Beauty by Cindy

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There is a difference between a nail tech who works on clients all day and a nail artist who can spend hours, sometimes even days, creating one elaborate set or even a single nail.
Both require skill, but they are demonstrating different kinds of skill.

A working nail tech has to balance technique, time, safety, sanitation, product knowledge, client expectations, and the financial reality of running a business. They have to deliver consistent results, appointment after appointment.

A nail artist who spends hours or days creating an elaborate design can concentrate on creativity, intricate details, and visual impact. That takes tremendous talent and patience, but here is where I think working nail techs are getting caught up in something that can actually hurt their businesses.

Elaborate nail art gets views on social media. It gets attention, builds followings, and helps companies market their gels, acrylics, powders, monomers, and all the other products used to create those designs. What gets views on social media and what makes money at your nail desk are two completely different things.

Nail techs see these incredible designs online. They see the products being marketed with them, and naturally, they want to learn how to create them. They start spending hours practicing elaborate nail art, then spend even more time recreating those designs on clients who are often paying nowhere near what that time and skill are worth.
Meanwhile, the next client is waiting, the appointment book is falling behind, and the nail tech is working harder without necessarily making more money.

I owned three salons. I never sat around practicing a design for hours. Five or ten minutes was about all the time I gave myself. I had clients to take care of. I was working. I was making money. My business was built on long-lasting, beautiful nails, with nail art that fit the client’s budget and my appointment schedule. I definitely learned extravagant nail art may lost me money because it took too much time that I didn’t get paid for.

There is absolutely a place for elaborate nail artistry. There are incredibly talented artists who deserve every bit of recognition they receive. The problem is when working nail techs begin measuring their own abilities against artwork that took someone hours or days to create, then feel they need to offer that same level of detail during a regular salon appointment.

You can be an exceptional nail technician without being an elaborate nail artist. Your ability to create beautiful, properly structured nails, provide consistent services, manage your time, and earn a good living is a skill worth celebrating.

Social media has made elaborate nail art the center of attention, but that does not mean it should become the center of your business. I wonder how many nail techs are spending hours trying to master what gets views instead of concentrating on what actually makes them money.

Are we teaching nail techs to become successful working professionals, or are we teaching them to chase what looks impressive on social media?