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Contents
Introduction
How use this book
Part. 1 foundation
Chapter 1why nails?
The advantages to the client
Nail extensions: some common names
The different nail systems
Acrylic nails
Fiberglass nails
Gel nails
Common techniques
Why be a nail technician?
Chapter 2. Introduction to home learn
Why home learn?
The practice problem
Your perfect model: the nail trainer.
Your perfect teacher: on video
Getting qualified
Chapter 3. Gel nails. Getting ready to learn
The products: what they are and what they do
Cuticle massage oil
Tip glue
Nail polishes
Top coat
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Nail tips
Nail sanitizer and cleaner
Extender nozzles
Gel
Your tools: what they are and what they do.
UV light box
The buffer
The nylon brush
Files
Nail dippers
Cotton pads
Kitchen towels
Orange wood or birch wood sticks
Three way buffer
Chapter 4. The nail trainer
When to use the nail trainer
Parts of the nail trainer
Finger tip parts
Setting up to practice
The practice area
The desk clamp
Positioning the nail trainer
The natural nails
The different nail shapes
Fitting the natural nails
Positioning the natural nail
Adjusting the nail bed depth
Removing completed nail work
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Separating nail from tip
Refitting the tip sheath
Working on the fingers
Working on the thumb
Care of your nail trainer
Cleaning
Replacement parts
Accessories
tips and ideas
simulate broken nails
electric files
progress cards
the essential techniques progress card
the whole hand practice card
how you learn: run, repeat, read & review
time management and practice regime
setting up to practice
answer tost paper 1, tools products & systems
chapter 5. salon skills
attitude and personal appearance
preparation and your surroundings
client consultation
manners and courtesy
your colleagues
ethics
retail sales
answer test paper 2, salon skills
chapter 6. chemicals, hazards and safety procedures
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understanding health hazards.
Safe use of nail tools
The file
The buffer block
The brush
Cuticle knives
The electric file
The UV lamp
Know your nail products and chemicals
Inhalation, absorption and ingestion
Extension tip remover
Acrylic primer
Nail polish remover
Gel prep and residue remover.
Accelerator
Acrylic liquid
Acrylic powder
Nail adhesive
Filing dust
A quick guide to understanding the risks!
A quick guide to working safely with nail products
Storage of chemicals
Disposal of chemicals
Extension tip remover
Nail polish remover
Gel prep and residue remover
The chemical reaction
The nail systems
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Acrylics
Gels
Fiberglass
Answer test paper 3, chemicals
Health and safety procedures
Hygiene
Disease and bacteria
Infection
How infection occurs
Minimizing infection
Sanitation
Disinfection
Sterilization
Other nail tools
Chapter 7. the nail
The part of the nail
The matrix
The eponychium
The proximal nail fold
The cuticle
The lunula
The perionychium
The nail grooves
The distal grooves
The hyponychium
The nail bed
Different nail shapes
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How the nail grows
Chapter 8 common nail diseases
Disorders and contra actions
Disorders of the nails
Disorders that must not be serviced by a nail technician
Bacterial infection
Paronychia (paro-nik-ia)
Onychia (oni-komi-ko-sis)
Onychia (on-nik-ia)
Onychogrypasis (oni-ko-grey-pasis)
Onycholysis (oni-kol-i-sis)
Onychocrptosis(oni-ko-krip-toh-sis)
Onyychomadesis (oni-ko-mad-esis)
Onychatrophia (oni-chat-troh-fee-ah)
Psoriosis (sa-ria-sis)
Disorders that may be serviced by a nail technician
Bruised nail
Corrugations
Discoloured nails
Eggshell nails
Habit tic
Hong nails
Koilonychia (kol-on-ik-ia)
Leukonychia (loo-kon-ik-ia)
Onychoclasis (oni-cho-klas-is)
Onychauxis (oni-kik-sis)
Onychophagy (oni-kof-aji)
Anychorrhexis (oni-kor-rek-sis)
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Pterygium (te-rij-ium)
In case you are not sure!
Contra action
Pre-service checklist
Answer test paper 4, parts of the nail and the pre-service rules.
Part 2. Essential techniques
Chapter 9. basic techniques
Filina
Grips and positions
The file grips
The correct sequence
The corresponding finger positions
Combining positions and grips
Groove positions and grips
First joint position and shape grip
Side positions and grips
Free edge position and grip
Practising the positions and grip
Practice regime
Chaapter 10. Six steps to perfect gel nails
How you will learn
Initial speeds
Step 1. Removing nail polish
Acetone based polish remover
Step 2. Preparing the natural nail
Object of the exercise
The procedure
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Equipment and product required
Clean the nail with gel preparation
Push back the cuticle
Removing the shine
To key or not to key?
Dust
Salon speed demonstration
Salon target speed
Practice regime
Answer test paper 5, basic techniques and preparing the nail.
Step 3. Nail tipping and blending
Object of the exercise
Nails tips
How are tips made?
How to choose a nail tip
Applying a tip
The procedure
Equipment and product required
Choosing the correct size of tip
Shaping the free edge
Sizing the tip`s width
Cleaning the tip`well
Tip adhesive
Applying adhesive to the tip
Judging the correct amount of glue
Burp the bottle
Placing the tip on the nail; the correct angle
Rotate the nail and look out for air pockets
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Problems sticking on tips
Glue setting times
Cutting the tip
Streamlining the edges of the tip
Shoping the free edge
Free edge shpes
Thinning the free edge of the tip
Blending the seam
Blending the centre of the seam
Blending the left side
Blending the right side
Fine blending
Salon speed demonstration
Suggested practice regime
Answer test paper 6, nail tipping.
Step 4. The gel overlay
Object of the exercise
The procedure
Equipment and product required
Cleaning
Acetone problems
Application 1. The bonding layer
The power of light boxes
Cure application 1, the bonding layer
Remove the hand from the UV lamp
Application 2. The building layer
The correct shape
Cure the second layer
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Checking the shape
Why is the cured gel still sticky?
Remove the sticky residue
Salon speed demonstration
Practice regime
Step 5. Finishing
The correct shape
To file or not to file?
The procedure
Equipment and product required
Tidy
Smoothing the nail
Smoothing the top
Smoothing the middle/left
Smoothing the middle/ right
Buffing
Dust the nail
The final application of gel
Cure the final layer
Remove the sticky residue
Streamlining the left edge of the nail
Sreamlining the right edge of the nail
Final check of the free edge shape
Clean your brush
Buffing to a high shine
Applying cuticle oil
Keys and money
Clean hands
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Salon speed demonstration
Salon target time
Practice regime
Answer test paper 7, the UV gel overlay
Step 6, polishing
The object of the exercise
Base coats
Nail strengtheners/ hardeners
Ridge fillers
Nail polishes
Which colour?
Type 1 spring colouring
Type 2 summer colouring
Type 3 autumn colouring
Type 4 winter colouring
The procedure
Equipment and product required
Mix the polish
Lood the bursh with polish
Polish perfect nails
Topcoat
Interlocking
Other tips on polishing
Salon target speed
Suggested practice regime
Anwer test paper 8, finishing and polishing
Part 3. Working the whole hand
Chapter 11. creating your first set of 5 nail
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The procedure
Using the light box on the whole hand
Time
Click the nails into the nail trainer
The maintenance nail
Working on the hand
Preparation
Tipping
Apply the bonding and building layer of gel
Finishing
Polish
Practice regime
Test results, your ENP certification and route to further skills
What happens if you fail?
Putting it all together
What to do next
Maintaining nail extensions
Acrylic tip and overlay nails
Acrylic sculpting
Fibreglass
Airbrush nails
Part 4. Maintaining gel nails
Chapter 12. defining the maintenance tasks
Rebalancing
What is rebalancing?
