“WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, I USED TO BITE MY NAILS SO BAD. I USED TO PLAY SPORTS; I PLAYED, LIKE, EVERY SPORT...I'D BE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD JUST ZONED OUT, BITING MY NAILS, AND I'D, LIKE, MISS THE BALL GOING PAST ME.” --KENDALL JENNER, MODEL and STYLE MOGUL
A nail professional is more than the cosmetology license framed on the wall. Beyond ninja level nail artistry, you’re an active listener worthy of receiving an additional therapy rate and a magician pulling rabbits out of hats. So what’s the protocol when a nail biter is perched across from you gushing about their stiletto length dreams? Approach head on. Communicate tenderly with a dash of tough love. Walk them through the process on how to accomplish their goals.
TWO PART QUESTION
Almost everyone indulges in a bad habit here and there. In our business, nail biting is the top of the list. On a technical level, creating a set of enhancements on chewed up digits is difficult. Then on an emotional level, there is the talk you need to have with your nail biter client to manage their unrealistic expectations. They were never going to walk out of the salon looking like a hand model but you’ll do your best. A master communicator can convey this in a non-judgemental way and help break the habit.
IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?
Sometimes working your magic with a nail biter looks like going to the doctor. If you’ve got an issue, to feel better you go to a doctor and they give you a prescription. Then they ask you to check back in 5-7 days if you don’t improve. You follow instructions, return for another visit and the prescription gets adjusted. Eventually with a few tweaks you get relief. So for nail biters, it’s important that they understand that you cannot help them out in just one service. They have to agree to work with you and follow your nail prescription, if they want to grow their nails out. The mutual agreement and partnership is required to achieve long nails with the help of enhancements.
NOT TODAY
The nail biter conversation starts with a yes. Yes, you can have a set of long nails like in the picture but not today. Nail biters don’t want to hear the truth but it’s your job to share with how the transformation happens. WIth a habit like this, you cannot have long nails. In fact, you shouldn’t have them but with my help I will show you how to get there. This is when you tell the client to stock up on patience. It’s going to be a slow process. Everyone knows if you’re a true brunette and want to go blonde, it doesn’t happen overnight. There is a multi-step process of lightening or prepare yourself for damage town. First, the trauma inflicted on nail beds needs to be reversed. Building a set of nail enhancements on a nail biter without the rehab is like building a house with a bad foundation. If you let us, a nail tech can help you grow your nails to the point where your stilettos will actually stand a chance.
THE FORMULA FOR NORMAL
With a decent nail bed, we can sculpt acrylic or gel to overcompensate for the lack of curve. The ideal nail length is 51% nail bed and 49% free edge. This is the perfect set up for a structurally sound nail enhancement with the correct balance and form. Without the foundation of a healthy nail, 99.9% of the time it’s going to break. If you’ve imparted this wisdom and clients still insist on a set of extra long enhancements; they should consider themselves warned. Email them a copy of your strict nail biter policy: no warranty if the nails break. Communicate in writing that anything with teeth marks or pops off is deliberate and not an act of god. All repairs will be charged accordingly as set out on your price list.
RETURN OFFENDERS
Be kind to return offenders but also be straightforward about reality. The world is a stressful place. Bad habits are part of that cycle. Stress just makes some people go straight to their hands. Your client is already feeling bad about themselves. No need to add fuel to the shame game. Recommend that they start paying attention. There is a lot of work that goes into putting a set on nail biters. Remember to charge for your time. Most nail biters will find a way to stop once they start to see how much the repairs start to add up. Reinforce the conversations with strongly held boundaries and hopefully you will never need to fire a client.
**This is an adaptation from our YN Biz Talk playlist on YouTube, “BIZ TALK: HOW TO DEAL WITH NAIL BITERS”.
***Follow our YN YouTube Channel and click here to watch the full discussion:
03 November 2020