Backfills (French rebalance)

We have discussed the procedure for re-balancing nails (fills) and that all well and good, but what if we have someone who has a Pink & White (Permanent French) look?  The concept of re-balancing is the same, but we have that added step of the grown out white tip to deal with.  There are seemingly as many ways to re balance a French nail as there are companies that make products!  I will present a few of the most common ways here (these methods are the same for both Acrylic Liquid & Powder or Gel nails).

Generally you would begin just like any other re-balance procedure, but with step 2 where you are thinning out and cleaning up the grown out product, you would add in the french re-balancing Prep and then when you apply product you also fill in the white.  Let me show you...

First of all, you do not need an electric file to do a backfill (French Re-balance).  The first method I am presenting is the method the NSI, CND and OPI teaches, which basically entails thinning out the entire enhancement by about 50% (you can use a hand file or electric file; they show a hand file) and then you just reapply a thin layer of product over the entire nail - basically re-building the enhancement just like a full set. One advantage to this method is that it looks like a brand new set every time (which is what you want!)
(This video has a lot of references to the NSI product line, the first video shows the prep and the second shows application - they are the same video I just skipped past all the wordiness :) )

 

Basic Electric File Method - I think that this is the most common method (at least among techs I know). I personally use a barrel bit, but she is using a tapered backfill bit.  There are a lot of ways to carve the smile line with this method.

Tammy Taylor Method - Tammy Taylor uses a thin bit to literally just gouge out the new white growth area at the smile line and fill that in with white.  Many people opt to not do this method because there may be a color difference between the new and old product

Fill Before Cut - Young Nails teaches to basically to a regular fill and then use an e-file to cut the smile line after you apply the pink product. Its basically their counterpart to the Reverse Application.

I hope this helps!

Rebalancing Nails (Part 2 - Procedure)

Now that we have learned why we rebalance a nail in part 1 of this article, lets talk about the actual process of rebalancing. (We will talk about rebalancing a French nail in a later article)

1. Just like with a full set, we will start with a Client Intake and Analysis.  Now, if this is a long time client our intake may be just a few seconds long, confirming the length and shape of the nails and assessing if there are any major issues. For a new rebalance client we want to take a bit longer, asking questions about the nails, what they are looking for as an end result, what they have on their nails currently and assessing if there are any major issues that need addressing (breakage, cracks, lifting, yellowing, greenies, etc.).
2. Next we will sanitize our hands and begin the process of preparing the artificial nail for a rebalance.



http://www.nsinails.com

• Shorten and reshape the nails
• Thin out the free edge back to the original thickness - it will be thicker after shortening due to the out-grown apex.
• File over the stress area and taper the sidewalls until flush to the natural nail.
• Prep all cracks for repair by thinning the area around the crack. Thin all the way to the root of the crack (which is usually down to the natural nail plate). 
• Thin any areas of lifting until the separated product flakes away and a new seal is found.
• Thin product until it is flush with the natural nail and there are no areas of lifting visible. Avoid nipping or mechanical force when removing lifted areas – sliding the nipper under a lifted edge and pulling up leads to service breakdown. It can also pull up layers of the nail plate, which will weaken the foundation of the enhancement. Nipping can also lead to onycholysis, and perpetuate excessive filing to remove the ridge left behind. Proper nail care is of utmost importance.  You must do everything you can to protect and preserve the integrity of the natural nail plate
• Review entire file prep to be sure remaining product is thin and even, and that there is no lifted material left. 
3. PREP the exposed natural nails.
4. Apply your chosen product per the manufacturers instructions, filling in the growth area and rebalancing the stress area on all nails and addressing any broken or cracked nails in the process.
5. File and finish as usual

Pictures from : http://www.nsinails.com/nail-labs/tricks-of-the-trade/rebalancing.html

 

 

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Rebalancing Nails (Fills)

The bread and butter of many nail tech's business is not the full set of nails but rather the nail rebalancing service (called "fills" in the US or "infills" in the UK). Once a set of nails is applied, customers are required to come back every 2-3 weeks for a rebalance. 

The word "fill" makes a person think that the sole purpose of the procedure is to "fill in" the growth at the cuticle. This is simply wrong and is the reason I don't use the word "fill" in this article. The true purpose of a rebalance service is to rebalance the structure of the nail and - yes, fill in the growth area, though this is truly the secondary reason for the service - hence the reason I prefer the term "rebalance" over "fill". 

Do you remember how much time we spent building a perfect nail? Over time the balance/structure of the nail is lost and clients will end up with weak nails that can crack easily and break. A rebalance restores the balance and structure of the nail by repairing any cracks, chips, and breaks, reducing the length back to what it was, replacing the smile line back to where it should be and replacing the apex back to where it should be and of course replacing the product in the grown out area, This brings the nail back to as good as they were when they were first applied and also removes the need to have to soak off and reapply full sets of nails every month or two . A client could conceivably continue to rebalance her nails and never have to put on a new full set (unless they wanted to do a drastic change, like colored acrylic, etc.).

The Physics of Nails

Did you think you weren't going to use physics again after 8th grade?? Wrong :)

First a few definitions:

• Fulcrum: The point on which a lever rests or is supported and on which it pivots.
• Torque: The product of force and distance from a pivot or fulcrum.
• Balance: A body is balanced when it is stationary. That means there must be no net force or torque. Hence, any forces and/or torques on the body must be canceled or balanced by opposing forces and/or torques. If an object does not have a uniform weight distribution then the center of gravity will be closer to where most of the weight is located

OK, so what does this MEAN???

Lets think of the stress area of the nail as the Fulcrum and the weight of the Apex of the enhancement as providing Torque.