The procedure
Pre-service
Remove any lifted product
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Re streamline the side walls left and right
Reshape and shorten the free edges
Smooth the re greowth ledges
Move the crown back
Clean awaythe debris
Apply antiseptic
Apply gel nail prep
Apply first thin layer in regrowth area and cure
Buikd the crown and cure
Shape the nail, if required
Buff nail
Dust away the debris
Apply final thin, sealing layer of gel
Apply cuticle oil
Clean nails
Polish, top coat or buff as required
Cracks in overlays
Some common causes
Tips stressed
Poor adhesion of product.
Repairing cracks
Lifting overlays
What is a lifting overlay?
Why do enhancements lift?
Cleaning
Remove cuticle and pterygium completely
Dehydroting
Avoid contamination by finger oil
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Avoid product contamination
Make your first gel application thin
Avoid long immersion in water
Mechanical shock
Make the overlay thin at the cuticle
Keep the product off the sking
How to repair lifting overlays
When to start ofresh
Use of nippers to remove lifted product
Repairing chips in the free edge
Removing nail enhancements
Bad reaction
A fresh set
The latest thing in nails
Bad workmanship
How to remove gel enhancements
Soaking off. The tools and products you need
The procedure
Chapter 13. practical maintenance. Gels
Initial inspection
The procedure
Complete pre-service
Clean up re-tip the thumb and index finger
Rebalance the remaining three nails
Application of thin bonding layer to thumb and forefinger.
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IntroductionWelcome to "Essential Nails, a
practical guide to creating great
nails". This is the companion book
to the "Home Learn Gel Nails"
course and will provide an
invaluable reference as you work
through the course as well as
provide addittional information
that is not covered in the video.
although written specifically for the
video based nail course, it provides a
wealth of information about the art
of nail enhancements whether you
are a student, a professional or just
curious.
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This book is split into four parts:
Part 1, "Foundation", which provides you with general information on working in the
nail industry, in a salon, from home or as o mobile Nail Technician. It'll tell you about the
different nail systems, how they work and the tools ond products you'll be using to service
your clients. You will learn about the natural nail and about same of the diseases and
problems that affect it, you'll learn the correct way to deal with your clients and the
importance of good hygiene.
In Part 2, "Essential Techniques", you'll learn the basics of the Nail Technicians art:
how to file correctly, how to prepare the nail and apply and blend a tip. How to apply an
cure the Gel ond finally how to finish and polish the nail.
In Part 3, "Working the Whole Hand", you'll learn about practising for speed and
efficiency in the salon and working on different shapes and sizes of nail.
In part 4, "Maintaining Gel Nails, you'll see how to provide the common maintenance
tasks such as rebalancing and in-fills, as well as how to repair lifting, cracked and chipped
enhancements.
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Part 1. Foundation.
In this part you will learn useful background information about the nail industry, nail
physiology and diseases. You'll find out obout the salon environment, and how to
safely handle the tools products and chemicals you'll encounter.
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Chapter 1 - Why nails?
Extending and decorating nails is not new, evidence exists proving
that the oncient Egyptians adorning their nails centuries ago. Nails is
one of the fastest growing beauty industries in Europe, it will not be
long before 'having your nails done' is thought of in the some way as
'having your hair done', just like it is in the USA, where there is a
Nail Bar on every street corner and there are 250,000 working Nail
Technicians. There is a growing demand for the services provided
by skilled Nail Technicians working either in the salon, from home
of as a mobile, visiting clients in their own homes. This course will
help you achieve the skills required to meet this demand and charge
a premium for your expert services. If you provide a good service to
your client, she will come back to you again and again and
recommend you to her family and friends, in a few months you will
have built a client base that will keep you fully employed.
The advantages to the client.
Nail enhancements started as a service for women with soft or easily
broken nails and has now expanded to be a fashion statement for all
women. Anyone can now have the nail style of their choice. Natural
or outrageous, French manicured or airbrushed. Enhanced nails
improve the beauty of your clients hands and help boost their overall
confidence.
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Nail extensions: some common names.
Set of nails. Nail extensions.
Nail enhancements. False nails.
Tipped nails. Nail treatments.
All of the above are phrases used to describe what a Nail Technician does when she creates
a set of nails, they all pretty much mean the same thing:
The clients natural nail is extended by gluing on a plastic tip or by sculpting an extended
free edge with product. Then the extended nail is covered with more product (Gel, Acrylic
or Fibreglass) and shaped with files and buffers. Finally the nail can be decorating with
polish or other materials if required by the client.
For clarity we use the phrase 'nail enhancements' to mean any treatment to the nail to
extend or cover the nail with product, this is then split into three sub treatments:
Natural nail overlay: where the natural nail is not artificially extended in length.Product is applied over the natural nail to protect the natural nail or to correct a defect.
Tip and overlay: where the natural nail is mode longer by gluing on on extension Tipand then both the natural nail and extension is covered with product.
sculpted nail: where the natural nail is made longer by sculpting an extension purelyusing products such as Acrylic or Gel. A plastic tip is not used.
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The different nail systems.
There are three main nail systems: Acrylic, fibreglass and Gel.
Although this book and the nail course you are undertaking is
purely Gel, you will come across the other nail systems as you
pursue your career. Indeed, at some stage it's a good idea to
learn all the systems, so you never need turn a customer away.
Acrylic Nails.
Also commonly known as 'liquid and powder'. Acrylic Nails is
the original nail system, the techniques emerged in ihe USA
about 25 years ago and still the most popular system there.
Acrylics come in two parts : a powder (called o polymer) and a
liquid (called monomer) that you mix together on a small brush.
The resulting paste con be applied over a nail extension or
sculpted over a 'nail form' to extend the natural nail to the
desired length and shape. After a few minutes the paste sets hard
and files and buffers are used to finish and polish the Acrylic to
a high shine. Acrylic powders come in different colors and a
popular method of creating a dazzling 'French manicured' look
is to apply pink and while Acrylic to the body and free edge of
the nail respectively. The advantages of the system is that the
nails are strong, thin and natural looking, the paste can be used
to easily correct misshapen nails and repairs and maintenance
are relatively straightforward. The disadvantages are that they
have a strong odors that many people object to, they are the
most difficult of the three systems to master and there iscurrently o debate within the EU os to whether one of the
constituent chemicals is safe. This has effectively stifled the
demand for acrylic nails in some EU
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Fibreglass nails.
Fiberglass nails, are also known as 'silk nails' or 'wraps'. After
lengthening the natural nails with a plastic tip, strips of fiberglass ore
laid over the nail and bonded onto the nail using a fast setting resin.
More layers of fiberglass ore added to increase the strength of the nail
as required and more coats of resin are added to produce a perfect
finish. The resin soaks into the weave of the fiberglass and makes It
invisible. The advantages of fiberglass nails are that they are thin,
light and natural looking, there is little odors (although, as with all
nail enhancements, ventilation is required) and are easy to remove,
leaving the natural nail almost completely untouched. The
disadvantages are that it's fiddly for beginners and some products
require a spray-on 'activator' which means masks must be worn by the
Nail Technician and client.
Gel nails.
Gel nails are similar to Acrylic nails except that the paste is already
mixed and cames in a single small pat. It's applied to the nail with a
small brush just like Acrylics, but is hardened by exposure to ultra
violet light. The advantages of Gel nails is that the Gel is easy to
apply, has no odors (but you still need to work in a ventilated area),
looks natural and has a high shine. Some of the disadvantages are that
they are not as strong as Acrylics and are harder to remove and
repair.
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Common techniques.
It's too much to attempt to learn all three systems at once.
There simply too much information to absorb. Most Nail
Technicians start with one system and then learn the others
later. Many of the techniques you learn for one system are
common to all three, for example sanitation, preparation,
tipping, blending and polishing. So, you'll be well on the
way to learning all the systems by the time you've
completed your initial course.
Why be a Nail Technician?
If you like working with people, are reasonable good with
you hands and enjoy beauty and fashion then the Nail
Industry is for you! The great thing is, once you are
competent, you can work on many different levels, work as
little as you like or as much as you like, for example, you
can:
Work from home, with clients visiting.
Work in a nail salon, hair salon, sports or fitness centers,
boutique, hotel or cruise liner.
Work as a mobile Technician, visiting clients in their
homes.
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One thing is certain, every Nail Technician in the world,
no matter how successful she is now, started by enrollingon o beginners nail course and went from there. Once you
start doing nails, the sky is the limit, you can spend a
lifetime learning new techniques and following or creating
nail fashion.
You'll be surprised the amount of activity in the 'Nail
world' once you've been along to see one of the Nail and
Beauty shows. There you will find a constantly evolving
range of new tools, products, demonstrations,
competitions, designs and ideas. The next time there's a
show in your area, go along and have a look, you'll be
hooked.
Maybe you'll be one of those Nail Technicians who has
their desi ns on the front of a ma azine or wins nail
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Chapter 2. Introduction to Home Learn
Why home learn?
Home learn has been made possible by a single significant development: The Nail Trainer
practice hand. Until The Nail Trainer was invented, all nail techniques had to be
demonstrated and practiced on live models.
The practice problem.
Relying on live models for practice meant that training was a unstructured and sometimes
chaotic affair, completely dependent upon being able to find enough willing models to sit
and be experimented on for free. There were many problems.
The student Technician would often be disappointed when their model cancelled.
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Most Technicians practiced on their family or friends, usually it's mum that helps out.
She would sit there all day as her daughter spent
hours and hours fiddling with product, making
painful filing errors, and gluing poor mum's
fingers together!. Ultimately, mum would wisely
refuse to be used as a model ever again.
Maybe the local salon would let
Tracey do half-price treatments while
she's learning. Well, customers can
be very intimidating, especially if the
student is making mistakes, which is
inevitable while learning. Also salon
clients, your friends and family are
your first potential paying clients, the
very people who should only see
your best work, not your worst!
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If you practice at home, the
temptation to have the TV on to
relieve the boredom for your model
is overpowering. But how can you
concentrate with such distractions?
People are happy to have their nails done when you are skilled, but you can't get skilled because
people won't let you practice on them Until The Nail Trainer was invented, most student Technicians
could not practice enough and simply give up altogether, loosing all the time and money.
They had invested.
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Your perfect model: the nail trainer
The Nail Trainer now being used widely in the classroom to train absolute beginners. it
mean that teacher has complete control over the pace and content of the learning process,
the teacher is not constrained by the health and safety of the models, if necessary the
student can practice on the same nail over and over and over again until she gets, it right,
something that is complete impossible on a live model. Do you want to see how thickly
you have applied the Gel? Simple, remove the nail trainer`s nail an cut it in half. Try doing
that on a live model learning and experimenting using the nail trainer , the student only
ever starts work on a live hand, after she is acquired the skills to successfully complete a
full set.
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Chapter 3. Gel nails.
Cuticle massage oil.
This perfumed oil comes in a small bottle and is dispensed by
squeezing the rubber bulb in the cap. it's rubbed into the nail and
surrounding nail wall and cuticle to keep the skin soft and supple.
Tip glue.
Tip Glue is used to fix the nail tips to the natural nail. It's a fast
setting cyanoacrylate resin, and you only need a tiny amount on
each tip. There are various formulations of the glue, some runny
some thick, some are applied form a tube, others come is a small
bottle like this one.
Nail polishes.
Nail Polishes come in thousands of colures and finishes and
usually the client will choose her own color. There is a small brush
inside the bottle which used to apply the polish to the nail.
The Products:
When a Nail Technician talks about 'products' she is normally referring to the chemicals that form
o particular system .For example the primer, liquid an powder used in acrylics, We prefer a wider
definition that encompasses any items nail that are used up as you create nail enhancements. Here
is a brief description of the products that you'll use during the gel course when they are used.
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Top coat.
Top coat is a clear sealer applied over the colored polish to seal
and protect and to produce a high glass finish on the nail-
Nail tips.
Nail tips are used to lengthen the front - or free edae of the
natural nail. They come in many shapes, le and sizes, you get a
selection of tip with the gel course which have been chosen to
fit The Nail Trc nail. There are many more sizes shapes and
styles available . you'll get to know more about them ar their
uses later in the course.
Nail sanitizer and cleaner.
This liquid does three jobs. It sanitizes and dehydrates the nails
surface before application of tips and also removes the sticky
residue left after curing the Gel. It has been supplied to work
specifically with the Ego Gel and The Nail Trainer. This particular
product is not recommended for use on real nails, as it works
best on the plastic. When you have finished training you will
need The Ego Edense, which is designed for use on real nails.
Some Gel systems have separate liquids for sanitation,
dehydration and for removing the Gel residue after curing. If
you swap brands, always check with the manufacturer or other
Technicians using the products before assuming that theapplication is the same as you are used to.
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Extender nozzles.
Extender nozzles are replaceable nozzles for your glue bottle.
These are disposable items, as you dispense the glue they
gradually get blocked. Use a new one for each client as the
replacement cost is low.
Gel
The Gel supplied in the Home Learn course is a bonding,
sculpting and finishing formula in one. It forms the hard
protective and decorative shell over the extended nail. Do not
expose the Gel to sunlight, or leave it near your UV light when its
on or it will go stiff and useless.
You should be aware that other Gel systems may have three
different Gel products to bond, build and coat. Always follow the
manufacturers instructions if you swap brands.
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Your tools: What they are and what they do.
Here is brief description of the tools that come with the Gel course, each tool is discussed
comprehensively later in the course when they are used. Some of them are disposable;
some can be sanitised and used over and over. All of them are required to do a good,
professional job. You should keep them in good condition, clean, and sanitized.
UV light box.
This box provides the source of Ultra Violet light required to
cure the Gel. It plugs into your 220 volt power supply and has a
switch to turn on the light.
The Buffer.
The Buffer is a block of foam coated on each side with various grades of abrasive. Some
buffers have the same abrasive on each side, others have o
coarse abrasive on one side, (which removes material quickly)
and a finer abrasive on the other, which is used to buff and
shine. Some are colour coded to help you identify the different
abrasive grades.
Safety Advice
The edges of the buffers are sharp, you must blunt the edges with a
file before use, or you may well cut your client when you use them.
Hygiene Advice
To prevent spreading inflection between clients, either throw the
buffers away after use or bag and label them for future use only on that client.
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The nylon brush.
The nylon brush is used to apply and shape the layers of Gel
over The nail's surface. This is your no I look so take very good
care of it,
The cuticle pusher.
The cuticle pusher is used to gently push back the cuticle off of
the nail and to remove any cuticle adhering to the nail surface.
You cannot apply product to the cuticle, only to the nail surface.
Cuticle pushers are made of wood, plastic or metal.
Hygiene Advice
To prevent spreading infection from one client to another, either throw
the cuticle pusher away after use if it's wooden, or sterilise it if it's metal
or plastic.
Manicure brush.
The manicure brush is used to dear dust off of the fingers and nails after
each filing process.
Files.
We supply three different files for Gel. The 'coarse' black file is 100 grit
on one side and 180 on the other, the white 'medium' file is 180 / 180,
and the yellow 'fine' file is 240 / 240. The lower the number, the more
coarse the file or butter is, so 100 grit will file away material quickly, but
leave big scratches on the surface, 250 will remove material slowly and
leave the surface nice and smooth, you will see where to use the various files later.
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Safety Advice
The edges of files are sharp, you must blunt the edges with another file
before use, or you may well cut your client when you use them.
Hygiene Advice
To prevent spreading infection between clients, either throw the files away
after use or bag and label them for future use only on that client.
Nail clippers.
Nail Clippers are used to shorten the tips after they are glued to the
nail.
Cotton pads.
Cotton pads are used to apply any liquid to the nail during theenhancement process. You should always use 'lint free' pads that will
not leave fibers on the nail after use. The pads are used to apply
cleanser, alcohol, polish remover or antiseptic. You only ever use each
pad once and then throw is away.
Kitchen towels.
It's very useful to have a clean kitchen towel permanently on you work
area. After each process of the nail build you can dispose of it and any
dust or product on it, and replace with a new one. This drastically
reduces the amount of dust and fumes in the atmosphere, keeps your
work area clean and fosters a professional image. They do not cost
much, so it's well worth it.
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Orange wood or birch wood sticks.
These thin, soft sticks are used to gently prise old product of
the nails surface during maintenance.
Three way buffer
Although this looks face a file, it is actually a buffer .it is have
three very fine grits, black being the coarsest, white being
medium and grey being very fine indeed. It's only use is to
bring up the surface shine on the nail.
Hygiene Advice
Throw orange wood, birch wood sticks and 3 way buffers away after use or bag
and label them for use next time for that client. Never use an orange stick or
three way buffer on more than one person, why not give them to yours as a gift
for their own use
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Chapter 4. The Nail Trainer.
With The Nail Trainer at the centre of your training program you have embarked upon the
fastest route to becoming a highly skilled Nail Technician. By practicing on The Nail
Trainer you have eliminated the biggest obstacle to becoming a professional Nail
Technician the requirement to find a group of willing models to practice on!
The Nail Trainer is all the models you will ever need. You can now practice when you
want, for as long as you want. You can practice on the same size of nail over and over
again until you have perfected a particular skill, you can practice any of the nail systems,
even nail art, airbrush and nail adornment. The continuity of practice, the variation and
realism of The Nail Trainer's finger tips, fingers and nails, will speed you to a lucrative
career in the fast growing world of nail beauty.
When to use The Nail Trainer.
The Nail Trainer is featured throughout all Home Learn courses. All techniques are shown
on The Nail Trainer. You can use The Nail Trainer on the course and for practice after the
course at any lime to suit you. Even after you have mastered a particular system, you cancontinue to use The Nail Trainer to expand your skills into other areas. You can practice
Acrylic Tip and Overlay, Acrylic Sculpting, Fiberglass, Gel, Airbrushing or Nail Art.
Whatever the future holds for nail processes The Nail Trainer will provide the practical
solution for your training requirements.
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Finger tip parts.
Nail retaining frame, tip sheath, natural nail
Setting up to practice.
The practice area.
You should find o comfortable chair and small table. Ideally
the size of the table should be similar to the compact tables
used in salons. position your chair on one side of the table.
The desk clamp.
On the end of The Nail Trainer flexible arm is the desk clamp
.This will clamp to any desk edge with a maximum thickness
of 50 mm (2 inches). Open the jaws of the desk clamp by
rotating the thumb screw anticlockwise.
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Positioning The Nail Trainer.
Clamp The Nail Trainer to the opposite Side of the table, slightly to your right (The Nail
Trainer is a model of a left hand, so it should be presented to you slightly from the right).
Tighten the clamp by rotating the thumb screw clockwise until it grips the desk securely.Make a curve in the flexible arm so that The Nail Trainer hand is located in front of you.
Making a curve in the arm allows you to move The Nail Trainer hand towards you or away
from you as necessary.
The natural nails.
The natural nails mimic the different shapes and sizes of nails
found on hands in real life. You choose the shape you want to
work on and fit it to the finger of your choice. The Nail Trainer,
when unpacked from the box is fitted with a selection of natural
nail sizes, fitted in various positions and depths on the finger
tips. During the first part of the Home Learn course you work on
the easiest' of the natural nail shapes fitted on the easiest finger.
This is the number 13 natural nail, which will not need too much
preparation to take a tip. It is fitted to the ring finger, which is
the easiest to work on. You should work on this finger, refitting
the same size nail to the finger until you are happy with your
work. Later on in the course you will work on the other nail
shapes.
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The different nail shapes.
There are five natural nail shapes included with The Nail Trainer. The shape and size of the
nails have been chosen to present a variety of problems and difficulties to you during your
practice sessions.
no 6 no 9 no 13 no 18 no 8
4/10 4/10 3/10 7/10 8/10
Difficulty (1 = easy, 10 = hard):
The no 13 nail is the easiest; it does not need much filing and is nice and symmetrical.
The number 6 nail is slightly harder, the long free edge makes it ideal for practicing
airbrush and nail art.
The number 9 is the widest nail, it is fitted to the thumb and is quite an easy nail to work
on.
The no 18 'maintenance' nail has a 'regrawth' area at the cuticle and a chip on the free edge.
You can practice filling the regrowth area, repositioning the crown, thinning and reshaping
the free edge or repairing the chip.
The small number 8 nail can be embedded in a deep nail bed to mimic a chronic nail biters
finger, this is a tricky nail to work on as file access is difficult.
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Fitting the natural nails.
Any of the natural nails can be fitted to any of the fingers or the thumb. Obviously the
larger nails look more realistic when fitted to the thumb and the smallest to the little finger,
but there is nothing to stop you fitting the smallest nail on the thumb to imitate a chronicnail biter with fat fingers.
Positioning the natural nails.
position the natural nail over the aperture in the top of the tip sheath and click down one
click (FIG1) and slide to the front or to the rear of the finger tip (fig2)
do not have too much free edge or the nail will pop out when you file.
Adjusting the nail bed depth.
Click down once more for a shallow nail bed, continue to press and click down to form a
deeper nail bed.
The easiest way to do this is to place the finger on the table surface and press the nail down
from above. We suggest you practice on some nails at 2 clicks deep and some at 3 clicks,
some at the front and some at the rear of the finger tip.
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Removing completed nail work.
When you hove finished your work on any particular finger, you
remove the natural nail, the work done on it and the tip sheath
together.
Pinch the tip sheath between your thumb and index finger, with your
thumb pressing on the surface of the nail. Hold the nail retaining
frame with your other hand (pinch the two white joint wheels with
your thumb and forefinger) and pull the nail and tip sheath off the
front of the nail retaining frame and initially you might find it quite
hard to pull them off.
Continue to pull hard and it will eventually slide off.
Warning! Only remove nails by sliding the finger tip forward.
Pulling the nail up out of the frame without sliding the finger tip
forward may damage the nail retaining frames.
Separating nail from tip.
After sliding the finger tip off, remove the completed nail from the tip
sheath by gently pulling the nail off the top of the finger tip. If you
find there is excess resin adhering to the edge of the nail and the
surrounding tip sheath, pull apart gently rocking the nail as you pull to
break the resin seal, so as not to rip the surface of the tip sheath.
Discard any unwanted nails, you cannot 'soak off' in acetone, as the
acetone will dissolve the Nail Trainers nails as well as the extension
lips. The finger tip sheaths are reusable.
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Refitting the tip sheath
Refit the tip sheath on the nail retaining frame by sliding it back on the way it came off.
Working on the fingers.
The fingers move in a similar way to the joints of a real hand. While you are
working on a nail, hold the underside of the finger with your left hand
(assuming you are right handed) and work on the nail with your right hand.Rotate the finger and hand as required to access different parts of the nails
surface with you tools.
Working on the thumb.
Rotate The Nail Trainer about the wrist so the thumb nail is uppermost .
Caution: you cannot rotate the hand at the wrist by twisting the thumb as youwould with a live model, normally the model would rotate her hand herself
lo follow the twisting. The Nail Trainer cannot do this!
Care of your Nail Trainer.
With appropriate care The Nail Trainer will give years of service, all parts
are easily replaceable should they become damaged or scruffy.
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Cleaning
We recommend that The nail Trainer is washed In warm soapy water at the end of each
practice day. Acetone can be used to remove excess product from The Nail Trainers
surface. The rubber tip sheaths can be wiped over with acetone of nail polish remover, butyou should avoid total and continuous immersion as this will damage the surface.
Replacement parts.
All the fingers, the thumb. Nail Retaining frames and other parts can be removed and / or
replaced. Should you require spare parts for The Nail Trainer please contact us.
Accessories
As you use The Nail Trainer you may need extra natural nail and
possibly more adhesive, finger and thumb tips. The rate at which you use
them it obviously dependent upon your own work rate and in the case of
the finger tip sheaths, how accurate you are with your filing and
application of resines. We have the following packs of parts available !
NTA3002 - Refit Nail Pack consisting of 100 natural nails (20 of each
site).
NTA3003 Standard Finger Tip pack (4 fingertips, 1 thumb tip).
NTA3005 - Nail Trainer adhesive.
AC 102 Nail Trainer Acrylic primer
ACIOI Gel prep and residue remover(Nail Trainer use only).
PR029 - NaJ Trainer user manual.
PRO20 & PR023 - Progress cards.
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Tips and Ideas
Simulate broken nails.
There is nothing to stop you filing or cutting the natural nails into odd
shapes. You can imitate cracked, broken and brittle nails by reshaping
the larger natural nails with clippers or scissors.
Electric File
The Nail Trainer is the ideal aid to try out electric files. Use of powered
tiles are discouraged until you have acquired a high degree of manual
dexterity as it is very easy to damage the nail or nail bed with these
tools. You can use them at an earlier stage in your
training when practicing on The Nail Trainer as
there is no possibility of hurting anyone.
Progress Cards
There are two types of progress cards supplied with The Nail
Trainer or Home learns courses. The 'Essential Techniques
progress card', which stores nails at different stages of the nail
build, and the Whole Hand Practice card, which stores 'sets' of
nails. As you work through the Home learn course, you save the
nails on these cards. At the end of the course you send the filled
cards to us so we can see the quality of your work. Let's have a
look at the cards individually.
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The essential techniques progress card
You only use one nail shape on this card, in the home learn course it will be the number 13,
but other training organizations may instruct using a different nail shape.
At the top is a place for your
name and address and the
training organisation you are
enrolled with if you are using the
nail trainer in a classroom
Down the left side is the
description of each step of the
nail build. Step 2, preparation,
through step 6, polishing.
In the right hand top
corner are some tick
boxes where you should
indicate which nail
system you are learning
The cards can be used fo
any system
Across the top are the nai
numbers you are working
the card holds 10 nails.
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Although there are 6 steps you go though to build a nail enhancement, we skip the first step
(removing nail polish) as far as the card is concerned, only saving two nails at step 2
through 6. The steps are:
1. Removing nail polish (if there is any). 2. Preparing the
natural nail.
3. Nail tipping. 4. Applying the
overlay.
S. Finishing. 6. Polishing.
This cord is used during part two of the Home Learn course 'Essential Techniques' where
you are learning the basic skills of how to build nail enhancements, you are instructed on
the video to prepare 10 number 13 nails.
You save two of them, the first and
last nail, in position 1 and position
10 and you write down the amount
of time it took you to prepare each
of the saved nails.
You then have 8 nails left. You tip
and blend them just as you see on
the video, and again save two of
them, the first and last, in positions
2 and 9, again noting the times.
The remaining 6 nails you overlay
with gel and save them in position 3
and 8.
The next 4 nails, are finished
with your files and buffers and
are saved in positions 4 and 7.
The last two nails ore polished and
saved in positions 5 and 6.
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The Whole Hand Practice card
This card is used when you are practicing on the whole hand, on different fingers and
different nail shapes and sizes. Across the top you should enter your name and address, and
nail system you are learning (Gel, fiberglass, Acrylic etc).
The card has positions for 30 nails in six sets of five nail shapes. The card's purpose is keep
a record of your improving nail skills and quickening speed As you work through 60 sets of
nails. In the Home Learn course it is used in part 3: 'Working the whole hand', where you
are instructed to click in the five shapes to the five fingers of The Nail Trainer, size 9 nail in
the thumb, size 6 in the index, size 13 in the middle, size 18 in the ring and size 8 in the
pinky finger. You then work through the whole hand, just as you would on a live client and
at the end save all five nails on the card, noting the time it took you to complete the set in
the boxes on the left hand side of the card. You only save every tenth set you complete, and
by the time you've completed 60 sets, and saved the
on the
card you will really see a difference in quality between the fist set and the last set you completed.
You should see your times improving to about 45 minutes a set.
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On the right hand side of the card are five
boxes for each set of nails, this is filled in by
our tutors when they mark your work. They
are looking for a high standard in the
following five categories:
Thickness. The overlay should be the correct
thickness at the crown, cuticle and free edge.
Apex. The apex of the nail (high point of the
arch) should be in the right place and should
form a nice curve back to the cuticle and
forward to the free edge.
Free edge. The free edge should be nicely
shaped and thin.
Consistency. The five nails should be o set,
looking like brothers and sisters, having the
same overall style and shape.
Surface. All the nails should have smooth,
shiny and nicely curved surfaces.
Each of the above categories has o maximum
possible mark of 2, or 10 marks per set, 60 for
the card. 8oth cards are marked and returned
to you with any comments the tutor have
made about your work.
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Setting up to practice.
It's ideal if you can set up your nail equipment in a separate room, away from the daily
hustle and bustle of family life. Find a small table, camp The Nail Trainer on the opposite
side of the table and position the hand in front of you. Arrange your product and tools toyour right and your right box to your left. Have the TV opposite you and use a video player
with a remote so you can easily pause and rewind and place a kitchen towel under The Nail
Trainer. You'll also need a clock, so you can make a note of the time it lakes for you to
complete each step, and a rubbish bin with a top that can be closed. The lid helps trap
fumes from discarded towels and cotton pads.
Time management and practice regime.
Building nails looks easy. For a skilled Technician it is easy,
purely because they have been practicing for years! As a
beginner you are learning new skills which involve fine
control of tools and products. The difference between
producing a perfect nail as opposed to a horrible misshapen
one can be a single wrongly placed stroke of the file. You have to
acquire accurate eye to hand coordination and develop an eye for
what looks 'right'. You may remember how difficult it seemed to
drive a car, press the clutch in, select a gear, look in the mirror,
accelerate, let the clutch up, release the Hand brake,
steer. It seemed overwhelming at first,but now you
drive away without thinking about it at all. It took
instruction, but mostly it took practice. You're teaching
your muscles to move in a new way and they take time
to learn. The good news is, if you persevere d they willlearn, and in a few months you'll be chatting to your
clients as you build their nails, almost automatically, without thought, Learning is hard
work, most things that are worth doing require effort, but it is fun and you'll get a great
sense of satisfaction when you see the standard of your work improving.
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You need to get into the frame of mind to learn. Each time
you sit down have at least one hour put aside for
uninterrupted practice. Work hard for that hour, then give
yourself a break and come back to it later. Don't push
yourself to the point of frustration.
Be critical of your work, because your customers will Work
at learning the correct techniques and in a few weeks you'll
be amazed at your improvement.
Answer test paper 1, tools products & systems.
Now is the time to test your comprehension of the subjects
covered so far in the Home Learn course and this book.
Test paper 1, tools products and systems, contains a set of
multiple choice questions based on these subjects.
Tick the box next to the phrase that you think correctly
complete the sentence. Please note that one, two or three
answers may be correct, in which case tick them, or none
of them by be correct, in which case do not tick any. Your
answers are marked in the following way:
A tick in a correct box = 1 mark.
A tick in an incorrect box = lose a mark.
A tick missing from a correct box = no mark.
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Chapter 5. Salon skills,
There is more to being a great Nail Technician than creating beautiful nails. To establish
yourself as a successful, busy Technician you also need to understand how to deal with
your clients and work colleagues in a positive professional manner. We call these wide
ranging abilities 'salon skills' though they are also very relevant to mobile Technicians.
