Nail Enhancement .. a specialist profession in its own right??

[geeg]

I see Nail Enhancement as a profession in its own right and far more like the hair industry than the beauty industry.

My opinion is that Nail Enhancement should not be thought of as an 'add on' service to beauty because it is far too skilled a job to be merely an 'add on' service. If you don't use it you loose it! Too much time on beauty services and loose the nail skills .... too much time on nail services ... and loose the beauty skills. Nail enhancement is a specialist job .. I believe in the 'Jack of all trades and Master of none' philosophy.

Lack of respect for the skill of the really excellent nail technician is one of the things That personally bugs me!!!

How do you see it?

 

[kateyork1]

I personally see it as my main profession with any beauty things I do as add on services - so I agree with you Gigi and that's why I'm putting all my effort into getting as much of the best training as I can.

You never stop learning in this profession either - which is one of the things that keeps me at it - I have always loved learning new things and I have now found one thing that keeps my interest!

 

[jac extreme]

I agree Gigi, I have seen so many women with nail enhancments which have been done by beauty therapists, when the therapist has only touched on nails in their training, so they are unable to do a very good job and having worked with beauty therapists in salons, the ones I met did not want to do enhancements at all and would be more than happy to just do manicures.

I believe that Nail enhancements should be a totally seperate course and not part of beauty therapist training, unless their training was more in depth.

 

[Cathie!]

Totally agree which is why I have only taken on waxing and spray tanning as my add ons....I have no desire to add any other services as I know that nails is my passion.....and if I were to take on more I would be continually chasing my tail trying to be the best at everything and end up getting myself in a right pickle lol!

 

[louge]

Couldnt have said it better Kate

 

[geeg]

I believe that Nail enhancements should be a totally separate course and not part of beauty therapist training, unless their training was more in depth.

The good news is that it now is!! There is a totally separate NVQ for nails and it is at level 3 where it aught to be. Finally after years of People like Marian Newman pushing for it to happen ... thanks Mum.

 

[kateyork1]

About time too!! Thanks from me too xx

 

[Carmen]

I wish this was the way where I live!!! People go to do their hairdressing course, touch on nails and think they're properly qualified. Drives me nuts!!!

 

[lotus blossom]

great thread gigi!!!
the salon where i work is an upmarket hairdressers, where they have employed me as their nail technician to perform the services that the clientele expect, my boss has got a girl who is a colour technician, someone else specialises in top of the range cuts, another who is a hair extension specialist , the list goes on, if you book for a cut, colour and blow dry, its not with one stylist , its with three seperate people, who specialise in their own field, for which they have done extra training and found their niche, so when he employed me its because he values me in my field as a nail technician, hes got it right as far as im concerned, each service is done the best by the people who know how, im positive that my clients view this as a right to a service, performed by someone that is dedicated to that profession ,
this is the way i see it for myself, some others may disagree with me, but my clients have said to me that they like knowing that i am a nail technician only!

 

[Oceana]

Yes this is exactly how it is......

We are not beauty therapists, we are nail technicians, a specialist area that we train long and hard to achieve.

As Gigi said.......Marian is pushing hard for us to be seen to stand alone. Which is why at CW the techs wear their own clothes (black and white like the hair stylists) they are out there on the floor instead of being tucked away behind the scenes. This is how it should be.........we are not "promising a dream" (thanks Marian!) as Beauty Therapists do........we are instant, beautiful and FUN!

So come on guys......chuck out the white dental uniforms and stand alone!!!!!! We should be proud of our profession and of ourselves and shout it from the rooftops.

We are part of a vibrant young industry that is new enough for US to make it what we want it to be..........don't settle for second best..............make a difference.

 

[Urban Geek]

I think the nail profession is the most poorly regarded industry. A lot of this is because of ignorance from both the general public and nail technicians themselves. If someone takes pride in what they do, they will be happy to continue updating their education/skills as necessary. So many nail technicians just do a basic/foundation course and that is the only education/training they intend to take, even though they are lacking in so many directions. There are so many NSS salons too and jo public who has just experienced a NSS salon thinks all nail salons are the same. Clients are always impressed with my working practices and that is without me opening my mouth. I am sure that once the public have the experience of going to a conscientious and skilled nail technician, they will think twice about going to a NSS salon.

