Jeni Giles
Well-Known Member
Hopefully I'm putting this post in the right place, and that it will be taken in the right spirit- education. This industry, all aspects of it are my passion. I've literally devoted my life to learning and improving our industry in any way I know how. Sincerely that is the intent of this thread- maybe this should be in business (feel free mods to move if needed) since the topic should help ALL of us on our retail skills.
As a nail technician, artist, professional- whatever your title may be, you spend hours perfecting your craft, taking additional classes and educating your clients on home care or aftercare. Usually you recommend products to support the service you have done. If it was a natural nail service it may be, nail strengthener, cuticle cream or oil, lotion, maybe some bath fizz or polish. Pedicure clients often purchase cream or lotion, callus softener and maybe polish for a touch up if they go on holiday. Artificial nail services usually retail hand cream and cuticle oil. These are all recommended by a professional, usually supporting the professional line.
Skin care specialists, waxing experts, spray tan gurus all have home care recommendations also. Again these recommendations support their professional expertise and chosen product line.
Hair Dressers or Cosmetologists spend hours learning about products and how they affect the hair and the chemical services we do on the hair. At this point I'll step on my soap box for one moment. All shampoos and conditioners work, they do what they are designed to do, clean the hair and scalp and smooth the cuticle layer down to ease tangles when combing wet hair. Not all shampoos and conditioners are created equally, OTC products contain fillers, wax, perfume and are watered down. Some OTC products have a high enough alkaline content to use to perm the hair. Off the soap box now...
To help support each other in our professional endeavors, hair dressers make referrals to qualified Nail professionals. We rely on those professionals to make recommendations for upkeep, home care and products that should be used or avoided. People who strictly do hair are dependant upon nail professionals for their professional advice, when we ask for a product suggestion or referral, we expect it to be of a professional nature and you live up to that. I've not seen a product referral for an OTC product for at home care of nails.
Unfortunately, the hair geeks, while we are few (I'm still a nail geek too), are being asked loads of questions about over the counter products. I honestly can say I've never used one (advantage of growing up in the industry) I've learned about Pantene, Prell, Suave, White Rain and Tressemme the hard way- trying to perform chemical services, with out success.
The biggest problem hair professionals have with over the counter products is trying to maintain salon services over wax buildup. I'm sure there are products available OTC that don't have as much wax and filler, but if I use the products formulated by the manufacturer to support my salon service I have much better results.
Using an OTC product to maintain chemically treated hair is almost like mixing product lines when doing a nail service- say using CND exfoliating crystals and EZ Flow finishing lotion- yes they still work, but not like they are designed to. I'm sure you could substitute something from the pharmacy too, I can't think of a brand name off hand. (can't say I've bought any of that otc either:lol:- man am I a product snob or what!!!)
Hair dressers rely on our esthetician (skin care) counterparts for skin care and make up recommendations. Unless we have had an opportunity to pursue this avenue, hairdressers generally stick with well....dressing hair, cutting, styling, coloring, perming, relaxing and maintaining a healthy or structurally competent head of hair.
The whole purpose or intent of the hair geek forum is, I think, to allow a place for professionals to question, interact and exchange professional ideas and techniques. Nail geeks have hair questions too and I'll be glad to answer them the best I can, I'm sure other hair geeks will too, but questions about products that are not professional or do it yourself at home with no prior knowledge or training is difficult at best, disasterous at worst.
I'm hoping that we will be able to use this forum as it is intended- to learn from one another as professionals to guide our clients toward the best services possible. By working together (possibly forming some alliances that could lead to stylist referral) maybe we can elevate our industry to a little higher level.
Working together, supporting each other and learning about other branches of our industry will insure that we all will have a beautiful future.
As a nail technician, artist, professional- whatever your title may be, you spend hours perfecting your craft, taking additional classes and educating your clients on home care or aftercare. Usually you recommend products to support the service you have done. If it was a natural nail service it may be, nail strengthener, cuticle cream or oil, lotion, maybe some bath fizz or polish. Pedicure clients often purchase cream or lotion, callus softener and maybe polish for a touch up if they go on holiday. Artificial nail services usually retail hand cream and cuticle oil. These are all recommended by a professional, usually supporting the professional line.
Skin care specialists, waxing experts, spray tan gurus all have home care recommendations also. Again these recommendations support their professional expertise and chosen product line.
Hair Dressers or Cosmetologists spend hours learning about products and how they affect the hair and the chemical services we do on the hair. At this point I'll step on my soap box for one moment. All shampoos and conditioners work, they do what they are designed to do, clean the hair and scalp and smooth the cuticle layer down to ease tangles when combing wet hair. Not all shampoos and conditioners are created equally, OTC products contain fillers, wax, perfume and are watered down. Some OTC products have a high enough alkaline content to use to perm the hair. Off the soap box now...
To help support each other in our professional endeavors, hair dressers make referrals to qualified Nail professionals. We rely on those professionals to make recommendations for upkeep, home care and products that should be used or avoided. People who strictly do hair are dependant upon nail professionals for their professional advice, when we ask for a product suggestion or referral, we expect it to be of a professional nature and you live up to that. I've not seen a product referral for an OTC product for at home care of nails.
Unfortunately, the hair geeks, while we are few (I'm still a nail geek too), are being asked loads of questions about over the counter products. I honestly can say I've never used one (advantage of growing up in the industry) I've learned about Pantene, Prell, Suave, White Rain and Tressemme the hard way- trying to perform chemical services, with out success.
The biggest problem hair professionals have with over the counter products is trying to maintain salon services over wax buildup. I'm sure there are products available OTC that don't have as much wax and filler, but if I use the products formulated by the manufacturer to support my salon service I have much better results.
Using an OTC product to maintain chemically treated hair is almost like mixing product lines when doing a nail service- say using CND exfoliating crystals and EZ Flow finishing lotion- yes they still work, but not like they are designed to. I'm sure you could substitute something from the pharmacy too, I can't think of a brand name off hand. (can't say I've bought any of that otc either:lol:- man am I a product snob or what!!!)
Hair dressers rely on our esthetician (skin care) counterparts for skin care and make up recommendations. Unless we have had an opportunity to pursue this avenue, hairdressers generally stick with well....dressing hair, cutting, styling, coloring, perming, relaxing and maintaining a healthy or structurally competent head of hair.
The whole purpose or intent of the hair geek forum is, I think, to allow a place for professionals to question, interact and exchange professional ideas and techniques. Nail geeks have hair questions too and I'll be glad to answer them the best I can, I'm sure other hair geeks will too, but questions about products that are not professional or do it yourself at home with no prior knowledge or training is difficult at best, disasterous at worst.
I'm hoping that we will be able to use this forum as it is intended- to learn from one another as professionals to guide our clients toward the best services possible. By working together (possibly forming some alliances that could lead to stylist referral) maybe we can elevate our industry to a little higher level.
Working together, supporting each other and learning about other branches of our industry will insure that we all will have a beautiful future.
