5 Things I Won’t Do as a Nail Tech

If you’ve ever relocated and had to start your business from scratch, you’ll be inspired by Jody Mackay (@jodydoesjels), a nail tech specializing in hand painted nail art, who moved to Shetland, a small island in Scotland, and launched her nail career.

“When I moved to Shetland, my partner and I found out we were expecting our first daughter,” Mackay shares. “It was my partner that suggested I do a course in nails to see if I'd like it as if I did, I could work from home and make my own hours. Then the pandemic hit so it was all Zoom classes and practice on my partner, myself and the silicone hand.”

After completing all her courses, Mackay found herself falling in love with the science of nails, and launched herself via posted ads on local Facebook pages and local Facebook groups.

 “Getting my name out was hard, and Shetland is one of these places that everyone knows everyone and word of mouth counts for a lot.  I’ve been lucky with clients and ones that have found my ads and have then recommend me to friends and family. I make sure to regularly post and advertise in local pages and groups online with the occasional offers.”

Mackay can also (rightly) boast of being recommended by the Hair and Beauty Industry Authority (HBA) in the UK as someone recognized for SHETLAND'S BEST GEL NAILS 2024.  “Achievements like this made all the long days and long nights worth it,” she says.

5 Things I Won't Do as a Nail Tech

It was a list of watch-outs that Mackay posted to her Instagram grid that prompted us to reach out and ask if we could reshare it. We had already fallen for her handpainted designs and had posted them to @nailsmag.  She meant the list to inform clients on what her standards were and to help them decide if she was the nail tech for them.

“These are some things I won’t do as a nail tech,” Mackay says, “but, of course, it doesn’t mean that anyone with a different view is wrong.  We all have our own way of doing things.”

ONE: I Won’t Do Gel Nails or Extensions on Anyone Under 16

Why? Well, firstly insurance. So many salon insurance companies won't allow us to perform a nail service on anyone under 16. Some may allow from 14 but from what I’ve seen and experienced the rule of thumb is 16.

This may seem harsh but there are very good reasons. Children's nails are very thin and very oily. This means young children are at risk of having their already thin nails over filed and there is potential for gel not to last due to their naturally oily nails.

The second reason is that gel and acrylic products contain chemicals and allergens. HEMA is a chemical used in nail products to help the product stick to your nail; the higher the HEMA content, the stronger it sticks. Which might sound good, but nail products are not meant to last that long. And thinner nails can mean that allergens can absorb into nails easier.

With children having thinner nails it can also mean they are more prone to damage from heat spikes in the nail lamp which can cause nail separation. And young kids and teens might not follow the aftercare required to prevent permanent damage to nails.  

Also, if anyone is ever showing signs of a reaction, please seek professional advice from a dermatologist.
Signs include itching of the skin, redness, blistering, broken skin, and nail separation.

TWO: I Won’t Infill Over Another Tech’s Work; I Will Suggest a Full Removal First and Then a Fresh Set…But Why?

Well, firstly, it does surprise me how many techs just keep infilling without doing a removal every so often to be able to check and see their clients' natural nails health.

Healthy natural nails are what keep your gel on for so long without chipping, and as a tech, we don't want to be damaging our clients' nails, we want to preserve them and keep them strong and healthy.
With that being said, I won't make someone do a removal, but that does mean I won't allow you to book in.

Secondly, I don’t know what products they have used. A client can tell me Builder in a Bottle (BIAB), but some BIAB doesn't soak off with acetone it needs to be filed off only. Which affects the time of our service. Acrylic is harder to soak off that soft gel again, affecting the time it takes to do the service.

Also, some products can't be mixed if hard gel or a hard BIAB was used, and I was to infill with a soak off it affects the strength of the nails. Not to mention mixing brands –not all gel works together, not all acrylic works together. So, to save any lifting, chipping, or other service breakdowns, it's best for me to work from start to end with the system I use.

Lastly, I don't know if a tech has caused any damage or under cured the previous gel, which in turn can cause potential further damaged or a reaction to the gel. It's just not worth the risk.