Think of yourself as someone who is providing a service that includes nails, not just a nail
service. Working to improve your salon skills will help you build your clientele and support
the prices you charge
Attitude and personal appearance.
Even when you're practicing at home on the Nail Trainer, try view it
as if it was a critical client, rather than a plastic hand.
Make sure everything is clean, tidy and well presented and bring out
fresh kitchen towels, empty the waste bin and wipe down your work
surfaces and tools with disinfectant every day. Then when you start
working in a salon your good attitude, good hygiene, great
appearonce and professionalism will already be second nature.
It may seem obvious that presenting yourself well goes a long way
towards being successful but you would be amazed at the number of
Nail Technicians that shower, do their hair, apply beautiful make up
- and then get into a dirty uniform! Cleanliness and smart personal
appearance tell your client that you are a competent professional that
can be relied upon.
A dirty uniform suggests that your concern for high standards issomewhat superficial and that this may extend to the quality of your
nail work. Remember you are in the beauty industry!
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To charge premium rates, everything has to be perfect.
So the following check list provides the minimum
standards you should strive for:
Wear a clean uniform every day, you will feel better
and look great.
Shower or bathe daily and wear deodorant.
Your hair and make up should also be well presented
and long hair tied back so it won't dangle over the
work area.
Jewellery is acceptable though it is not a good video
to wear a lot of rings as this looks untidy and the filing dust will get under the rings and
irritate your skin.
Avoid eating spicy food or garlic and keep a toothbrush and mints with you so that youcan freshen your breath regularly.
Your nails must enhance your standing as a professional. You should wear beautifully
maintained extensions in a style that reflects the preferences of the majority of your clients,
but wear them fairly short so they don't get in the way when you're working.
Never smoke whilst performing nail services. As well as being a big health and safety risk
it looks very unprofessional and many clients will object and not use your services again.
This also applies to chewing gum which creates a casual impression, the suggestion being
that this could extend to the standard of your services.
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Preparation and your surroundings.
Always be on time and well prepared for your client's arrival. Have your work station
smartly laid out and clean even for the last appointment of the day, this will go a long way
towards making each client fell special. if you are late and disorganized it will appear thatyou are not that concerned about them, your work will suffer as you will be stressed and
under pressure to catch up. Make sure your tools hove been sanitized and that there are
sufficient product supplies on your desk.
Review the appointment book at the beginning of the day, recall the clients listed and
consider if there is anything special they might need. Some clients will always require more
work than others during maintenance treatments, due to their nails or their lifestyle. Have
your maintenance tools, including warmed acetone ready in anticipation of this.
It can be useful to keep a copy of the days appointments to hand so you can review the
treatments coming up without having to go to the appointment book. Preparation and
planning are the keys to appearing confident and assured.
Client consultation
Opposite is a client consultation card that you might see in a salon, it is important to fill in
the relevant sections for each client. It fosters a professional image, gives you valuable
information on your clients, their treatment histories and possible allergic reactions. Get the
clients name, telephone numbers, and address. Discuss the treatment she requires and
establish the length, style and shape of nail she prefers.
Explain that extensions need care and maintenance to keep
them looking good and this needs a commitment from the
client. Every two to three weeks she will need to come back
for maintenance. Explain about the possibilities of infection
and what to look for. Show her the home care rules, and give
a copy of which you will give her.
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Manners and courtesy.
When you greet your client make them feel welcome, look them
in the eye and smile. Hopefully you will gel to like most of your
clients eventually so you won't have to act for long! Address
them by name, using their title if you haven't met them before or
their Christian name if they are regulars, people will always feel
pleased that you have remembered their name. Offer to take their
coat, show them to the waiting area or lo your work station.
Some of your clients will be shy, some will be having nail
extensions for the first time, it's part of your job to learn how to
greet your client in a way that is appropriate for them. Some
clients visit a salon mainly for social reasons so these people will
probably enjoy chatting, others just want their nails to look great
and prefer to remain quiet during their treatment, they may be shy
or could hove a lot on their mind. In any event an important part
of becoming a successful Technician is judging the extent to
which you engage in conversation. If you get this right you stand
o much higher chance of your client becoming a regular.
It is not uncommon to see Technicians with their head down,
hardly talking to their clients. This is because they are
concentrating hard on building the extensions and do not have
enough mental capacity left to engage in conversation at the same
lime. This is far from ideal and indicates that the Technician's
nail build techniques are not good enough. The result is that the
client feels ignored and the Technician feels stressed.
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This is one very good reason to work at your technique until
it is second nature, so you have time for your clients social
needs as well!
Never complain to your client or argue with your her, the old
adage; 'the customer is always right', still holds true,especially avoid talking about religion or politics, this
inevitably ends up in a row!
Avoid taking phone calls whilst treating your clients, so
switch your mobile off. Taking calls during a treatment
simply tells your client that your personal life is more
important than her time. She is effectively paying you while
you chat on the phone.
Communicating.
In order to work harmoniously with your colleagues and
clients it is important to know how to communicate. Certain
guidelines will prove useful. Be clear and to the point when
discussing work issues with colleagues. If your client has
some concerns listen carefully and answer honestly. If your
client wants to know more about her treatment, don't be shy
of explaining the procedure, often inquisitive clients who
express an interest in what you do are your most valuable
clients.
The appointment book is the heart of any salon and is should
be used as the starting point for building the relationships with
your clients. Enter your client's full name, the treatment
required, her telephone number and any other relevant details.
There will be many occasions when your colleagues will need
to communicate with a client in your absence.
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Your collage
There are some simple guidelines that will ensure that you maintain good relations with
your work colleagues. Always have time for their opinions even if you don't always agree,
be willing to learn from them, whether you are the newest Technician in the salon or themost experienced. However don't be shy of offering advice, and try to help out if the
opportunity arises. Inevitably they will be occasions when you will be asked to do extra
shifts so a helpful attitude will be appreciated by all.
Avoid borrowing money from work colleagues, it's got to be paid back and if you get into
difficulty with the repayment then the resulting tension between you and your colleagues
will have an effect on the performance of the whole salon. If you have a problem of any
sort, talk it over with your employer, this is always better than grumbling to your
colleagues. Try not to take your personal problems to work, if you should have a bad
situation and you are not in good shape for work it is best to explain the problem to your
employed and take time off. The same goes for illness, struggling in with a cold may appear
heroic but unfortunately the usual result is that more people are infected, including your
clients.
ethics.
It is good to be ethical in your dealings with clients and colleagues. For example if a client
has requested a certain treatment, carry it out fully without cutting corners, even if time is
pressing. If a Technician is off sick and it's impossible to get the shift covered, phone the
affected clients and explain the situation. Invite them to reschedule their appointment or, if
they would rather keep the appointment, be sure they are aware that their appointment time
may slip or that they may be treated by a different Technician. Do not favour any clients,
even if they bring you gifts. This is not lair on other clients who are paying the same for
your services.
Never instigate gossip as this will ultimately drive you away from your colleagues and
clients. Stay neutral when you hear a client, or colleague, complain about another
Technician. Rarely are things as straightforward as they seem. Never criticize other
Technicians to your client, you are criticizing the whole salon if you do this.
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When you are offered your first position in a salon make sure you understand the
conditions of employment that you are signing up to. If you have a question ask it, don't
just keep quiet to be sure of getting the job, once the reason for the condition has been
explained hopefully you will understand why it is needed. If you find yourself agreeing to
something that you are uncomfortable with, you are only storing up trouble for yourself in
the future.
Retail sales
All clients require additional nail treatments and polishes to protect and maintain thier nails
at home. These additional sales are a vital source of income so it's smart to learn how to
become good salesperson. This is easier than you think, in fact without realizing it you
are selling yourself when you first meet your client, remember, people buy people first!
