Nail tech beginnings: advice wanted!

[Alwayspolished85]

I am in the beginning stages of becoming a nail tech. I've been doing my own natural nails for three years, including vinyls, stamping, freehand, etc. I will be new to the world of artificial nails.

What advice do you have for me?

I am also interested in what your process was when picking a school, and any hind-sight advice you may have about anything training/school/beginner related.

Thanks!

-Alwayspolished85

 

[Perfected]

When choosing a school, I looked at distance and programs offered. Some schools offered more hours than required. One might be easily persuaded that this means more education, which I guess could be true. But more likely, it's just more money in the school's pocket. I called several schools. I ultimately chose the one that was farthest from me, simply because they had awesome customer service.

Now I can say that my main teacher was a very sweet older lady and I'll never forget her lessons. The school had issues, but I think that might be the case anywhere you go.

Don't expect to learn everything you need to know from school. School is a great place to start. But 99% of what you learn is from experience.

Continuing education is where you'll learn the majority of your skill. And PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.

Don't be afraid to try new things, but if you do them, do them with passion. If there's something you don't enjoy doing, listen to your heart and don't. You'll excel in what you're passionate about. For years I tried to convince myself I wanted to do acrylic. But truth be known, I just enjoy playing with it. The filing and rebalancing are of no interest to me. And that's ok. There are plenty of awesome techs who excel at acrylic enhancements.

Be true to yourself. Be humble, but know your worth. If in the future you work somewhere that isn't the right fit, don't be afraid to change it. And later in your career, if you need to take a hiatus, that's ok too.

Don't go gung ho over every new product to hit the market. (This is especially true if you're a product junkie like me.) Read reviews first, and YouTube it, if available.

Don't give up. If you're trying something new and can't get it to work, keep plugging away at it.

Stay thirsty for knowledge. Subscribe to nail magazines. Connect on social media to nail gurus you admire.

I hope this helps, and good luck!

 

[tuan]

1. Don't over file the nails. New nail techs LOVE to over file the nails. They do this because they believe that it will help the acrylics stay on better. True, but at the expense of the nails. Without the nail you won't make any money.

2. Don't get the acrylic liquid onto the skin surrounding the nail plate. This will cause an allergic reaction.

3. Don't buy cheap products. Only used either CND or OPI. I don't recommend CND Shellac for gels. OPI gels are good though.

4. Get yourself the Kupa Mini Pro drill if you want to do acrylics.

5. Get into it with a a strong sense of self belief and confidence. There's nothing to be afraid of and it just takes practice. Just make sure you don't over file the nails if you are practicing on real nails.

6. Use only the liquid and powder of the same brand. You cannot mix and match products.

7. Dont waste your money with schools.

 

[EllenHyuga]

Use whatever products you’re happy with. I wouldn’t touch OPI or CND with a barge pole, but that’s MY PERSONAL preference [emoji849]
Practice practice practice! And always look at reviews for the school you choose [emoji846]

 

[Alwayspolished85]

When choosing a school, I looked at distance and programs offered. Some schools offered more hours than required. One might be easily persuaded that this means more education, which I guess could be true. But more likely, it's just more money in the school's pocket. I called several schools. I ultimately chose the one that was farthest from me, simply because they had awesome customer service.

Now I can say that my main teacher was a very sweet older lady and I'll never forget her lessons. The school had issues, but I think that might be the case anywhere you go.

Don't expect to learn everything you need to know from school. School is a great place to start. But 99% of what you learn is from experience.

Continuing education is where you'll learn the majority of your skill. And PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE.

Don't be afraid to try new things, but if you do them, do them with passion. If there's something you don't enjoy doing, listen to your heart and don't. You'll excel in what you're passionate about. For years I tried to convince myself I wanted to do acrylic. But truth be known, I just enjoy playing with it. The filing and rebalancing are of no interest to me. And that's ok. There are plenty of awesome techs who excel at acrylic enhancements.

Be true to yourself. Be humble, but know your worth. If in the future you work somewhere that isn't the right fit, don't be afraid to change it. And later in your career, if you need to take a hiatus, that's ok too.

Don't go gung ho over every new product to hit the market. (This is especially true if you're a product junkie like me.) Read reviews first, and YouTube it, if available.

Don't give up. If you're trying something new and can't get it to work, keep plugging away at it.

Stay thirsty for knowledge. Subscribe to nail magazines. Connect on social media to nail gurus you admire.

I hope this helps, and good luck!

So we'l written and helpful. Thank you!

 

[Alwayspolished85]

So we'l written and helpful. Thank you!

As I post typos at 5am, lol

 

[Alwayspolished85]

1. Don't over file the nails. New nail techs LOVE to over file the nails. They do this because they believe that it will help the acrylics stay on better. True, but at the expense of the nails. Without the nail you won't make any money.

2. Don't get the acrylic liquid onto the skin surrounding the nail plate. This will cause an allergic reaction.

3. Don't buy cheap products. Only used either CND or OPI. I don't recommend CND Shellac for gels. OPI gels are good though.

