For years I have dreamed of working in a salon doing nails all day long - i recently got my dream job - in a tanning salon - where I do nails.
Just recently I have been getting calls from my clients saying "a couple of nails have come off after a few days, or a week"..... or "my nails look a mess where they have grown out and have lifted..." and "there r visable lines where they have been in-filled".

(I was taught in college and did a City & Guilds Acrylic course which i passed with distinction, so i thought i was doing everything right.)
However, i recently did a course on gel nails with a lovely lady who is NVQIII trained, and she told me i was doing a helluva lot of things very very wrong the my acrylic application!! Like, for instance applying a clear/natural tip....i was taught to apply it to the nail and then blend (which never ever got rid of the line completely!)....but i have since found out if u really thin it out and do most of the blending before u apply to the nail u completey get rid of the blend line!!! I was also doing my acrylic sculptures all wrong, my brush was too dry and the nails were too flat....!!

So now i am wondering wether to do the whole course again!! i feel like crying!! haha!!

I cant handle it when people complain, i lose all my confidence and it makes me want to quit completely and go back to a boring office job!!! Is anybody else like this?? Will it get better or do u think i should re-train???

I feel bad that i am costing people money and they are not happy with my work. xxx

Hiya...xx

Tricky one this....firstly clients do and will break nails.....it still bothers me but i have learned that most of the time its them...gardening...decorating...biting.....they forget to tell you these bits.

The lifting bit though sounds like it could be a prep problem....explain your prep and someone will be able to tell you how or if you could improve on that. Lifting can also be caused by lots of other reasons....ratio not right etc...but i don't do L&P so someone else may help with that.

Blending tips....this is down to each persons preference....some pre-blend and some don't...either way you do need to make sure the line has disappeared....without touching the natural nail.

Do you feel that your training was adequate...? if you feel not then maybe some more training would help....this alone will help with your confidence. But then confidence also comes with time.

Don't beat yourself up...and DON'T quit...you'll get there.

If you do a search on training you will find so many threads giving advise on who trained with who and there own experiences...personally Creative is my choice as its who i trained with and i have no complaints. But i know the money side can be a hurdle...when you are just starting out.

I really hope you find what you are looking for and YES we have all felt this way so you aren't alone babes.

Best of luck xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi

Chin up you'll be fine.
Why not book a 121 or a day with the company that you get products off?
I've got one in May booked with mine and have a list of things I want her to go over with me.
Ihad two people this week upset me, one said most fell off???? other said splits in all tips up nail??? this one I had only seen nails 36hrs before in work and they looked great, just in need of a backfill.
C*

There is allot more to running a successful nail business than just doing nails. Handling complaints is one of those things. Being confident is another.

You are always going to get complaints because that is the nature of our society and women in particular. You had better learn how to handle them and take advantage of them to do something positive or you will lack so much confidence that the rest of your business will suffer too and you will be miserable.

It's like when people tell me they are no good at retailing their products! My answer is, well learn how to be good at it. Take a retail class and learn the techniques of selling. You can also learn how to handle complaints in a positive way by taking a class on customer service. It is not something that comes naturally to most of us ... we have to learn. Like keeping the books of your business etc. all these are skills that you need to be taught.

With regard to education, you have not been taught incorrectly ... there is more than one way of doing everything and not just THE way. The fact that someone has shown you something different does not make the way you were taught WRONG. We all learn techniques over the years that work for us. Read the tutorials on this site and learn more of them. You know the basics (for that is all the NVQ teaches you) now you need to improve and take your techniques to the next level.

You are just starting out. There is a long way to go. Giving up too soon would be a big mistake if this is what you love. Build now on what you know and increase your repertoire of knowledge in all aspects of your business. Doing this is the way to increase your confidence and in turn your business.