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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 nail products repair the nail?
- 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 do nail polish drying drops and sprays work?
- How does cold weather affect the nails?
- Is calcium good for nails?
- Is cuticle remover a must-have?
- Is my nail polish suitable for me?
- Is nail polish safe to use for repetitive use on clients because it 'can't store pathogens'?
- Nail polish stains on nails
- Prenatal vitamins and nail growth
- Quick-dry Nail Polishes?
- 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?
- Nail Oil and Lifting
- 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?
- Autoclave use
- 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?
- Is hand washing causing nail product lifting?
- My client has chipping/loss of enhancement and I’ve never had this before?
- Nail salon face masks
- Should a mask be worn throughout the whole service?
- Should I disinfect all nail brushes?
- 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?
- Gluten-free nail products?
- 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?
- Gel on toes?
- How can I find a non-toxic UV gel polish range?
- How much product to remove during rebalance?
- Inhibition layer and no-cleanse gels
- Is a UV gel manicure safe for someone with previous skin health issues?
- Mixing Nail Systems
- Nail Oil and Lifting
- 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?
- UV gel polish thinner
- 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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- A greenie! Why? What do I do?
- 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?
- Treating Fungal Nails
- 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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- How do I save a cut nail?
- How do I work on a client with type 2 diabetes?
- I am self-employed and have a home salon. Do I need to do a risk assessment?
- Is a UV gel manicure safe for someone with previous skin health issues?
- The doctor says "go ahead". Should I?
- What are the legal requirements for the treatment of minors?
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Support
Nail Plate
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The nail plate is created in the nail matrix, where skin cells are modified and keratinised to become the hard, flat cells of the nail plate. It is the most visible part of the whole nail unit, covering the area from the nail matrix to the free edge and beyond. While it may appear to be one piece, it is constructed from multiple layers of nail cells. As it grows it moves across the nail bed, held in place to the dermis beneath by nail bed epithelium, and kept within the lateral nail folds by the nail grooves along each of the sidewalls.
The tough upper layers are slightly thicker than the lower layers and form a protective barrier. These upper layers should NEVER be buffed off during any nail service. Buffing the top layers off exposes softer layers below.
This can affect the adhesion of any artificial products, such as regular nail varnish, UV gels or powder polymer or liquid monomer. It also weakens the nail and opens it up to penetration by unwanted substances. The lower and younger layers are attached firmly to the nail bed epithelium which, in turn is attached to the nail bed by a series of grooves.
Nail technicians carry out physical and chemical procedures to beautify, extend and enhance the nail plate’s appearance; and as professionals we have a responsibility to maintain and enhance the nail plate’s health.
Ask the Experts
What is the function of the nail plate?
The function of the nail plate is to create a rigidity for the end of the finger allowing the fingers to function efficiently in all their dexterity requirements e.g picking up small objects. It is also a protection for the last bone of the fingers and toes which would otherwise get easily damaged
Will the nail plate continue to grow?
The nail plate is continuously formed from the matrix of the nail unit. Modified skin cells keratinise in the matrix and push older cells forward. The journey from the matrix (which is a delicate area under and behind the base of the nail) to the free edge takes approximately 5 months.
Do nails grow from the nail bed?
Nails do not grow from the nail bed. The nail bed is an area under the nail where it is attached to the end of the finger and provide the nail with essential oils and moisture to keep it healthy and flexible. Nails grow from an area under the skin at the base of the nail called the matrix
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