You receive education and training to better your future.  Once you get a certificate, a degree or a diploma from an education series or nail tech school, the last thing you want to hear is that you didn’t get the right nail training.  You always want to make sure that you spent your time and money in the right place to help you reach all of your current goals, and hopefully many of your future, unforeseen goals as well.

When it comes to making sure that your nail training will take you as far as you need, you want to make sure that the education you are receiving for your nail technology license covers all the standard material that you will need so that you can work as a nail technician where you are planning on working.  This mean that you should take your nail training in the area, or from the area as is the case with online classes, that you plan on working.  I once knew a girl who had to take a second basic nail tech training course so that she could get an ITEC accredited license, because she wanted to work as a nail tech giving manicures and pedicures on a cruise ship and her license did not cover her work on the water.  So, make sure that while you are taking your nail tech courses, all your bases are covered and that you get the highest quality and fullest nail technician training you can.

Study Well To Pass Your Nail Tech Course Exam

If you are currently taking a nail technician course at your local community college, or at a beauty school or salon, you want to make sure that you finish that course before anything else and make sure to pass your nail tech exams with flying colors.  It would be silly to change your course now after you have already started getting your foundation of nail training and education.  You can always add nail training courses later into your own curriculum, or take them after you have received your certification.  The more you can learn at this stage, the better, so make sure to study any resources you can get your hands on, and practice, practice, practice.  In a previous post I talked a little bit about how you should prepare for your nail training exams, so make sure to check that out.

If you are looking for resources to study beyond whatever materials were provided for you, check out the nail technician exam secrets first.  There are also plenty of other resources in there.  What resources do you all like to use?

Take Master Nail Training to Increase your Skills

If you are already a licensed nail technician that is working in the field currently, or looking to get back to your nail career and need a little refresher, it is always a great idea to take a home study or short course to brush up on and improve your current skills.  With the short courses, it is also always very beneficial to meet others in your profession in your area.

Some of you need to get continuing education units for your nail training, to keep your license current, and some of you are looking to increase your income and your service by mastering new skills and learning more about how top nail technicians perform.  If this is you, you should try a master nail tech course or talking with our salon owner about what extra trainings they may need to provide for you.

Become a True Nail Artist

Some of you may have a more exotic clientele or may just really enjoy the more creative side of the nail business, and for you all i would suggest learning as much as you can about nail art.  I have seen some really amazing nails out there, and many of them are some of the most creative works of art on tiny little canvases.  Nail artistry is really a growing field, and its FUN!  if you haven’t had a chance to check out a really cool nail art class or haven’t seen anybody do some cool stuff on youtube, you should go poke around and see what some of these creative individuals are doing.  Whether its just using varnish, or using acrylic or gel nails, there is a lot that you can do with your brushes and a little creativity that you haven’t even thought of yet.

Acrylic and gel nail training are the basic building blocks of nail art, but there are many more specific training techniques and process techniques that you will want to pick up from a teacher or whoever you choose to be your nail art guru.  One other to get good with gel or acrylic nail art besides taking a gel nail training course would be to find a local nail competition, attend, and talk to some of the champs.  Better yet, you can even compete yourself!

If you are a nail hobbyist or a nail technician with a creative flair that you don’t always get to express, then i highly recommend you check out a short nail art course in your area or trying out some of the home based nail art training courses from essential nails, i have heard some really good reviews about them although i haven’t tried them myself.

Know What You Want Out of Your Nail Career

I think with any career, you should always set lofty goals and go for them with vigor while taking massive action.  Learn as much as you can, set yourself up to move forward as best you can with what you have to get yourself rolling in the direction you want to go, and you will always do well in your chosen field.

In the salon business, i think this starts with becoming a master nail technician, becoming the best in your area.  Another common goal is to own the salon you work in, build a business, and own your own shop, or nails training center.  Many nail technicians, have moved on and up into owning their own nail shop, or opening a nail school, which has given them the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of anther’s labor.

Whether you see yourself in an owner position, or a brilliant nail artist’s position, you can always benefit from learning more about the business end of the field you are in.

If you really want to learn to build your customer base as a nail technician, you need to learn about marketing for yourself.  This can be as simple as asking your customers to refer you to their friends, and can be as advanced or as complicated as you want, but at the end of the day the principles of marketing yourself and your services have very few variations, and you will learn these in time.  If you are looking to learn about how to market yourself as a nail technician in your area, or you are looking to keep your clients coming back happy, then there are many resources available to you.