It is up to us to educate the public, spread the word of good workmanship and have respect for our own skills by charging accordingly rather than compete cost wise with NSS salons.

 

[Urban Geek]

As Gigi said.......Marian is pushing hard for us to be seen to stand alone. Which is why at CW the techs wear their own clothes (black and white like the hair stylists) they are out there on the floor instead of being tucked away behind the scenes. This is how it should be.........we are not "promising a dream" (thanks Marian!) as Beauty Therapists do........we are instant, beautiful and FUN!

So come on guys......chuck out the white dental uniforms and stand alone!!!!!! We should be proud of our profession and of ourselves and shout it from the rooftops.

I have to disagree with the uniform aspect. I prefer to wear a proper uniform (not quite a denal one LOL!). I feel so much more professional and look a lot smarter in my uniform. I want to be recognisable as the nail technician/professional whether in my home salon or the beauty salon where I am based. I know a lot of nail technicians prefer the casual approach and everyone to their own but, for me, a proper uniform wins.:hug:

 

[dids]

Just like to say that as a beauty therapist and a nail tech I take both aspects of my job very serious. Maybe i'm fortunate that I manage to do several sets of nails a week as well as my beauty clients. I dont consider myself as a jack of all trades and if I didn't feel I could do every part of my job well I wouldn't do it at all. Another small point i'd like to make is that as I work on my own, when I have my nails enhanced I have always gone to the local nail bars (my competition) and i havn't yet found anyone who I felt was better than me even though they do nails all day. I agree that there are probably many beauty therapist who are unable to do both beauty and nails well but I believe this is probably due to poor training within the colleges, as iv'e seen sets done in college where they were passed by the tutor and they were awful. Until training standards improve I dont think things can improve and unfortunately most therapists straight from college cant afford to spend money on further training.

 

[Bev Rose]

I certainly consider being a properly trained nail tech as my profession. I advertise myself as a 'Professional' nail technician, and this is my profession.

I'm not a beauty therapist, waxing speacialist, eyelash treatment queen, i'm a nail tech & very proud to be one too. However i do offer thses two other services, but 95% of my work is nails and that's how i like it. That's what i love & that makes me happy!

My clients tell me that they love 'my' nails, they are the best they've had & they consider me to be a perfectionist. I'm pleased they think like this, i attempt to reach perfection for every client i do. I would not let them walk out of my salon with nails that i wasn't totally happy with wearing myself. I try to do everything relating to my full-time nail business as a profession and not a 'hobby'.

Being a nail tech is a profession - my profession and should be regarded as such.

Sorry to waffle on a bit!!

 

[*JOANNE*]

i wear a uniform
i think that as me and many others who offer a mobile service as a nail technician it is important to treat it as seriousley and professionaly as a salon based nail technician and myself personally find wearing a uniform advertises the fact that i am serios in what i do.
i agree with gigi and others that to be a nail technician, a good one is to take training as seriousley as hairdressers, beauty therapists, we are part of that kind of industry and i do not think it is fair that a skilled profession as this is mearley classed as a small "add on ".
as reguarding the nail technician and adding other small services such as tanning and maybe waxing then as this is usually not the majority of what we do just a small service to offfer our clients whom ask for it, most nail technicians have gone on to offer these small services and yet still classs them selves as nail technicians not beauty therapists because they see their passion and priority being a nail technician....and i think thats what it comes down to...do you class yourself as a nail technician or a beauty therapist
nail technician....nails nails nails....then small percentage of add on services
beauty therapist...beauty beauty beauty and a small percentage of nails.
hair dresser...hair hair hair then maybe ear piercing, extensions
nail technicians like the others are an industry in their own right.....
a thing that bugs me sometimes(please dont take offence)
is beauty therapists who do a small amount in their course doing nail enhancements then class them selves as nail technicians without any intention of educating them selves with the nail industry further

