QuestionQUESTION: Hello. My name is trista. I'm 14 years old and just very recently got my nails done. The salon is called Da Vi and is located in wal-mart,like a subway would be in a gas station for example. They do manicures and pedicure only. Well, I've been reading you q and a responses and now I'm doubting my service is legitement at Da Vi.
When i first walked up to the register to pay for my nails a sign read "full set $26 and free airbrush". Cheap huh. Questionably cheap maybe?then the woman at the counter points to the booths and I pick a seat. I take notice in each booth there is a certificate and picture explainig that your service person is certified. good! the The manicurist finishes up with another customer. She points to me to sit in her booth. She immediately grabs my hand and rubs the end of an electric file over my natural nail. Ok I think she's buffing it so glu will adhere. Hey lady this is starting to burn! I don't say anything though. After a few seconds of "buffing" with the drill she pulls open a case full of long nail tips. She fits a nail to each finger and applies a drop of nail glue from a tiny bottle like you get in the glue on home kits to my nail. After all 10 are fitted I tell her I want short functional nails. He points to my nail and hold small blunt ended scissors at a length on my nails. I nod my head yes each time the size suits me. She the uses the drill to sand the tip and my nail together. She then opens a jewelry box and a glass container. One has a white powder with the sightest purple tint, the other water looking liquid. From a container she pulls a brush with about one inch by 2 inch soft bristles. She dips it in the liquid then the powder forming a quarter sized glob on the brush. She rubs this on my nail the smooths it repeating this to the remaining nails. The edges are filed down on my nails and she starts speaking chinese and points to a poster with a french manicured hand. Huh. Pardon I say repeadedly.she smiles and points to a shelf of nail polish repeating the word coluh. Coluh. Get ih coluh. I pick an OPI red. She paints my nails applies a clearcoat then points to a uv lighted hood I'm to put my hands under. She's finished with me now. I wait to me told I can take my hands from under the light so I can get my airbrush. I'm told I don't get airbrush because I picked red polish. I wasn't told this beforehand.After I while I get up and leave.
I am happy with the way my nails look now. That was 5 days ago. I took my nail polish off with acetone remover. My nails are intact. Do you think mma was used. Could you tell me flaws you see in the visit.
THE WHOLE PROCESS TOOK 35 MINUTES. THE MANICURIST WORE A FACE MASK TO DO MY NAILS.
Please get back to me as soon as possible.I'm worried about the use of mma. I'm going back 4/12/07-in a few hours- to have my nails airbrushed
ANSWER: Dear Trista,
IF they used the electric file aka drill directly on your natural nail DO NOT GO BACK. The e-file was NEVER intended for use on a natural nail, but only to be used on 'product' (aka acrylic or uv gel). By e-filing your natural nail, they have damaged it. Repeated e-filing of the natural nail may "possibly" lead to permanent damage.
With regards to whether or not they used MMA, I am unable to answer if yes or no. It is distinctly possible, however, without seeing and attempting to file the product myself and smelling it, I wouldn't be able to tell you for sure.
The only way to know is to try to soak it off. IF the acrylic will not soak off within 20min and takes up to 2hrs, then you very likely have MMA acrylic on your nails.
That the process took only 35 minutes is of a huge concern. It means that A) proper prep was not performed putting you at risk for infections etc and B)and that in all likelihood only one ball of acrylic was applied instead of 3 smaller balls.
When too large of a ball is applied, the ratio for shrinkage is higher. This will apply an upward pressure on your natural nails and cause some discomfort. On very rare occasions, this can cause the natural nail to lift off entirely from the finger.
When smaller balls are used, and the acrylic applied correctly, then the ratio of shrinkage is lower and thus less to no pressure is applied to the nail plate. Eliminating the risk for the nail to be damaged or lifted off.
A qualified and concientious nail technician who is doing her job thoroughly, correctly and with true concern for your comfort and natural nail health; will take approximately 1.5hrs to apply a set of enhancements. Sometimes as long as 2hrs with art included.
My advice to you is to seek out a technician who you can EASILY communicate with, no matter what their nationality is, who's concern is your natural nail health, who will not hurt you with an e-file or cause you to bleed.
Best regards and feel free to contact me again
Victoria
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: How should a nail be prepped for artificial nails
AnswerHi Trista,
Usually, the client is first asked to wash his/her hands AND nails, using a nailbrush, before sitting down. This is to avoid cross contamination.
Then the following:
- The hands and nails inspected by the technician for any possible infections or breaks in the skin
- the client is consulted and asked about allergies, current health and medications (that might be contraindicative to a nail service) etc.
- The client is then consulted about what he/she wants from his/her service
- A cuticle removing solution is applied to the cuticle area of all 10 fingers and left for 1 to 3minutes, to soften it.
- A metal cuticle pusher/scraper (that has been sanitized AND disinfected is then used to push back the eponychium (ridge of skin between the nail plate and skin of the finger) and scrape away any 'cuticle' (skin still adhered to the surface of the nail plate that is unseen until scraped)
- An antiseptic solution is then used to wipe away all the residue with a clean wipe and the cuticle pusher/scraper is set aside in sanitizing solution to next be disinfected BEFORE use on another client.
- natural nails are filed to desired length, and the top surface of the natural nail plate is buffed with a yellow block buffer OR a hand file that is not grittier than 240 (this is very soft and doesn't remove layers of the natural nail plate). The technician should use either A)a NEW file for each client or B) a file that may be sanitized AND disinfected between each client.
- The nails are brushed to have the dust removed, and then wiped again with a antiseptic solution.
THE ELECTRIC FILE NEVER TOUCHES the natural nail.
This service should NEVER HURT!!!!!
This entire process should take about 15 to 20min depending on how much filing is required and much cuticle there is to remove.
Hence why I'm so very concerned about a service that takes a total of 35min from beginning to end.
What follows next depends on the type of service and/or enhancement system used.
I hope that this helps you, and please feel free to ask any further questions.
Best regards.