This course has a few marketing secrets of successful nail technicians that may be useful.  Another resource that is focused highly on customer retention and customer rapport is Nail Salon Success.  This course focuses on relating to your customers in a beneficial way.  After you have improved your nail art skills, and your treatment, getting more people in the door and into your chair is always going to be a top priority, so even if the course above is not for you, make sure to pick up a book about about marketing a small business and learn about customer acquisition and retention, the value will last you a lifetime, and help you really stretch your nail training far.

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There are many reasons that people will choose to take nail technician courses and become nail technicians.  For me it was an opportunity to provide more for my family and my children then i could with the education that i had received.  I knew college wasn’t for me and working in retail was not providing the income that i desired.  I looked at many different trade schools, and had a few friends who were going to be hair dressers.  I think the main reason that i decided to go get licensed and get a nail technician job was because i wanted to be a little bit different than my friends in what they were doing and I knew that i wanted to do something working with my hands.

Your decision may be different, or you may not have made a decision about whether you want to be a nail technician or not yet.  I have given you my reasons, so now i am going to lay out a few of the pros and cons of becoming a nail technician so you can decide for yourself whether you want to pursue the career.

I will start off with a few of the “pros” as i see them.  As a nail technician, you have the ability to work for yourself.  With a specialized skill like nails, you can work for any salon you want, you can rent space in a salon, or if you can afford the start up cost you can even create nail technician jobs for others by having your own salon.  I have seen a rising trend in concierge or mobile nail techs.  These mobile nail technicians may not even have a salon, they can work from anywhere because they will pack a mobile nail studio into their car.  With a portable nail table, a lamp and their tools, they are on the go and on to various clients homes to pamper them with fabulous nail service in style.

Another positive result of being a nail technician is that you can set your own rates and really control your future career.  Being a licensed nail tech gives you the ability to reach and stretch your own limits outside of what some other job would limit you with.  If you want to do different types of nails, you have the freedom to go get more training or practice on your own.  You get to choose what to charge your clients, and how you want to get more clients as well.  Nail tech’s set their own hours and really do as they please when it comes to growing their career.

Now on the flip side, getting your nail technician license is a lot of work in most places.  In certain parts of Europe, you may be able to take fewer classes, or have a greater flexibility with where you learn than in the US.  In the United states, you are regulated by your state’s board of cosmetology… usually.  Most states have a minimum of 300 class hours, with many more being in the 1200 hr range.  You will have to study nail anatomy and learn quite a bit about sanitation, chemical safety, and hygine on top of your regular nail art and nail treatment training.  This is hard work, but you know what they say, anything worth doing always is.

Now another thing that you may see as a negative is that being a nail technician means you have to have a certain amount of self discipline.  I outlined all the freedom’s that you have above, which are really great, but if you really want to succeed as a nail technician, you are going to have to grow constantly and learn how to manage clients, manage your time, and manage your books.  These things will all take alot of work, but before you know it could be old hat if you focus at it.

Now there are quite a few other things to keep in mind, like working with different people every day could be exciting or maybe stressful.  if you have clients that like to talk, that may be your favorite thing, or you may just want them to be quite for just a bit.  Maybe you don’t like working with chemicals, or hate the smell of acrylic nails and the like.  I didn’t really cover these because you can solve these issues relatively easily, change the environment of your salon to encourage quite or talking, work with only natural nails if you don’t like the chemicals.

Now I hope that you can see the various pros and cons of becoming licensed nail technician and getting a nail technician job.  I have had a great career as a nail tech, but that’s because it has worked for me.  You will only know what works for you after trying things out.

If you have been in the nail industry or getting manicures for any length of time, then you are fully aware of how many different types of fake nails there are out there.  Most women would associate getting their nails done with having artificial nails applied or maintained.  If you haven’t ever had fake nails before, then you may be asking yourself “what’s the big draw?”.  The answer is there are quite a few.  Where as with natural nails, there are many reasons you want to keep them that way, there are a few big reasons to get nail tips put on.  With natural nails you may think they stay chemical free, they look nice, and the application process doesn’t smell like chemicals.  With fake nails, the four main reasons to get them are below.

