The doctor says “go ahead”. Should I?

Question:

I had a new client come to me yesterday. She had nails on from elsewhere, so I removed them hoping to do a fresh set…. Once I’d removed them I found her nails to be in awful condition. All of them were lifting from the nail bed. I’ve never seen anything like it! I’ve told her to see her doctor before she comes back to me. But, even with a doctor’s go-ahead, I’m not sure I want to do them. The picture attached was probably one of the better nails. The thumbs were almost all white and so loose. Also removed the gel from her toes which were in a sorry state as well.

Answer:

We are not allowed to diagnose only recognize. But this looks suspiciously like a reaction to nail products, especially as it is on every nail! 

The reactions to nail coatings do appear to fall into a specific range of conditions and onycholysis is one of them.
You were absolutely correct to refer to a doctor. Not all doctors recognize these reactions, so you can only suggest what it may be in the hope that an allergy is diagnosed, and your client is sent for a dermatological patch test that includes acrylates.

The only solutions are to keep the nails VERY short and use a good quality nail oil several times a day until it all grows out. Then, find out exactly what ingredients she is reacting to. Until that time I would avoid any nail coating!

There is something you could try but with no guarantee of success. Apply a HEMA-free UV gel polish to one nail, and see what happens once they have recovered. If there is any strange feeling or the start of more onycholysis, then remove it immediately.

This is a terrible situation the nail industry is in right now! There are LOTS of blogs on the website that will help understand what is happening including the free lesson “Allergies and how they happen”.