QuestionI used to go to a lady who worked from her house and would take the pink and white almost completely off each time and reapply it. They looked great! I cannot locate her and instead I went to another salon (the kind on every corner). My nails look awful because the guy keeps backfilling so much. They get thicker and thicker each time. He says he cannot take the acrylic off the nail bed only around the cuticle. Is there something I should say to the next nail tech to get the results I want or am I being a know-it-all customer?
AnswerI definitely wouldn't consider you a "know-it-all" consumer. You've had your nails done well and you know it's possible. All you have to do now is find another nail tech that does them well again!
The first thing I would recommend is to get out the trusty phone book, or spend some quality time with your favorite search engine, and find a salon that isn't "the kind on every corner." Talk to the nail techs themselves and ask them about their techniques.
Honestly, it shouldn't be necessary to remove nearly all the product everytime you fill. It certainly will lead to nice results, because you're essentially getting a new set every few weeks. But it shouldn't be necessary for your nail tech to do that much work every time she fills your nails. Never the less, yes, you should be thrilled with the way they look and they shouldn't be getting continuously thicker!
One thing I'm not completely clear on: you said they get thicker because he keeps "backfilling" them. Do you mean that he just keeps filling at the cuticle area without rebalancing (the process of thinning out the product and repositioning the arch as the nail grows out) or do you mean he keeps replacing the white at the tip with every fill without drilling the original white down first?
Technically, a "backfill" refers to when the color on the free edge (usually white, but acrylic comes in all kinds of colors these days) gets "backed up" to keep the natural nail's free edge from showing through.
At any rate; definitely find another nail tech. Start paying attention to other people's nails and when you see someone with great nails, don't be afraid to ask where she gets them done. Just be prepared to book an appointment, and book it in advance! Don't wait till your nails are falling off and you needed a fill yesterday to call!