Fake nails Last Longer

With any manicure, you always have to ask yourself, how long is this going to last?  You are always wondering when your nails are going to chip, break, or just lose the beauty of the expensive treatment you put them through.  Sadly, with natural nails the answer to the question of “how long?” is “not very.”  Natural nails can be so fragile and if you have to work at all with your hands, good luck keeping them neat for long.  If you like to wear long nails, it’s almost impossible to have them natural for too long before they catch.  Fake nails like acrylic nail tips and UV Gel nails last much much longer than natural nails, and keep their beautiful color longer than regular nail polish alone could.  The polymers in these nails are meant to be hard and will resist any minor encounters that would chip your natural nails.

Fake nails Look Better

It is always nice when your nails are maintained and your hands look emaculate, but its even nice to have neat nails that are long, elegant and maybe colorful.  Natural nails rarely get to the long elegant length that you want, and it’s been a fact since ancient egypt that long nails equals status.  Long acrylics, fiberglass, silk or uv nails all can look very natural if natural is what you are going for, and they will able to be much longer than your natural nails could.  Even little girls know how much fun it is to play with false nails, because many cosmetic companies are coming out with fake nails for kids like press ons and stickers

Fake Nails Are More Versatile

I don’t know if you have ever seen some of the amazing nail art that is prevalent in high fashion and nail competitions, but it is absolutely beautiful.  Fake nails designs and designers are getting more creative, and even fashion designers like Louise Viton are getting in on the fake nail designs action.  Air brushed nails can really only be done well on uv gel because of the smooth clean surface it provides naturally when cured.  Uv gel nails are also great for working with fimo gel or other sculpting materials that you can’t support with natural nails.  gel nail artists can sculpt flowers that create a beautiful corsage go on your nail, try doing that all natural. You can even get a pedicure with fake toe nails, to cover up imperfections or just to last longer.

Fake Nails Look Natural

Finally, if your reason for having natural nails is that you just love the natural look of them, then it is time you get with the program.  A gel nail manicure can look just like a well maintained natural manicure if you want it too, you nails don’t even have to be extended.  In fact, one of my favorite styles of fake nails is the uv gel french manicure, because the look is stunning.
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Image via Wikipedia

There are many different types of nail tips available for anyone looking to make their nails beautiful.  Some of the most common nail tips are acrylic nails and gel nails, but there are fiberglass nails, silk wraps and even press on plastic nails available.  One of my favorite types of fake nails are pre designed nail tips, as they really let designer fashion and artistry shine, and the application time for these is very short.

When getting false nails of any kind, make sure to consult with your nail technician about anything you can do to make your manicure last long and keep your nails healthy.  As long as i have been doing and working with nails and nail trainers, i am always looking for the newest nails tips that i can get to care for my and my clients nails.

Acrylic nail tips are very popular especially in the USA.  Acrylic nails can be very strong and sturdy, but if they break, they can be very dangerous, and you should see your nail technician immediately.  When acrylic nail tips break, they can lift the nail from the nail bed injuring the nail and opening up the nail to the possibilities of disease.  Make sure that you get your acrylic nails filled regularly by your nail technician to keep the nail strong and looking natural. If you are removing your acrylic nails, you may want to pick up a nail conditioner or strengthener to help nourish your nails.  After acrylics have been applied a nail may be a little bit brittle or weak, especially compared to the acrylic tips.

Artificial nails are great for long term nail care as they last much longer than a natural manicure and are much stronger than your natural nails alone.  When it comes to applying artificial nail tips, you want to make sure that you start by roughing up the nail using a very fine emery board.  You want to make sure the grit is very fine to make sure that you don’t damage the nail any more than neccessary for the gel or acrylic resin to adhere to the nail.

When caring for your artificial nails, make sure that you try not to catch them on something that could potentially pull on the nail, as this can cause pain and injury.  If you get a crack in your acrylic or gel nail, make sure to set an appointment with your nail technician as soon as possible because you want to make sure that the crack in that nail tip doesn’t propagate down to your real nail where it can cause discomfort.

Over at the Secret Suburb Society, we came across a post by Jessica who fulfilled her dream of being a fabulous nail tech after a career in advertising.

She has put the nail career on the back burner while she cares for her children, but she still likes to give her self a beautiful pedicure every month.

With a fabulous pedicure comes really fun and colorful polish.  One of my favorite lines of nail polish is Essie. Theyhave super pretty colors and always come out with a new collection every season.  The Summer collection comes out on June 1st and you can bet that I will be picking up some bottles.

She gave us a sneak peak of the 2010 summer collection, and there are truly some exciting colors in the mix.  I think my favorites are “Vermillionaire” and “Pretty Edgy” but i can’t wait to see them on.

