4 Common Mistakes That Nail Technicians Make

As nail technicians, well actually, as humans, it can be hard to admit that we make mistakes. But in reality, we all do it! And in fact, making mistakes is an easy way to learn, and in this industry, everyone can benefit from a little bit of learning. 

It can be easy to turn a blind eye to or just accidentally miss specific steps of a manicure, but this is where things can get tricky down the line, leading to work that you aren’t satisfied with and unhappy clients. 

Sound familiar? Don’t worry, we’ve rounded up four common mistakes that nail technicians make, and of course (you didn’t think we would leave you hanging, did you?) a solution for each one, so we can all grow and become better at our craft.

1: NOT PREPPING THE NAILS PROPERLY

The key to a fabulous, long-lasting and clean manicure lies in the prep. We could talk about this forever but your prep should be one of the most important steps in your manicure service, as without it, your gels or acrylics will start to lift, crack and peel, no thank you.

With so much focus on nail art and different designs, we can often lose focus of the most important part of any set of nails. Some nail art designs can take hours of your time, but that time is wasted if the foundations of a long lasting set aren’t right and the nails don’t last.

Take it back to basics and if you struggle with this step, make yourself a checklist of all the important steps.

2: USING THE WRONG PRODUCTS

With so many products on the market for nail techs, it can be hard to narrow it down and find ‘the best’. Like the old saying, when you buy it cheap, you buy it twice, and you should look at your kit as an investment, what you put in you’ll get back.

Having high-quality products and equipment will make the world of difference to your manicures, and if you’re stuck on what to buy, check out our shop here, we’ve done all the hard work for you.

3: NOT CURING GEL CORRECTLY

Whether you’ve been in the nail industry for one day or 10 years, as nail techs, we’re guaranteed to run into this problem more times than we like.

There are several factors that can lead to your gel not curing properly; having a broken or bad quality lamp, not using high quality gels, not letting your gel cure for the appropriate time, failing to prep properly or using too thick coats of gel.

Of course, these are all things we should know- but sometimes things fall through the net and catch us off guard. To avoid this happening, always take the time to prep (we’ve already lectured you on this), invest in good quality products and lamps, make sure to cure your nail for the stated time for your gel brand and always use thin coats.

4: NOT LEARNING NEW THINGS

If you think that the learning process starts and ends with your qualifications, then we’re here to tell you you’ve got it alllllllll wrong.

If you go into your new exciting nail venture without an open mind to learn new things, then you are only limiting yourself and the talent that you could gain, and won’t move with the times which will only end in failure.

As nail techs, we learn new things every day. We learn new processes, techniques, product recommendations, different ways of working and so much more, so if you got your certificate, bought your kit and immediately buried your head in the sand then you need to come up for air. 

Luckily for you, The Nail Tech Org happens to be a worldwide leading learning platform and online community for the nail industry, where you can learn something new every single day. That includes educational resources, new techniques, business advice, expert knowledge and a long list of others.

Ready to take the next step and level up your business? Read all about us here and more on how to join here, we guarantee you will not regret it.