THREE: I Won’t Buy Cheap Nail Products From Places Like Amazon, Wish, Shein, Ebay, etc.

So, first, what do I mean by cheap nail products?

Like many people, when I first started I started as a home user, buying gel off of Amazon and doing messy at home gel nails, knowing nothing about the brands, the ingredients or even proper and safe application and removal.

After doing course after course, investing money into good brands and high-quality products, it's night and day the difference. There is no way sellers can sell high-quality, safe gels at 2 or 3 pounds a bottle. (*A British pound converts to approximately $1.27.) Or full acrylic sets for as little as £12 (or $15.23 US).

The ingredients used in cheap, mass made gels and acrylic can be unsafe. There was a huge rise in reactions to products since Covid because so many of us reverted to DIY nails at home not fully knowing the repercussions of it. And was it worth it to develop an allergy when we did our nails at home in a time we couldn't even see anyone to show them off? I don't think so.

 All the products I use are from brands I trust. Brands I’ve seen grow from the start and brands that are totally transparent with customers.

The second thing I won't buy are cheap tools; its true what they say– if you buy cheap you buy twice. Cheap efile bits, cuticle tools, etc. dull so fast. You're better to invest your money here for good quality tools to keep your service ball rolling.

FOUR: I Won’t Gate-Keep Anything Related to Being a Nail Tech and I Won’t be Judgmental or Dismissive Towards Other Techs

So here we are with number four of the things I won't do as a nail tech. This one's a little mix of a few things but they tie together under the same umbrella.

What I mean by this is there are a lot of techs who may feel others in their area or online are competition, that they must fight other techs to have the most clients or most followers or views online, etc. But really there is room for us all.

Some techs who feel this sense of competition might not want to share their secrets of how they managed to score full client books or managed to set the next viral nail trend. But I don't believe that gatekeeping anything that can potentially help someone else better their skills, better their income or better their trade is the right thing to do. So if anyone asks me anything in relation to being a nail tech, I am always happy to help and share what knowledge I have learned if it means I can help someone else.

Secondly, being dismissive or judgmental …well there's just no need, is there?

Like many of us, we all started from the bottom, we all didn't know what we do today. Many of us are constantly trying to learn and keep learning things about the trade. The times I’ve seen 'nail shaming' groups or posts shaming people who are just starting out, people who are struggling to grasp acrylic or nail structure and who reach out for help and show their work online just to be dragged about how much of an awful job they did. As a community we need to do better, we need to stop and think how we can help going forward.

FIVE: I Won’t Stop Bettering My Education and Keeping Up to Date with the Latest Industry Changes

I also won't believe in or promote cheap or free courses that are subpar. Why…?

Well, firstly the industry is forever changing; what it was 20 or 30 years ago isn't where it is now. There's been a huge boom in the industry overall, the rise of builder gel, the downfall of acrylic nails? (Well I personally think so anyway.)

Or the way simple nails are out and bright bold and extreme nail art is in. The industry is thriving, and with that comes a lot of changes so what may have been the rules and regulations in 2005 aren't the same as 2024.

We need to keep our standards high and hold ourselves accountable to make sure we are up to date with the latest.

Secondly, speaking on education, the rise of free or cheap £10.99 – £19.99 courses that claim you’re going to be a fully qualified nail technician at the end of an online course without touching one single person….INSANE! When you look at reliable companies that charge £250 + how does it not make you question the type of quality you're getting? There is more to being a nail tech than putting gel on nails

With that being said, I believe that there needs to be more information overall in courses for nail techs about the products they are using. When techs are not armed with the right education, are not taught to uses a matching system, or don’t have a basic knowledge on how to read a SDS (Safety Data Sheet) and the understanding of common ingredients that pop up in gel systems or the names of harmful ingredients to watch out for…then we may as well all have done a £10.99 course and called it a day.

This is why research into what brand and company you want to invest in is so important!

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk! 😊