What’s your favorite color of the Collection?

Image via Wikipedia

A blogger, Joey Chong, wrote up a piece about her experience with getting her first hard gel extensions.  She says that the entire experience took quite a long time, over 4 hours, from manicure to pedicure, to gel extensions.  This is a little longer than i would have expected to hear, but in a busy place it may be unavoidable.

Joey has put up quite a few pictures of her experience which are great, and you should check them out.  The article then goes on to explain the pros and cons of gel nail extensions, and in what situations someone may want to go with a regular gel overlay rather than an extension.

One Thing that really caught my attention was a way that her nail salon may improve by upgrading their nail equipment.

The substance only hardens under UV light. After applying a layer of hard gel over my natural nails, I have to insert my fingers into the UV light machine. I can feel the heat and to be honest, it can hurt.

The things we endure for beauty… there are plenty of UV lights with cooling fans attached that i think can offer at least a mild comfort while your gel extensions are hardening.  What do you think?  Do you use cooled uv gel lamps with your services?  What ways do you try to make the experience as positive as possible for your clients?

I found an article on a cosmetics website that dealt with gel nails and specifically the “easy soak-off” variety.  All gel nails that i have encountered are technically “soak-off” as they take about 30 minutes in acetone to weaken the chemical bonds in the gel nails.   Generally a nail tech would then use an orange wood stick to push the uv gel off, which can be a very time consuming process.

This article was featuring a product from a California company that offered easy soak off gels, and had this to say about them

The conventional UV nail gels are not very easy to remove, the new soak-off gels can be easily soaked off and therefore are also referred to as easy off gels.

Now my question to this company and to you is, how “easily” are these gels soaked off?  how long do they soak in acetone, and if it is an easier removal process, do they last the same amount of time on the nail before needing to be refilled etc. ?

have you come across these “easy soak offs” by other brands?  if so, have you ever found a uv gel nail that was really easier?

let me know below!

Summer is starting, and so is a new season of nail style and fashion.  according to Soberz one of the more popular new summer styles is short square nails.  rather than long round nails, you want to go with short square nails in bold reds blues or yellows.

As always during summer, showing off your nice manicured toes is a must.  they suggest you go with the newest style of thong or gladiator sandals.  Here is a bit of their thoughts on the summer styles

Bold artsy red, blue, orange, or yellow nail polish is best displayed on short, square nails. Remember that they’ll need re-doing every three to five days or so.  Show off your glamorous toes in stylish thong sandals, mighty gladiator sandals, or slinky open-toes. Bright accessories are in, so you can match your fingernails to a hot-pink scarf, hot yellow bag, or splashy aqua scarf.

I have been seeing quite a few more short square nails this summer, but a long set of square gel nails has a very noticeable and distinct look too.

Have you been getting more requests for short square nails in your salon?

One of the most important habits i think a nail technician can develop is also one of the most basics, and may be over looked in many nail technician schools.  The tip is this:

Always make sure to collect the name phone number and email address of every client you see.  As nail technicians, we want to file this information in our appointment books, smart phones, email programs, or even an email management system if your business warrents it.

You want to make sure that you email your customers on a weekly basis about specials that you offer, new products, or new services either weekly or monthly.  Your goal every week is to find a reason to mail them.  If you are going to give a discount on your uv gel nail sets, then you can send them a coupon, or you can just have them mention the offer that you send out when they come in to get your discount.

If you get in some new seasonal colors or are trying out a new brand of nail polish, its a great reason to send a short note to your list of clients, and if you have a client who has been waiting for a particular color, let them know you got their nail polish in.  They will appreciate the personal touch from their nail technician.  Good personal news about your nail business is also great to send out, it lets your clients get to know you better, and we always feel more comfortable and want to be around someone we know better.  hint hint, keep your nail clients coming back hint .

You can also call a client that doesnt already have another manicure or pedicure scheduled.  give them a call and a friendly reminder about a special that you are giving to your clients and that if she wants to schedule an appointment to get her nails filled, or whatever service you may be focusing on, you will give her a percentage discount off of your regular prices.   You can even call about a new nail technician course you may have taken, and you really want them to benefit from your new techniques.

These emails and calls are important for you to grow your nail tech business.  Every call you make and every email you write is an opportunity to keep you on your clients mind which can be great for repeat visits to your nail salon, or great for referrals and new clients who would love to benefit from the nail training you have received.