 

[Sassy Hassy]

I think that all three professions link in well, hair, beauty and nails, but each is its own seperate entity and so yes is a profession in its own right. They are all about about making the client feel better about themselves when they leave than when they walked in the door. I've been a nail tech for a few years now, and started to add on beauty in the last year. I do various bits and bobs, but am beginning to see that I want to move into being a nail and facials specialist. I love them both equally and dedicate myself to providing the best service and results I can, gaining a sound knowledge on the theory side too. I feel very confident in my nail theory, and I am reading like mad to get my theory on skincare as good, but it will take some time.

I've just learned to do waxing and can't say it's my favourite service, but it helps to pay the bills. My technique is good and I make sure I remove all hair AND wax before the client leaves, which a lot of salons seem to neglect.

So I think you can combine the two, but I think you need incredible dedication and professionalism to make it really work, but then I think that is true in any profession and what seperates the good from the great.

 

[EllaX]

i agree nails are a skilled profession - i know beauty therapists that did nails as part of their course and forgot the skills as they didn't focus just on nails- they only touched on it. it takes a lot of learning and regular education to become a great nail tech and should be a seperate course to beauty.

where i have my hair done they have colour specialists - and cutting specialists so why not have beauty specialists and nail specialists, stick to a sector u enjoy until u excell in it and beciome the best that u can be. xx

 

[~shelley~]

In my college where I do Beauty Therapy Level 2, Nail Extensions has been taken off the Level 3 Course & is a totally separate course now.
I was on my foundation course with a Girl who had done Nail extensions in her Level 3 but she said she only touched on them so felt like she needed to do the foundation course.

I feel like I am a Nail Technician First, Beauty Therapy & Tanning are services I have added on to Pay the Bills, although i totally love beauty & tanning as well as Nails. But Nails is my first love lol xxxxx

 

[jac extreme]

The good news is that it now is!! There is a totally separate NVQ for nails and it is at level 3 where it aught to be. Finally after years of People like Marian Newman pushing for it to happen ... thanks Mum.

I know what your saying Gigi about the NVQ BUT WILL BEAUTY THEREAPISTS STILL GET TRAINED IN IT TOO.

 

[VHunter]

I see Nail Enhancement as a profession in its own right and far more like the hair industry than the beauty industry.

My opinion is that Nail Enhancement should not be thought of as an 'add on' service to beauty because it is far too skilled a job to be merely an 'add on' service. If you don't use it you loose it! Too much time on beauty services and loose the nail skills .... too much time on nail services ... and loose the beauty skills. Nail enhancement is a specialist job .. I believe in the 'Jack of all trades and Master of none' philosophy.

Lack of respect for the skill of the really excellent nail technician is one of the things That personally bugs me!!!

How do you see it?

It drives me absolutely insane that many people regard nail technicians on the same level as a watiress:grr: :irked:

They fail to realize the training, skill and knowledge that is required to be a good, if not a fantastic nail technician. They think oh, it's easy to learn, I could do that.
My hubby for one, now and then will comment "gee, that client took a while, what took you so long" grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr so I tell him, and he's like "well, it still took a long time" (yeah, umm had to remove nss crap - means mma - and apply an entire new set, like HELLO can't do it in 30min!!!)
Ummm yo buddy, let's see you work miracles in less time. I just wanna smack him upside the head.:smack:
It's most definately NOT NOT NOT NOT and add on service. And DEFINATELY requires devotion and continual education. Yes, I do think you can be a successful tech and hairdresser simultaneously IF you devote yourself and IF you continually educate yourself and IF you use the required skills daily.
BUT if you don't do it often enough, and don't read up on the products, new techniques, new etc..... you lose it.

I would like to see Nail technicians get the respect they so rightly deserve.
And the NSS & shoddy techs are NOT helping matters, that's for sure.
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr