Manicurist flicking off bits of nail to make it “healthy” – normal?

[littlesnooze]

Hello everyone, first post on mumset. But I?ve read the s&b threads quite a bit and know you guys are experts so I wonder if you can help me with this.

Had a manicure a couple of weeks ago - just a sprucing up and clear nail polish.

Some of my nails were breaking (you know when the top layer starts peeling off a little near the end. The manicurist got an instrument and shoved it between the cracks of the breaking nail and started flicking the outer layers off the nail.

I have never seen this before and asked her about it. ?Oh, it?s fine you. You need to get rid of the top layers as they?re dead to let the healthy ones beneath get through. Other manicurists should do it but they never do because they are lazy?. I said I wasn?t so keen and so she left the rest.

The flicked ones (four of them) were very weak and so I?ve cut all nails down very short. But the ones she ?flicked? are still broken.

Has anyone ever heard of this? Am I really unworldly with regard to manicures? Or should I run for the hills the next time a manicurist brandishes a ?flicker??

And most importantly, does anyone have ideas of how I can help my nails to get better, sans peeling?

Phew, that was a bit long, sorry. And thanks!

Oops at format - obviously shouldn't draft posts in Word when practising!

All your nail is "dead". Luckily, or they would hurt at every knock. Ditto hair.

Basically she has weakened the nails she went for. i'd cut them, short and let them regrow.

Chuh! she wouldn't have graduated from the YTS in hairdressing and man/ped that I was on about a million years ago with that kind of bollocks being spouted in class, salon or exam.

Oooh, thank you SuoceraBlues. So glad I stopped her after four now! Will keep them short.

I wonder if there's a strengthener I can use. I have argan oil for my hair and I've seen people on here use it on their nails.

Apply mavala scientifique to them (sp), it's really good.

Finger nails grow in layers, once it's produced it's dead iirc.

Sounds like a load of bobbins to me.

Well I don't know for sure, but I used to quite enjoy doing the same thing to my nails. It wrecked them and it's taken me 4 months with daily OPI Nail Envy to get them back strong again.

Malava Scientifique, OPI Nail Envy... Thank you!

When I flick the top layer off my nails it's just makes the layer underneath bendy and weak and then the whole bit splits/breaks off sounds like she was talking crap tbh, but I'm not a nail expert, I use Sally Hansen products to help strengthen mine.

You had good instincts to stop her! Argan oil on your cuticles gets your nail base nice and strong too. I use argan for everything - face, hair, lips, cuticles. Great stuff.

Sally Hansen Miracle Cure is fantastic too - blue bottle.

I'm a beauty therapist & have never heard of that at all. I wouldn't go back there.

Sally Hansen Maximum Growth is v good.

I've been taking the Boots own brand vitamins for skin, hair and nails for the last 3 months and it has made a huge difference. I was v sceptical but my skin, hair and nails (funnily enough!) are all in much better condition.

I've never heard of anyone flicking bits of nail off either.

I have used nailtiques and opi nail envy. Both excellent. However I only like the orginal nail envy not the newer 'nail envy for flaky nails'.

Almond oil applied to the nails and cuticle area does a great job of strengthening the nail and nail bed.

I bet the flicking damaged more of the nail as the layer came away. Kind of like if you pulled a split end in your hair (making the split even longer and damaging the previously healthy shaft) instead of just cutting the split bit off just above where it starts.

Poor you, I hope your nails feel better soon.

I think Sally hansen nail products are awful. Their tan for legs is great though