel on natural nails, and the gel peeled off the next day. Should I have used more than one coat of primer? The only preparation I did was to buff the shine off of my client’s clean nails, dust, apply a bonder, then one coat of gel, and let cure. What am I missing?... read more
How do I correctly apply tips? I am either getting bubbles or the tips pop off.
I am feeling frustrated because I have trouble applying tips. I am either getting bubbles or the tips pop off.... read more
How do you get a client to stop picking the acrylic at the cuticle?
How do you get a client to stop picking the acrylic at the cuticle?... read more
How can I place the acrylic so that the wide tips will look right?
Some of my clients have nail beds that are wider than the widest (size 0) tips. How can I place the acrylic so that the tip will look right?... read more
How can I keep my manicure implements from dulling?
How can I keep my manicure implements from dulling?... read more
How can I lay acrylic on a nail without it going onto my client’s cuticle?
I’m a newbie. How can I lay acrylic on a nail without it going onto my client’s cuticle?... read more
At what point in a pedicure do you use the hot towels and how?
At what point in a pedicure do you use the hot towels and how?... read more
I had a client who is a runner, and her toenail was on the verge of coming off. What should I do?
I had a client who is a runner, and her toenail was on the verge of coming off. She wasn’t in any pain, but she wanted to try to have it look nice for an upcoming event. What should I do?... read more
How can I use an e-file to remove soak-off gels without overheating the nails?
I heard you can use an e-file to remove soak-off gels because it is faster, but when I try this technique the nails are getting too hot. Is there something I can do?... read more
Why is it that most of my acrylic clients are having lifting by the cuticle area?
Why is it that most of my acrylic clients are having lifting by the cuticle area? I prep properly, removing all the oils from the nail beds, and I prime twice. I’ve even considered using an 80-grit file. What can I do or what am I doing wrong?... read more