Part 6 of our Product Lifting series is now here. Today we are focusing on pocket lifting and hyperhidrosis.
Pocket lifting
Pocket lifting occurs when the nail product separates from the nail plate. Our nail coatings can lift around the edges as well as in the middle of the nail.
Trauma
If you knock the enhancement or nail coating while shopping, or while cleaning (even if you are wearing gloves) then the impact can cause the product to lift, and you won’t always see it from the outside. This pocket lifting creates the perfect place for opportunistic pathogens.
Pinching
Pinching an artificial nail product to create the apex and the product is too hard, product lifting is a real possibility. 30 years ago, pinching was the ‘norm’, today building an apex is smarter, and product control is everything.
Nail plate weakness
If you ‘buff’ the natural nail before applying nail coatings of any sort, then, per definition, you are weakening the nail plate. If you also remove the skin from around the nail plate in the lateral nail folds & proximal nail fold, then you destabilize the nail unit. It is like building a house on sand instead of a solid foundation. Like the house will show signs of weakness or collapse, the same is true for the nail plate when it ‘carries’ a nail coating. Sometimes we get a little too enthusiastic when we are ‘removing shine’ with a file. Better to think about replacing the buffer file with a really good nail plate cleanser. Your product will adhere to the natural nail well and the nail plate will remain strong.
Remember, the nail plate is, on average, only 0.380mm thick. Not a lot of filing is needed to remove not only its upper layer but also its stability.
It is also possible that you applied a nail coating to a nail that was damaged by a nail biter or nail picker. Solve the nail plate structure problem first. Of course, there are products that create an interpenetrating polymer network in the nail plate. However, you should make a plan to completely recover the nail plate before applying any product at all. Again, oil is your best friend. Your client may want an instant result and of course, we understand that. But sometimes taking a little more time to recover the nail unit first is smarter. Your client will love you for it and, when the nail enhancement or coating stays on the nail plate, you will have a client for life.
Infections
Infections in the pocket of product lifting are a logical consequence of the product lifting itself. We always carry pathogens with us. And, sometimes, circumstances happen that create the perfect surroundings for them to develop. Pocket lifting could be a cozy place for pseudomonas aeruginosa or WSO (white superficial onychomycosis). So if you think product lifting has occurred, remove the product, cleanse well and reapply.
If you notice that something has caused a problem, and you suspect an infection, remove the coating, cleanse well, get a diagnosis and solve the problem before reapplying the product.
Fig D: Pseudomonas Aeruginosa under nail coating – the blue dots & arrows show the visible product line.
Nail plates affected by Hyperhidrosis
(Commonly affected areas include the: armpits. palms of your hands, possibly nail units)
Hyperhidrosis sounds impressive and it is if you suffer from it.
Fig A: Palmer Hyperhidrosis or Sweaty palms
Excessive sweating or uncontrolled sweating (Palmer Hyperhidrosis) affects your palms. It may feel clammy or wet, making you feel uncomfortable shaking hands with someone, handing out papers at a meeting, or typing on a keyboard.
Sweating will happen without a trigger, not due to any external factor like exercising or an increase in body temperature. And it can happen at any temperature or during any season. The symptoms can increase in times of stress or anxiety.
It can run in families, and it can be associated with other forms of hyperhidrosis or with certain medical conditions.
It can affect the nail plates because excessive moisture formed in the nail bed and around the nail can cause the nail plate to remain soft because of the excessive moisture.
If your client suffers from hyperhidrosis, it could be a contraindication for the placement of nail coatings. Only nail varnish is recommended.
Come back next week for the final part of this series!
Read the rest of the articles:
Product Lifting – Part 1
Product Lifting – Part 2
Product Lifting – Part 3
Product Lifting – Part 4
Product Lifting – Part 5