There are three keys to achieving regular retail sales in the salon. The first is to listen, the
second is to make it happen, I'll come to the third in a moment. When chatting to your
client learn about their lifestyle, not in an obtrusive way, just be aware of the clues they
provide. You are not being nosey, you are being a true professional and establishing how
you can best service their needs. Are they a keen swimmer? Does their work mean their
hands are frequently dehydrated? What are their favorite polish colures? Are they the sort
of person that loves trying something new? These are the clues telling you which products
your client would probably buy.
Now for the difficult bit! You have to make the effort to suggest a certain product would be
perfect for them. You don't need to rehearse a fancy sales script, just talk about the product
enthusiastically. If it helps you be more natural, pretend to yourself it's free, then your
enthusiasm will be infectious!
And the third key? You need to do this for every client, not just on an occasional basis.
Then the laws of averages will start to work in your favors and you will accumulate
significant additional retail sales.
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Answer test paper 2, Salon skills.
Make yourself a cup of tea and have a go at the multichoise
tests 2. For each question none, one, more than one or all the
answers may be correct. You'll find the answers somewhere inthis book or on the video.
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Chapter 6. Chemicals, hazards and safety
procedures.
Nail products are chemicals, and if used properly they are safe. However, if nail products
are used or handled without paying attention to correct procedure, adverse reactions can
occur, and health can be affected.
For this reason it is very important that you learn how to deal with your tools and products
in a safe and professional manner.
Health and safety for a Nail Technician means five things:
Safe use of nail tools. Safe use of nail products and chemicals. Safe storage of nail products. Safe disposal of used and unwanted chemicals. Effective application of health and safety procedures.
Use these 'five facets' as a mental checklist to help you develop an awareness of the health
and safety issues that affect you and your client.
Trainees are naturally more likely to cause damage than a skilled Nail Technician. So by
making all your early mistakes on The Nail Trainer you are already employing the best
health and safety principles.
By learning and implementing the following principles you will have no cause to harm
yourself or your client throughout your career.
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Understanding health hazards
There are five main ways in which Nail Technicians or their clients can be harmed through
providing or receiving nail enhancements, these are:
Damage through misuse of nail tools.
Inhalation of vapour.
Inhalation of dust.
Absorption of liquids through the skin.
Ingestion of chemicals.None of these need become a problem as long as they are kept under control. For example
it is inevitable that both client and Technician will be exposed to vapours and dust, indeed
this applies to us all in everyday life and it rarely gives cause for concern because our levels
of exposure are extremely low.
Problems occur when exposure levels rise to the point when overexposure occurs. As a
professional Nail Technician, a vital part of your job is to ensure that exposure levels are
kept at o low and manageable level by following sensible precautions and good workplace
procedures.
Safe use of nail tools.
Clumsy use of certain nail tools, in particular files, is the most immediate way damage can
be caused. These tools are designed to remove and shape hardened nail products, and to do
this they have to be sharp. Files and buffers may not appear sharp in the same sense as a
knife, but in fact these tools are really thousands of tiny cutting blades working together
and if allowed to wander on to the client`s skin can cut and cause bleeding!
The way to avoid harming your client is to develop good tool control technique, as shown
on the Home Learn videos. By mastering these skills you will be able to work quickly and
with precision. Your tools will be cutting the nail enhancement materials, and not your
client's skin! Here is a list of the tools that have the potential to cause harm.
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The file.
This is the tool most associated with harming clients and the
damage is usually caused in one of two ways. Firstly, with Gel
nails and to some extent Acrylic nails it is necessary to use the
file to remove an old enhancement. As the hard nail product is
filed away it is not uncommon for an unskilled Technician to
continue filing even though all the product has been removed.
The file is then cutting into the natural nail plate and if
continued for too long, great damage will be done to the nail
plate.
Secondly, damage is caused to the surrounding flesh by
inaccurate filing during streamlining, shaping or
blending the enhancement. The edges of files are
extremely sharp (even after the edges have been
blunted, see stripping files and buffers) and if allowed
to rub over the surrounding skin can easily draw blood
from the resulting v shareped cut or filing graze.
Cutting your client in this way is potentially the mostserious form of damage as open wounds are an
invitation to disease and infection.
Both of these accidents are caused by lock of
understanding and poor technique on the part of the Technician. Work hard at your file
control technique by practicing on your Nail Trainer until your use of the file becomes
accurate and effective, thus eliminating the possibility of harming your client.
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The buffer block.
The buffer is less likely to cause damage as it has a finer
abrasive surface than a file so the cutting action is
gentler, although just like files the edges are sharp andneed to be blunted before use. As the effect of the buffer
is quite subtle, some technicians get in the habit of using
it too vigorously, which in combination with inaccuracy
can cause soreness and redness of the skin around the
client`s nail. As with all of your tools accuracy is the key
avoiding problems.
The brush.
Many different nail products are applied with a brush. You
have to avoid letting these chemicals touch your clients skin.
Most nail products are categorized as hazardous as they are
usually either irritants or corrosive. Allowing your brush to
contact your client's skin can cause irritation and pain and
even start an allergic reaction. Therefore an important aspect
of your technique training on The Nail Trainer is fine control
of product application to the nail and extension only. A
detailed explanation of the health and safety issues relating
to the various nail products is provided in the next section.
Cuticle knives.
These sharp knives are used for cutting away excess cuticle during the nail preparation
process prior to applying nail product.
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There are two main ways that the electric file can cause harm in
untrained hands. The friction of the spinning bit on the nail
generates a lot of heal so the file must be used with a light
pressure and constantly moved across the nail surface to avoid
the risk of burning the client's nail. Secondly it's very easy for
the drill to skip across the surface of the nail on to the client's
skin, causing a bad cut or tear. It is problems like these that
have lead to the electric file gaining a bad reputation, though
this is somewhat unfair as only on unskilled Nail Technician
will cause damage, not the tool!
Electric files are safe, useful tools as long as two important
rules are observed. Firstly, it is vital that full training is taken and this should be of a very
high standard. The Nail Trainer is perfect tool for learning on as the techniques can be
practiced to perfection.
Secondly, only use electric files recommended by nail companies or responsible beauty
trade suppliers. There are many electric files available designed for the hobby market that
ore too powerful and unsuited for safe use on nail extensions.
The UV lamp.
People sometimes assume that because the light boxes used
to cure Gel emit ultra violet light they possess the same
potential for harm as a high powered sun bed. This is not
the case as the wavelength of light produced by the tubes
in nail light boxes is UVA, which lakes a long while to
burn or tan the skin.
Sun beds are usually over a hundred times more powerful than nail light boxes, and they
emit both UVA and UVB light. It is the UVB light in sun beds that accelerates the tanning
process and this can be harmful if overexposure occurs. As long as a modem nail light box
is used with 9 watt or lower power tubes your client is not at risk.
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Know your nail products and chemicals.
Either when practicing at home or working in a salon, you have to know about the
chemicals in the products you are using. By learning your art on The Nail Trainer you are
already dealing with health and safety in the most responsible way possible. You cannotharm your client through inexperience and you are learning in an environment that enables
you to acquire a great technique before working on real people. When we talk about nail
products we are mainly referring to the liquids and substances that come in bottles, jars or
other containers. Typical examples are acrylic primer, acrylic liquid and powder, Gel, tip
remover, nail polish remover, extension tips and nail polish. These are all 'products' as
opposed to 'tools'. Most nail products are termed 'hazardous' and they can enter the body in
the three ways already identified: inhalation, absorption and Ingestion. Many are also
flammable.
Inhalation, absorption and ingestion,
Absorption is the action of a liquid being absorbed through the skin.
Inhalation is the action of molecules of a liquid or other substance being inhaled through
the nose or mouth as vapour or dust.
Ingestion is the least likely route of entry as it happens as a consequence of tiny particles
of product transferring from the Technician's fingers on to food and then swallowed. This
can easily be prevented by washing the hands thoroughly before eating.
