A Consultation with Nail Biting Clients

It’s wonderful to work with clients who have beautifully long, strong nails however whether working in a salon or for yourself, you’ll often come across clients who are prone to biting their nails. Nail biting clients often want stunning nails as a way to stop them biting their nails but short, uneven nails that have been constantly chewed are difficult to work with and it ends up as a vicious cycle. There is one thing that both you and your client will have in common though – you’ll both want to stop the nail biting. Your support might be all they need in order to achieve their goal so we thought we’d share some top tips for a consultation with a nail biter.

Establish the Biting Pattern of Behaviour
Most nail biters, don’t just stop their biting behaviour at the nail – they often bite the skin around the nail too. Ask your client why they bite their nails, the answer is usually out of habit or through stress or nervousness. However some tend to bite to remove annoying nail splits or breakages.  Also ask them whether they just bite the nail or if they also bite dry skin too. By identifying their biting behaviour, you can help to stop them doing it.

Prevention Methods
There are several different methods that your clients could try to eliminate nail biting. Most common is to use a foul tasting nail varnish which works as a deterrent. In some extreme cases, clients have attempted hypnotherapy sessions to try and break the habit, although this is rare. The easiest way for a client to break the habit is to keep nails in really good shape and looking great so there is no temptation for them to bite. This is where your skills will come in.

Instilling a Nail Regime
You need to educate your clients of how to look after their nails – whilst they are growing and beyond. If your client wants nail enhancement whilst they are growing their nails, apply thicker can normal enhancements to help protect the delicate skin around the nail from further biting. You can also encourage them to use a range of take home products to use between nail treatments like cuticle oils, nourishing treatments and nail strengthening lotions. Finally, ensure they have regular appointments with you for filing, shaping and overall beautifying.

The good news is that once the biting cycle has been broken, this client will be so happy that they’re probably become a long-term loyal customer.