10 Nail Care tips for future Nail Technicians

The tip-tap of acrylic nails on a smartphone screen is becoming an almost iconic sound. Driven by social media and celebrities, nail technicians are in high demand as everyone clamours for the nicest nails. However, getting a manicure or pedicure isn’t enough to take care of your nails…

Nail care is an important habit to adopt if you’re interested in getting acrylics or any other nail treatments. If you’d like to become a nail technician and enjoy a role that is both empowering and allows you to work for yourself, you need to know how to help clients look after their nails. As well as providing an online SHB30315 Certificate III in Nail Technology, we’re offering some valuable tips around nailcare…

1. Stay on top of trimming

Nails need to be trimmed regularly to stay healthy. Nail technicians should clip their own nails every two weeks, and either do it for clients or advise them to do the same. Once you’ve gotten into this habit you’ll then need to wait to adjust.

2. Keep them clean

Before any nail treatment can be successful, a client’s nails must be clean (meaning dirt-free). Remove all traces of any previous colouring with a remover, and gently scrub down nails and skin with a toothbrush to remove dirt. This will also help to exfoliate the skin without having to spend big.

3. Stop biting 

While this may seem obvious, many people struggle with nail biting addiction and cannot help themselves. Biting frays the edges of your nails and also weakens them through saliva exposure. Even worse, it can make people sick thanks to the dirt and debris that gets trapped under nails. Apply an anti-nail-biting solution, which adds a foul taste to nails, to dissuade biting and break the habit.

4. Be gentle

Although nails are harder than skin, they’re still very delicate. If a client uses tools like nail clippers too vigorously or scrubs their nails too hard, they may damage their nails and make future treatments difficult. For that reason, it’s best to be gentle when doing anything with your nails.

5. Don’t peel off gel nails

If you’ve ever had the itch to peel your gel nails right off, you’ve probably learned that this isn’t the best way to go about things. Peeling can cause divots in your nails that can take weeks or months to heal. Instead, soak gel nails to loosen them from your nail bed. Use light pressure with a long cuticle pusher to remove them cleanly.

6. Don’t cut the cuticles

Your cuticle heals the base of your nail, and removing it breaks the seal formed at the base of your nails. This in turn leads to reduced protection that can lead to bacteria and infections. Leave the cuticles alone, unless you’re a qualified nail technician. If you insist on doing anything to them, push the cuticle back with a wooden stick after exposing them to hot water in the shower, then massage with a cuticle cream.

7. Moisturise

Just as all great skincare regimes recommend a regular moisturising routine, nailcare requires the same regular schedule. When you sleep, moisturise nails with a nutrient-rich oil or moisturiser.

8. Protect nails in day-to-day life

Nails need to be protected from harsh chemicals and dirt. If you’re using your nails for outdoor work, gardening or other labour-intensive tasks, wear gloves. Similarly, if you wash dishes by hand it’s worth wearing gloves in order to avoid weakening the nails. 

9. Eat a vitamin-rich diet

Vitamins are an important part of nailcare. Vitamin E is particularly helpful for nails. It’s also worth eating a diet rich in nuts, seeds and beans to help strengthen the keratin that nails are made from.

10. Avoid bad products

As a potential nail technician, you should be looking to stock the best products. As a general DIY beauty fan, you should also adopt this habit. This doesn’t have to mean the most expensive products but does mean avoiding cheap products that contain toxins such as dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde and toluene. 

Ready to turn your passion into a business?

If you’ve got a passion for nails and want to turn your talents into a paid job or even a business of your own, why not study our SHB30315 Certificate III in Nail Technology Enrol today and start learning professional techniques and business skills.