Fake Nails & Esthetics Don't Mix

Esthetician students, if you have fake nails and your instructor hasn't already told you to remove them, let me tell you GET RID OF THEM NOW! I know this is not a popular statement, but the fact is fake nails are dangerous to our clients. Fake nails are beautiful, I definitely understand the need for gorgeous tips, however, not at the expense of our clients. Those nails breed bacteria and increase the risk of infection. Nurses, in many hospital settings, are banned from having fake nails because the nails trap moisture which causes fungi to breed; longer nails breed more bacteria because there is more space under the nail to retain bacteria; and even after hands are washed, many people with fake nails are still harboring bacteria because the hand washing does not remove all of the bacteria that hides under the nail bed.