When we build a set, we take the time to put the arch in the stress area so that the nail is balanced. If we have a long nail we elongate the apex so to counter-balance the length of the nail. Balance is not the same as symmetry and symmetry is not the same as balance. What we are striving for is balanced nails.

 

 

After a few weeks (usually 2-3) the nail has grown enough so that the arch is now far enough past the stress area to start causing the nail to become off balance. (The weight of the apex is now exerting more pressure (torque) on one side of the nail and the nail is no longer balancing on the stress area.) 

 

You will notice that nowhere are we concerned about how much of a "gap" is at the cuticle - our concern is with the location of the apex and the imbalance it causes. For some reason techs nowadays find that it is "ok" for clients to wait 5+ weeks before a "fill" because the gap at the cuticle isn't that wide or they haven't broken a nail. This is the absolute wrong way of thinking.   Waiting too long to rebalance an artificial nail places undue stress on the free edge of the nail which can lead to lifting and breaking of the artificial nail.  The natural nail and nail bed can be affected by leukonychia, tenderness, peeling, cracking, splinter hemorrhages and bruising due to repeated stress placed on the nail bed and matrix of the nail trying to overcome the weight of the overgrown enhancement. 

 

 

Pricing

Because pricing is dependent on so many factors, including location, I am going to leave you with some links on this topic. 

http://www.nailpro.com/price-right

http://www.nailsmag.com/article/95787/whats-your-time-worth

http://www.nailsmag.com/blogpost/104730/dont-be-afraid-to-ask-for-what-youre-worthhttp://www.nailsmag.com/article/1215/how-about-giving-your-time-value

http://www.nailsmag.com/article/90938/the-pricing-problem

http://www.nailsmag.com/article/40772/why-do-you-charge-more-responding-to-client-questions-about-discount-salons

http://www.nailsmag.com/article/112741/fill-price-depends-on-frequency

http://www.nailsmag.com/article/40015/top-dollar-techs

 

 

 See part 2 for an overview of the rebalance procedure!

 

  

Creating the "Perfect" Nail Structure

The idea of the perfect nail completely subjective - no one likes the exact same length, style, shape, thickness, etc. “Perfect” is in the eye of the beholder. Maggie Franklin once said “A perfect nail is sleek and clean with straight lines and no lumps or bumps. No matter what the shape or style you are doing, the finished nail should look like it was done that way on purpose, with care and attention to detail; not sloppy and given up on.” Still, there are some guidelines to build a nail to that it is balanced, structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing. If you choose not to follow these guidelines, your nails will not fall off the next day 

wink emoticon. But these guidelines will help you build the most natural looking, thin, strong nail enhancement possible.

Apex/Stress Area
The apex is the thickest point of a nail enhancement which should be placed where the nail would break if it were firmly hit head on. (Picture #1) If you apply slight pressure on the free edge, a faded area will appear midway down the nail and that is where the apex should go for maximum strength. For good structure, placement of the apex should always remain at the stress area which will change depending on the length of the enhancement. Of course, as your nail grows out, the arch will grow toward the free edge and the nail will become top heavy and be more prone to breakage and lifting. This is the reason why clients come in every 2-3 weeks for a fill/re-balance - it has nothing to do with the gap at the cuticle! Actually leaving a small (1/16"-1/8") gap at the cuticle so you can completely blend product into the natural nail will help go a long way to the nail looking more natural as it grows out.

Lateral Structure
A strong nail begins and ends with lateral structure (sidewalls), which support the structure of the nail extension. A sidewall must extend straight out from the cuticle to the free edge on both sides. (Picture #3) When you look at the nail from the side or the top, the sides should be straight and both sides must look the same - even with pointed nails. A nail tech can build a strong sidewall and then ruin it with improper filing techniques. Files are intended to smooth and shape the nail surfaces; wrong angles and a heavy hand can weaken the best structure. Ideally, you should sculpt the nail with your brush and then use a file to level and smooth out the product. In addition, always sit straight! It is impossible to have straight sidewalls if you are sitting crooked or crossing your legs. One last tip is watch the side of your dominant hand - many techs over file the right side if they are right handed, or vice versa if they are left handed Really pay attention to your stronger side and make sure you are not over filing.

C-curves
The strongest shape in the world is an arch - arches support more weight than a flat surface and this is the reason that bridges are built with arches. In the same way, C-curves can make or break a nail. Even an accidental bump to a nail that is flat can cause it to easily break. One way to get a better c-curve in the nail is by gently pinching in a c-curve before the product fully hardens - this is easier on a product that cures by evaporation (acrylic, wraps), but can still be done with light-cured enhancements. After the application of an enhancement product and before the enhancement is completely set, gently “pinch” the nail using even pressure on both sides of the nail to obtain the perfect curve. There is no need to get the 40° c-curve of a competition nail (picture #2), even adding just a slight curve will make the nail stronger. Plus, those extreme curves can hurt a client to "pinch in".

Balance
I always think of the balance of the nail and the location of the apex like a teeter-totter (see-saw) - in order for two people to balance at the same level they need to be the same weight, if one is heavier, the see-saw will tip toward their side - in the same way, if a nail is too heavy at the extension edge, it is more likely there will be breakage. Keeping the arch in its proper place will go a long way to having nails that last a long time.

Another way to balance a nail is when doing a French manicure. The white on a French tip should NEVER be longer than the pink. Ideally the pink should be 2/3 of the nail and the white 1/3 of the nail or less (for balance). The smile line can be curved gently or more extreme but should never be straight across - do you know how people always say horizontal stripes make someone look "fat"? It's the same with nails - a flat smile line will make the nail look wider than it is.

I have attached an image I got off a website in the UK that gives some pointers on looking at the nails - they use the term "crown" instead of "apex", but it means the same thing.

Join the conversation: What do you struggle with when creating a balanced nail?