Nail correction

Nail correction is the next step after nail modeling. The purpose of nail correction is to regularly maintain artificial nails to save its durability and beautiful appearance. Nail correction is required due to natural nail growth (approximately 2mm/week). That is why it is important to follow regular time interval between corrections, which is always individual, but in average is around 20-28 days. 

As a result nails will remain as beautiful and strong as it should be. Regular corrections let customer wear artificial nails as long as they want without any damage to natural nail plate. The main task for nail technician is to make correction fast and at the highest standard. Based on how satisfy the client will be by the quality of your work, will depend how long you will have loyal and thankful client. That is why it is so important to sharpen your skills to perfection. 

Even the most experienced people can get complaints from the clients about rare nail lifting. If you have such a case, you should remember whether you have done everything right, whether you have complied with the technology? Maybe your client had cold hands or the temperature in the room was too cold while you were working with acrylics? Or maybe gel didn’t polymerized properly due to weak lamps or client who turned his hand while curing gel.

There are also plenty of reasons which do not depend on nail technician skills. For example, dysfunction of the hormonal system, thyroid dysfunction, taking hormones or antibiotics by the client, diabetes or pregnancy.

Ask your client whether she had similar issues earlier, and if it is only one client of yours, most probably it is an individual issue. But if you receive repeated complaints about nail lifting from several clients, you should review your technique to find the main problem.

Generally, the causes of nail lifting may be as follows:

• Insufficient qualifications and little experience;
• Lack of a systematic approach in nail modeling technique;
• Inattentiveness and negligence;
• Low quality nail products.

As I mentioned earlier, nail correction should be done within 2-5 weeks based on the length and the form of the naturalnail plate of the client. The price should be appropriate.

During nail correction, nail technician should:

• Shorten the length and change the shape if required.
• Restore the smile line and renew french coating.
• Restore the position of “apex” – the highest point of the nail.
• Cover regrown part of the nail with artificial material.
• Clean inner side of the nail with nail drill machine.

Below is the brief correction scheme for acrylic or gel nails:

1. Prepare nails as usual.

2. The main condition during nail correction is to carefully remove all liftings (if any). Remove liftings by using milling cutter, removing it along the contour.Remember, you cannot use metallic milling cutters on the natural nails.

3. File inner side of the nail by using cone nozzle moving it from the middle to the sides. You can use any other shape of the nozzle as long as it is safe and won’t damage hyponychium.

4. If there are any cracks, it is necessarily to file it down in the form of a small pit, to be able to fill the entire crack with artificial material.

5. Remove the thickness of the artificial nail with rough nail file (at least 120 grit, or better yet – 150 grit, you also can use nail drill machine, remove the length of the free edge if required).

6. Remove the dust and apply two coats of dehydrator and nail primer (preferably acid-free) on the regrown part of the natural nail plate.

7. Start modeling with chosen technique (starting from the free edge or from the cuticle, french-correction or adding colored gels, acrylic powders, accessories).

8. Shape the nails using nail file or nail drill machine as per scheme for selected nail form, taking into consideration required architecture.

9. Polish the surface of the acrylic nails. If desired, cover all nails with UV top coat, to protect nails from discoloration. Or apply the finish top gel.

10.  Apply cuticle oil on skin rollers (top and sides) and under the free edge – hyponychium. Remember that everyday use of oil prevents dryness and brittleness of the nails.

Nail correction is the most popular nail procedure and will be your “business card”. Quality and speed of which will be directly proportional to your income. I suggest you read some more articles: "Removing nails", "Beautiful nails. Recommendations for care" and “VIP nail artist Inna Gorodnova”.