AboutMaggie Franklin Expertise Professional Nailcare: nail enhancement chemistry and technique, mancuring and pedicuring. I am not qualified to give medical advice or make medical diagnoses.
Experience I am a professional nail technician with 17 years experience in the professional beauty industry. I am licensed in the states of California (license #M120766) and Colorado (license #8611.)
I have been an active member of the online mailing list at Beautytech.com since 1999 where I network with 100s of nail industry professionals around the world.
Over the last 15 years I have accumulated several advanced training certificates, including the coveted Creative Nail Designs Master Nail Technician status, and personal training by Tammy Taylor, Tom Bachik, and Tom Holcomb.
I briefly joined the competition circuit in 2002, taking first place in the second annual Strut Your Stuff Online competition in the Enhancement 2 category. In 2009 I have decided to make time in my schedule to get back into competition by joining "Team Pink," the competition team captained by current world champion nail technician, Lynn Lammers.
I boast several contributions to articles that have appeared in both Nails and Nailpro magazines, including a brief stint as a Nails Magazine Help Desk contributor and now I write a semi-weekly blog for Nails Magazine while continuing to attend tradeshows and continuing education events.
Organizations Nail Tech mailist list at Beautytech.com
Publications Nails Magazine. Nailpro Magazine. Blogging for Nails Magazine since September, 2008: http://blogs.nailsmag.com/maggie/
Education/Credentials CA license #M120766. CO license #8611. CND Master Nail Technician. Tom Holcomb Academy. Personal training with Tom Bachik. Two day advanced training with Tammy Taylor. AEFM certified for use of electric file. HRTE (High Road to Education) in San Jose, CA 2009.
Awards and Honors 2nd Annual Strut Your Stuff Online competition, 1st place in Enhancement 2. Member of "Team Pink" competition team 2009. 3rd place, Novice tip-and-overlay relay at IBS Las Vegas, 2009.
Question I have a very hectic work/life schedule. My nails are healthy and strong, however a manicure lasts a day as the polish gets scratched or chipped right away. Is there a product that a salon can use to prevent this and not damage my nails. A friend told me about acrylic, I like the effect of the nice look of manicured nails, I do not like the damage I believe it does to my very healthy nails.
Answer A skilled technician can apply and maintain any artificial enhancement product/service without damaging your natural nails. The trick is in finding a qualified professional who has the skills and a professional ethic toward maintaining the HEALTH of your nails as well as their beauty. This will take a lot of research and asking around and probably even some trial and error before finding the right fit with a good technician.
Enhancements such as acrylic, gel, or wraps will also require a commitment on your part to regularly scheduled maintenance in order to assure the continued integrity of the service and avoid damage or injury to your natural nails.
Maintaining polish on natural nails continues to present challenges to us in the industry. I personally, cannot understand how enhancement laminates such as acrylic and gel have made such quantum leaps over the years in terms of durability and adhesion... yet polish that stays on for more than a few days continues to elude us?
One thing you might consider is a service called Juliettes. It is a paper wrap technique that usually uses clear polish to adhere the paper to the nail, instead of the resins used for fabric wrap techniques such as fiberglass and silk. Juliettes can extend the life of your manicure while adding minimal strength to your natural nail.
The challenge is finding a nail tech who offers them. Juliettes were popular decades ago, before acrylics become available to the mass market and very few people in the nail industry are skilled in this technique now.
Another possibility to consider is "powder glazing." This is a technique where resin is applied to the nail, then powder is either sprinkled onto the wet resin, or the nail is dipped into powder while the resin is wet; another coat of resin seals the powder coat, then activator is applied to cure the resin. One brand name product for this technique is Backscratcher's Extreme. As a full-force enhancement it works well to provide strength and durability comparable to acrylics, but I use this technique to add a minimal amount of strength to natural nails while extending the life of the polish. The difference is that for an extended manicure I do not apply tips to lengthen the nails, and I only apply one coat of powder, instead of the usual two coats that I use for enhancements.
Powder glazing will require a light buffing of the natural nail before the initial coat of resin is applied, and can easily be buffed down at your next manicure. If you wait too long between manicures, the product can chip, however.
Without getting into enhancement products, one thing you can try is Revlon's color stay enamel for nails. Believe it or not, their topcoat works well over any brand of polish, and I have not yet found a comparable product marketed specifically for the professional industry. Depending on how hard you are on your nails, this product can extend the life of your polish by a week or more. If you are very hard on your nails, however, you can still expect to repolish your nails twice a week.
The Revlon polish is only sold in packages that include a bottle of colored polish, but you can use any polish. Remember to seal the edge of your nails with a thin layer of clear polish also! And apply another coat of clear polish over your manicure every other day to extend polish. (Many professionals say to reapply clear every day, but I have found that this builds up the polish to the point where it peels off.)
