Advice for a newbie, which course?

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Sprice780

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I know this is probably a not one answer fits type of question.... I obtained an NVQ Level 2 in Beauty Therapy some 14 years ago but never really did anything with it. I have a gel lamp and gel polishes in a bottle which i use to do my own nails. I'm on the verge of being made redundant from my office job and would like to use the opportunity to get trained in nails and potentially create a career in this field. As I have always done my own nails and watched YouTube videos I'm not very knowledgable on the different types of things available because I don't go to nail salons - I have only ever done my own nails. My nails are long so I don't do extensions etc. I have decided I want to do a gel course (rather than acrylic) but think there are the 2 types (tell me if I am wrong) gel polish in a bottle and then gel builder gel in a tub that you put on with a special brush. (I use the gel polish in a bottle on myself). Can anyone offer me the pro's and con's on each of these different gels (or any others that I should be considering) so that I can decide which course would suit me best please? I have been looking at the calgel courses near me but should I look at a more generic course that isn't brand specific so that I can choose my own brand once I am trained? If I don't train with Calgel and then decide I want to use Calgel could I then purchase once I have my insurance and qualification or would I still need to train with them? (I have put a call into Calgel and waiting for them to ring me back). I am looking at courses in the West Midlands, UK area - can anyone recommend any training courses in this area?

Thanks in advance for any advice x
 
It sounds as if you are just using gel polish at the moment, which is basically a longer wearing polish cured under a UV/LED lamp, but usually only offers a little extra protection to natural nails. Gel polish can be soaked off with acetone.

Hard gels and builder gels are stronger and can be applied over the natural nail for added strength, or over extension tips or for sculpting (like acrylic). Coloured Gel polish is usually applied on top. Hard gel needs to be filed off, but there are some soakable builders available. It is usual practice to infill hard gel rather than remove each time.

The choice of how and where to train is tricky because the quality of training can vary so much and there sadly seems to be a lot of very poor education available! You'd like to think colleges offering NVQ qualifications would cover all you need, but it seems that isn't always the case. On the plus side, at college you will get plenty of hours practical experience, hopefully working on models provided by the college and with a tutor on hand to advise you. One thing I would say is to definitely avoid 1 day courses (unless it is a brand conversion when you are already trained and just want to learn how to use a specific brand - these are actually well worth doing!). Ensure that your course is fully accredited and insurable by the main insurance companies (not just one the trainer has paid to cover their course) and look for good reviews. Generally speaking brand training shouldn't tie you to just one brand, but it's always worth checking with your insurance provider.

Like you I did manicure and pedicure with my Level 2 Beauty Therapy college course many years ago. I then did brand training for nail enhancements (hard gel, L&P/acrylic & fibreglass). Followed years later by completely retraining for Level 3 at college and I have since done various brand courses as well.
 
It sounds as if you are just using gel polish at the moment, which is basically a longer wearing polish cured under a UV/LED lamp, but usually only offers a little extra protection to natural nails. Gel polish can be soaked off with acetone.

Hard gels and builder gels are stronger and can be applied over the natural nail for added strength, or over extension tips or for sculpting (like acrylic). Coloured Gel polish is usually applied on top. Hard gel needs to be filed off, but there are some soakable builders available. It is usual practice to infill hard gel rather than remove each time.

The choice of how and where to train is tricky because the quality of training can vary so much and there sadly seems to be a lot of very poor education available! You'd like to think colleges offering NVQ qualifications would cover all you need, but it seems that isn't always the case. On the plus side, at college you will get plenty of hours practical experience, hopefully working on models provided by the college and with a tutor on hand to advise you. One thing I would say is to definitely avoid 1 day courses (unless it is a brand conversion when you are already trained and just want to learn how to use a specific brand - these are actually well worth doing!). Ensure that your course is fully accredited and insurable by the main insurance companies (not just one the trainer has paid to cover their course) and look for good reviews. Generally speaking brand training shouldn't tie you to just one brand, but it's always worth checking with your insurance provider.

Like you I did manicure and pedicure with my Level 2 Beauty Therapy college course many years ago. I then did brand training for nail enhancements (hard gel, L&P/acrylic & fibreglass). Followed years later by completely retraining for Level 3 at college and I have since done various brand courses as well.
Who did you do your training with?
 
Who did you do your training with?

Initially, after doing my manicure and pedicure qualification at my local college I then trained with Star Nails. This was 1997/98 though.
I then re-trained, starting from scratch at college to level 3 and have also done gel polish and powder dip training with Cuccio, builder gel training with a TGB educator, e-file training and nail art workshops with INK London.
 

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