4. Get yourself the Kupa Mini Pro drill if you want to do acrylics.

5. Get into it with a a strong sense of self belief and confidence. There's nothing to be afraid of and it just takes practice. Just make sure you don't over file the nails if you are practicing on real nails.

6. Use only the liquid and powder of the same brand. You cannot mix and match products.

7. Dont waste your money with schools.

Good advice, thank you. How do you suggest becoming licensed without school? I'm actually looking forward to the school part! #nerd

 

[Alwayspolished85]

Use whatever products you’re happy with. I wouldn’t touch OPI or CND with a barge pole, but that’s MY PERSONAL preference [emoji849]
Practice practice practice! And always look at reviews for the school you choose [emoji846]

Thank you! What are your reasons for not liking OPI and CND?

 

[Perfected]

Thank you! What are your reasons for not liking OPI and CND?

I'm not her, but I can say I personally am not a fan of OPI polish. They have some awesome colors, but it just doesn't last on me. My holy-grail polish is Zoya. I've been collecting for a while and have over 600 bottles. I also like Young Nails Caption polish. It spreads on the nail like warm butter. I do like OPI's accunip cuticle nippers though. They curve in at the bottom and don't gouge my hand.

For me, I've been a long time fan of CND Cuticle Away. I have very sticky cuticles, especially on my toes. Nothing comes close to getting it off like Cuticle Away. Just make sure you remove it with water to deactivate it. I like the Vinylux for the fact that it dries fast. My natural nails are thin and bendy, naturally, so using it all the time doesn't usually happen. I like using more layers of polish because it hellos my nails feel more protected.

I used to use CND Solar Oil religiously, then tried Dadi oil. Now I use my own creation, Chickadee Minerals Nail Love cuticle oil and prefer it. #biased

Oh, and no matter what product you're using, make sure you know the manufacture's directions! It's chemicals we're dealing with, and that's nothing to take lightly. On that note, I highly recommend gloves! Nitrile gloves are chemical resistant, so acetone won't eat through them like vinyl. Latex gloves could cause a reaction in someone with an allergy. I know a lot of techs that have been doing this longer than me feel completely comfortable without gloves, and that's fine. But I can't tell you how many times I've been doing a hand massage only to discover they had a small wart I hadn't seen prior. I've never had a wart since my nail career started in 2005. Just something to consider.

 

[Alwayspolished85]

I'm not her, but I can say I personally am not a fan of OPI polish. They have some awesome colors, but it just doesn't last on me. My holy-grail polish is Zoya. I've been collecting for a while and have over 600 bottles. I also like Young Nails Caption polish. It spreads on the nail like warm butter. I do like OPI's accunip cuticle nippers though. They curve in at the bottom and don't gouge my hand.

For me, I've been a long time fan of CND Cuticle Away. I have very sticky cuticles, especially on my toes. Nothing comes close to getting it off like Cuticle Away. Just make sure you remove it with water to deactivate it. I like the Vinylux for the fact that it dries fast. My natural nails are thin and bendy, naturally, so using it all the time doesn't usually happen. I like using more layers of polish because it hellos my nails feel more protected.

I used to use CND Solar Oil religiously, then tried Dadi oil. Now I use my own creation, Chickadee Minerals Nail Love cuticle oil and prefer it. #biased

Oh, and no matter what product you're using, make sure you know the manufacture's directions! It's chemicals we're dealing with, and that's nothing to take lightly. On that note, I highly recommend gloves! Nitrile gloves are chemical resistant, so acetone won't eat through them like vinyl. Latex gloves could cause a reaction in someone with an allergy. I know a lot of techs that have been doing this longer than me feel completely comfortable without gloves, and that's fine. But I can't tell you how many times I've been doing a hand massage only to discover they had a small wart I hadn't seen prior. I've never had a wart since my nail career started in 2005. Just something to consider.

So helpful, thank you for your input!

 

[EllenHyuga]

I just don’t get on with them. As Perfected already said, I love the colours of OPI, but it just doesn’t last on me. In my experience their customer service is appalling too. But some people swear by them and CND.
I use INK London x

 

[VintageEsmerelda]

I went to college recently to learn how to do gel nails and I can honestly say I wish I went with a company instead. I learned more from watching You Tube then I did doing a City & Guilds course. I felt like it was a waste of money so I suggest going with a company. I plan to go and train with a company now to help build my skills which I feel they should have done at school.

 

[tuan]

Good advice, thank you. How do you suggest becoming licensed without school? I'm actually looking forward to the school part! #nerd

You have to get licensed. I meant not to waste your time with classes that are not recognized by state board. But even license school don't teach you anything. You should read the book they give you and then learn how to do acrylics on your own.

 

[Alwayspolished85]

You have to get licensed. I meant not to waste your time with classes that are not recognized by state board. But even license school don't teach you anything. You should read the book they give you and then learn how to do acrylics on your own.

Got it. Thanks!