QuestionQUESTION: Hello, I have had a problem with some clients. I use OPI products for my manicure and pedicure and 3 clients of mine have complained that their nail polish comes off easily (as in they can take it off with their thumb!) or that when they stepped in the shower the same day their polish came off! I don't know what could cause this phenomenon and am truly worried!! We always clean the nail after the massage with the OPI product NAS 99% or with alcohol or pure acetone. I hope you can help me! thanks
ANSWER: Are you soaking their hands in water for their manicure??
Natural nails don't like polish, it's just a fact of life. But you CAN help it last a little longer.
Try doing waterless manicures- I haven't soaked a client in a mani bowl in years- the nail plate is quite porous, and expands as it soaks in water, filling with it like a sponge. Then you polish, etc., and the water in the nailplate evaporates, and shrinks- and then your polish job is kaput.
Instead of soaking them, I do all of the manicure steps dry (cuticle remover, remove dead tissue from the nailplate), then keep a water bottle with a bit of cleanser in it(I like CND Citrusoak), and then spray the nails and scrub them with a scrub brush, then dry them with a towel. I like to use Scrub fresh to cleanse and dehydrate the nail plate- for an extra boost, swipe it with acid-free primer, then apply your preferred base coat- I like to use Stickey, it acts as an anchor, sort of like double sided sticky tape, to really hold polish onto the nail. Then 2 coats of color, and top coat. Using quick dry topcoats is not a great thing either- it leaves microscopic holes in your finish, which can also lead to peeling and other breakdown. On average, it takes about an hour for each layer of enamel to fully cure.
Clients taking a shower after a manicure are just wasting their money, their polish is most likely not fully hardened, and they are soaking their nail plates up, soaking up the water, and making their polish peel off as well. So have them shower BEFORE they come in, not after ;)
Also keep bottles of top coat handy for retail, and have clients purchase them to keep up their manicures at home- 1 coat of topcoat per day will help it last longer as well. I keep bottles of Super Shiney on hand for clients at all times ;)
Hope this helps! Good luck!
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QUESTION: THanks for your great advise!! the problem is that with the OPI manicure SPA treatment, we do soak the nails in water and an effervescent soak as part of our treatment. Should we skip this step altogether? and also, what to do with the pedicures? We have pedicure chairs that have the "tub" with the water jets and so all of our pedicures get the toe nails wet. Is there a way to do a wet-pedicure and avoid the risk of the polish coming off? Thanks so mucho for your answers and quick response time! Oh another thing, I was considering buying the OPI DripDry drops to dry the polish faster, is this a good idea?
Answerfor the mani, yes, skip the water. But for pedicures, DON'T skip it ;) Just make sure to thoroughly dehydrate the nail plate before you apply polish :) Toes are much more durable than fingers ;)
The drip dry drops are a good idea for clients in a HURRY, otherwise don't use them. And make sure your clients are regularly applying conditioning oil and also a coat of top coat every day, and not in that order lol!
