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Knowledge Base
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- Bruised nail
- Calluses and corns
- Chloronychia
- Dermatitis
- Dermatophyte and non-dermatophyte fungi
- Erythronychia
- Habit-tic
- Hangnails
- Hapalonychia
- Heller's Median Nail Dystrophy
- Hyperhidrosis
- Introduction to Nail Conditions
- Koilonychia
- Lamellar Dystrophy
- Leukonychia
- Nail biting
- Nail Clubbing
- Nail Grooves / Depressions
- Onychocryptosis
- Onycholysis
- Onychomadesis
- Onychomycosis
- Psoriasis
- Pterygium
- Splinter haemorrhages
- White Superficial Onychomycosis
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Ask the Experts
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- Can I cut the keratinised proximal nail fold?
- Can I use just acetone to cleanse the nail plate before a service?
- Can Nail Polish be Organic?
- Can the cuticle cover the whole nail?
- Do all nail plates grow 1mm a week?
- Do manicures ruin your nails?
- Hangnails. What's your advice?
- How do I save a cut nail?
- How does cold weather affect the nails?
- Is calcium good for nails?
- Is cuticle remover a must-have?
- Is nail polish safe to use for repetitive use on clients because it 'can't store pathogens'?
- What are these thin black lines under the nail?
- What is a dry manicure?
- What is a Japanese manicure?
- What is a wet manicure?
- What is the safest type of manicure?
- What's the best type of manicure to get?
- What's the difference between a French manicure and an American manicure?
- What's the harm with a water soak?
- Which is better? Soap and water or hand sanitiser before a service?
- Which way to brush off the dust?
- Why do nail polish top coats get stringy when applied?
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- Acid-based or acid-free primers?
- Can I e-file the natural nail underneath an enhancement?
- Do acrylics have a limited future?
- Does a universal monomer exist?
- How much product to remove during rebalance?
- Pinching enhancements?
- To infill or to soak off?
- To pinch the nail enhancement or not?
- What do I do with my leftover monomer?
- What is the difference between a French manicure and pink and white?
- What size brush to use?
- Why do nails feel thin after the removal of a nail coating?
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- A chemical burn?
- Can I get a headache from working with nail products?
- Can I use my oven to sterilise my tools?
- Can I work on diabetic clients?
- Do I need qualifications to do nails?
- Enhancements on Nail Biters?
- Fluff vs synthetic brush for dusting
- Is an E-File safe to use?
- Is Covid or hand sanitising affecting nail services?
- My client has chipping/loss of enhancement and I’ve never had this before?
- Should a mask be worn throughout the whole service?
- Should I use a ‘protein bonder’ to prevent lifting?
- Should you pour the end of an old bottle into the new?
- Some of my clients are getting heat spikes when curing the base and top coat.
- UV light cabinets for nails files?
- What are the legal requirements for the treatment of minors?
- What is a Brazilian style manicure?
- What is a combi manicure?
- What is a Russian manicure?
- What is the difference between cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation?
- What is the difference between HEMA and di-HEMA?
- When do nail products expire?
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- Acrylates in gel-like nail polishes?
- Can I get a headache from working with nail products?
- Can my client be allergic to acetone?
- Do I have an allergy or an irritation?
- How did I get an allergy to gel?
- Is acetone safe for removing nail products?
- What UV gel brands do you recommend?
- Why are we seeing more reactions from gel polish services vs gel enhancement services?
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- Are hard gels for everyone?
- Are UV gels better for nails?
- Can I e-file the natural nail underneath an enhancement?
- Do gel nails ruin your nails?
- Does freeze curing interrupt the curing process?
- Does using UV gel with full cover clear tips cure properly?
- How can I find a non-toxic UV gel polish range?
- How much product to remove during rebalance?
- Inhibition layer and no-cleanse gels
- Removing undercured gel
- Should I buy my nail lamp based on wattage?
- Should I get gel or dip nails?
- Should my clients wash their hands before I apply oil?
- Should UV Gels "Burn Like Crazy"?
- To infill or to soak off?
- To pinch the nail enhancement or not?
- Using cuticle oil during soak-off?
- What does 'overcured' really mean?
- What is the correct method for applying a 'BIAB' type product?
- What is the difference between a French manicure and pink and white?
- What is the difference between HEMA and di-HEMA?
- What UV gel brands do you recommend?
- Why are we seeing more reactions from gel polish services vs gel enhancement services?
- Why do nails feel thin after the removal of a nail coating?
- Why do some UV gel colors fade?
- Why do you advise wiping a no wipe to coat?
- Will an LED table lamp affect LED-cured gels?
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- Do Nails Need to Breathe?
- How do I avoid ‘greenies’?
- How do I treat ‘green nail syndrome’?
- How does cold weather affect the nails?
- I'm pretty sure my UV gel manicure client has WSO
- Leukonychia or not?
- Lichen Planus. What do I do?
- The onychomycosis (fungal nail) test is positive... Now what?
- What are these thin black lines under the nail?
- What is Onycholsyis?
- What to do with unhealthy nails?
- Why are there ridges in my nails?
- Why is silk or fibreglass good on thinner / damaged and weaker nails?
- Why should we NOT cover "greenies"?
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Onychomycosis
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What is Onychomycosis and what causes it?
Onychomycosis is also known as nail mycosis, mold or fungal infections. The condition can be caused by many fungi which attack nails – Trichophytons and Candida are common species. The pathogen attacks the nail plate, usually from skin already affected, and the fungal cells destroy the nail keratin. Immunity plays a major role in this infection.
The condition often starts from the nail edge, or from the area of hyponychium, and progresses toward the cuticle, nail matrix, and nail bed. The fungal infection destroys the nail keratin and specific symptoms appear in the form of delamination, onychoschizia, colour changes and hyperkeratosis, causing the nail plate to become fragile. When the infection reaches the nail bed, the fungi use the ridges as paths to the matrix.
A serious sign of systemic fungal infection is when the condition moves its way from the cuticle side towards the nail edge; clients should be advised to see a doctor immediately if this occurs. If the surrounding soft tissues become swollen, red or itchy, Candida albicans is likely causing the mycosis and suggests immunity has been compromised.
Who does it affect?
Anyone, especially those with immunocompromised conditions.
How can nail technicians help?
The condition can be cured completely and successfully, but usually, the treatment is complex and takes months to be completed. Only medical providers can treat the fungal infections and prescribe topical or oral treatments.
There are lots of fungal infections and types of onychomycosis where nail care is strongly prohibited until the condition is completely treated. If the client presents the nail technician with written medical consent from a doctor stating a manicure or pedicure can be carried out then this can occur.
In other cases where the condition is yet to be diagnosed, the nail technician should inform the client of suspicious symptoms, and advise them to seek medical advice. All the artificial enhancements should be avoided.
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