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Greenies….
To go?
As the summer arrives more and
more clients opt for a clean fresh looking French Manciure, whether is a
traditional pink and white or an airbrushed French with different shades of
white over a clear nail. The French
manicure means that the dreaded greenies are a definite no no. During autumn/winter a slight green/black bacteria spot could
at least be covered with a dark polish (although not ideal if it’s under a set
of extensions or wraps) but now they have to go.
Bacterial
infections, commonly known as ‘greenies’ are often scarier than they look.
The first reaction of the nail tech when removing the polish and seeing a
green/black patch on the nail bed is pure panic.
I know, I’ve done it. The
most common cause of the greenie is moisture breeding under between the nail
plate and the overlay. Please do
not mistake bacteria with fungus, fungus is white and crumbly and if best
referred to the GP. I am not going
into fungus here as it is rarely seen.
For
extension wearers there are three main causes of greenies ;-
Clients glueing lifted areas of nail
extensions at home.
Many clients will often glue down lifted areas and during their procedure
will trap dirt and moisture between the nailbed and the overlay.
If wearing extensions your client needs to be aware of the correct
procedure of gluing down lifting. With
a file they can buff away the lifted area, then clean around the lifted area
thoroughly ideally with 70% alcohol, the whole nail and underneath any lifting
must be completely dry before any glue is applied.
I advise my clients to dry the nail with a hair dryer to ensure all
moisture is removed.
Nail Tech not removing all loose product
before a fill or re-balance.
More often than not your client will have washed her hands before the
service. As with above if all of
the moisture is not removed from the nail before the service there’s a strong
possibility it will become trapped under the ‘fill lines’.
An ideal alternative to hand washing would be a dry hand wash that (like
Cool Blue, CND) needs no water and then a nail cleanser/dehydrator (like
Scrubfresh, CND). Using ‘dry’
products will ensure no dampness is trapped under the extension.
Nail Tech applying tips/ product onto a
damp nail. As above, if a tip or product is applied to a damp nail there
is the possibility of trapping moisture. Ensure
the nail is completely dehydrated before application.
If you product is not primerless you need to prime and prep the nail
correctly. The action of the primer
is to actually burn off all bacteria and grease from the nail, thus leaving it
completely dry and ready for application. If
you or your client should touch their hair or skin after primer has been applied
it will need another coat.
Dealing
with the greenies.
As I said, greenies often look worse than they actually are. The
green/black area is a stain on the nail plate and can be dealt with. Trim back all product so the infected area is exposed, ideally
remove the whole extension. Soak
the nail in neat 70% alcohol, surgical spirits or methylated spirits for 10
minutes. Soaking in the solution
will kill off all the bacteria and will also help to bleach the area of the
stain. Once the bacteria has been
killed off any remaining stain will grow out with the nail. Once the nails have been soaked they must be cleaned with an
antiseptic and dried thoroughly to remove all soaking solution and the fill
service can begin. If the client
has greenies on many of the nails the best thing would be to remove the
extensions and proceed with with the treatment above but to switch the client to
natural nail care. Be sure to dispose of all files and sterilise all equipment
used after the client.
The
most important thing is not to scare your client into thinking she has fungus.
Bacterial infections are quickly dealt with avoiding permanent damage to
the nail. Be sure to keep all your
equipment clean and sterilised and ensure your client knows the correct
procedures when fixing her own nails.
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