Arthritis and conditions that make people want to hide their hands

As a nail tech for over 3 decades, one of the most commonly heard phases has been “ Oh my hands are awful/disfigured/ugly I don’t want to wear colour on them and draw attention to them”.

We completely understand of course and it’s our job to make the client happy, but what if giving them what they are missing out on would give them joy, and worrying what people think less means they can truly enjoy the nails of their dreams?

I believe everyone should be able to express themselves and enjoy nail colour as a way to do that, and nail art too if that’s their thing.

This often is a case of encouraging them to go bolder with each appointment, and letting them know that not everyone judges, in fact very few would, that most would just compliment their nails and perhaps ask the shade or if they were for a special occasion.

It’s something I have written about before in magazine articles and in social media posts where I encourage ‘real life hands and nails’ much as we have seen the call for plus size models and diversity in fashion.

Quite often, by zooming in and adjusting the hand position slightly you can also take a fabulous photo of your clients nails which will give them confidence to keep making their nail dreams come true.

If clients are struggling with arthritis or hand conditions like Duprytren’s disease we can do a few things to help. When working, always make sure they are comfortable. Check they have consulted a doctor, suggest physio and regular hand exercises, and offer a hand massage, it can really offer some relief.

Arthritis can sometimes also disfigure or distort the natural nail, and having a manicure and good reshape, or even some overlays can disguise this and leave a smoother more even finish.

One of the other things that puts people off certain shades is their skin tone, this is particularly relevant if they think their hands have a blue-ish/purple tint from something such as Raynard’s syndrome. Work with those clients to find shades they are comfortable wearing. Use colour pops you can hold next to their skin to see how the colour would look on them. They will have their favourites which they are confident and comfortable wearing.

Always remember if you are seeing something you don’t understand or that concerns you, to refer the client to their GP. We cannot diagnose and there is no reason for us too, but what we can do is bring joy in the form of a beautiful manicure so be confident in your own skills and give a little happiness to a client who is conscious about her hands today.

And it doesn’t just apply to hands! The other phrase I hear almost every day as people take off their shoes is “ Oh my feet are awful, I’m so sorry….”.

Feet and hands are tools, they serve us well, let’s give them a treat!

This piece was inspired by a long standing client who finds joy in her beautiful nails, despite having painful, arthritic hands and this social media post by Nancy Birtwhistle who has Duprytren’s disease. https://www.instagram.com/p/DLxM3-YKTN2/