Some liquid products can enter the body through both absorption and inhalation. This most
commonly occurs when liquid is spilled directly on the skin or when handling contaminated
tissues or when sloppy brush control causing small amounts of liquid to contact the skin at
the side of the nail. The following is a description of the common nail products capable of
entering the body either as a consequence of the way in which they are used or due to the
chemistry of the product.
Bear in mind that this list is not exhaustive and new products enter the market all the time
so if you have a product that is not on this list, seek advice from the manufacturer.
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When assessing the relative safely of a particular chemical and thinking about the health
and safely implications of its use in your work place, we ask ourselves 'what is an
acceptable level of exposure to this chemical?' Nail products are safe, as long as exposure is
minimized through good working practices. Let`s look at some of the common products
and chemicals used in the nail industry.
extension tip remover.
The most widespread chemical used to remove nail tips is
acetone. This is a liquid which is also a solvent, i.e. it has the
ability to dissolve certain materials, for example some
plastics.
Absorption. Acrylic and fiberglass extension tips are
commonly removed by either immersing the nail extensions
in a bowl of acetone or soaking cotton wipes in acetone and
then wrapping them around the finger tips. Inevitably the
acetone comes into contact with the skin surrounding the
nail and a small amount of absorption will take place. Al the
same time the acetone is producing vapours that will be
inhaled as it evaporates. Acetone is highly flammable and is
closed as an irritant.
If you use a soak-off bowl fill it so that only the linger tips are immersed. Warm the
acetone by placing the bowl in a larger bowl of worm water. This is the only sale way of
warming acetone. Soak the nails for about.
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By only filling the soak off bowl so that the finger
tips are just covered you are minimizing the client's
exposure level. As the client will only need her
extensions to be soaked off once every 6 to 8 weeks
this represents a low amount of exposure and is
therefore considered to be safe. However, as
acetone is an irritant it is possible that a client could
develop an allergic reaction. This is rare but does occasionally happen. In this event the
course of action is to recommend your client has extensions removed by filing only.
Inhalation. Acetone can also enter the body through inhalation. As the acetone
evapourates it`s molecules float in the air and are breathed in. With acetone you can smell
these fumes, but be aware that some chemicals have no smell, but can still be harmful!.
The way to minimise exposure is to remove the fumes from the work area as quickly as
possible. Open a window and avoid using acetone in a sealed room, whether at home or
in a salon. Be aware that using a fan does not improve ventilation, it simply circulates the
air and the air boume fumes.
Acrylic primer.
This liquid is not used for Gel nails, but is common in salons
offering acrylic nails. The acrylic primer for use on The Nail
Trainer is a very weak formulation of methacryfic acid and
water and is suitable only for use on The Nail Trainer.
However acrylic primers for use on human finger nails
usually contain a high proportion of methacrylic acid. Once again this chemical has a very
pungent smell.
This acid is corrosive and therefore an irritant if it comes into contact with skin. If left on
the skin it will cause a mild burning sensation and will cause redness.
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The primer is applied with a small brush (attached to the screw
cap of the bottle) to the natural nail between the end of the
extension tip and the cuticle. Acrylic primer is safe as long as it
is only applied to the natural nail. This is an easy operation to
perform so there is no reason to get the liquid on to the cuticle
or skin. If this should happen wash the affected area several
times with a cotton wad soaked with water. As long as this is
done quickly there should be no harmful effects through absorption.
Inhalation. Methacrylic acid produces very strong vapours. This is one of the reasons why
acrylic primer is always sold in tint bottles. The opening of the bottle is small allowing the
minimum amount of vapour to escape when the lid is off.
Never lean directly over your brush when applying primer as this is the surest way to
breathe in the vapour which can result in discomfort lo the nose and eyes. Should this
happen move away from the vapour and breathe some fresh area. It is important to ensure
adequate ventilation in your work area and as melhacrylic acid is also flammable do not
allow any smoking.
Nail polish remover.
This is similar to acetone in that it is a solvent and therefore has the ability to dissolve
another substance. Nail polish removers commonly contain ethyl acetate and isopropyl
alcohol which is also often used to sanitise the nail.
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Absorption. The polish is removed by pouring a small amount of remover on to a cotton
pad which is then wiped across the surface of the polished nail. Some of the polish remover
will touch the client's skin, however this is a very low level of exposure and is therefore
considered to be safe.
Inhalation. There will be some inhalation of vapour, but this also be low as there is only a
small amount of the liquid on a cotton pad. Nail polish remover is generally considered a
safe product to use.
Adequate ventilation is advisable and it is highly flammable so do not allow smoking in
your work area.
Gel prep and residue remover.
This product has three functions. It used to sanitise and dehydrate the natural nail prior to
Gel product application and to remove the sticky residue from Gel after curing in a light
box. It is similar to nail polish remover and acetone in that it is a solvent and it contains
sopropyl alcohol, ethyl acetate end acetone. The Gel prep and residue remover included in
your Home Learn course contains only isopropyl alcohol so it is a weaker solvent than the
full strength version used on human finger nails.
The method of application is the same for both versions and for
both uses. It is applied by pouring a small amount on to a cotton
pad which is then wiped over the natural nail to sanitise and
dehydrate the nail. For removing the sticky Gel residue it is also
applied to a cotton pad which is pressed firmly onto the nail andthen pulled forward off the free edge. The residue is removed
on the pad and the extension is left dry and shiny.
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Acrylic liquid.
This is not used in Gel nails, only acrylics. When combined with
acrylic powder this becomes a soft paste which is used to build
acrylic nail extensions. As the name suggests acrylic liquidsusually belong to the methacrylate family of chemicals.
Inhalation and absorption. The adour of acrylic liquid is the most
common smell in the nail industry because in many countries
acrylic is the most popular system. The acrylic paste is applied
with a brush and like all nail products this should not be allowed
to come into contact with the cuticle or the client's skin.
It is the acrylic vapour which is considered the greater risk and
inhalation is the most common way for it to enter the body. It is
very important that the work area is well ventilated in order to
disperse the vapour.
To use acrylic liquid safely a small amount should be decanted from the bottle into a
dappen dish. The bottle should then be immediately re-sealed. The dappen dish should have
a lid so that it can also be sealed when the product is not being
used. Sometimes it is necessary to clean the acrylic brush by
immersing it in the liquid and then wiping it on a tissue. When this
is done put the used tissue in a metal bin with the lid down. These
measures limit the amount of vopour entering the work
environment and so minimise the exposure for both Technician and
client.
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Technicians should consider wearing a face mask and consider the following advise:
Wipe down the work surface after every treatment with a damp cloth and then wash this out
under a top.
This will remove the dust on the work surface but not the dust in the air.
The only way to do this is to use a clean air system that sucks the dust on to a filter as it is
produced, these systems can be portable or built into the tap of a workstation.
Using a system such as this is the best way to minimise exposure to dust as it will collect
around 80% of the dust produced as long as the filter is changed regularly.
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Nail adhesive.
The adhesives or tip glue used for fixing extension tips to the
natural nail or building fiberglass extensions are from the
cyanoacrylate family of chemicals.
They are also referred to as 'resin' and give off harsh vapours
which can cause irritation to the eyes. The Technician should
therefore avoid leaning directly over the bottle as the adhesive
is being applied. In terms of risk from contact with the skin it
is very unlikely that cyanoacrylate will do any lasting harm though it will stick skin
together very quickly.
Should this happen, wash with soap and water when the adhesive has softened and gently
peel apart or soak and de-bond in acetone. The person most likely to be harmed by nail
adhesive is the Technician. Some acquire the bad habit of biting off hardened adhesive
from the nozzle, sometimes the Technician inadvertently squeezes the bottle at the same
time and when the blockage is cleared, fresh adhesive squirts out of the nozzle and into the
Technician's eye. As the adhesive hits the eye it comes into contact with the tears around
the eye which acts as an accelerator and the eye is subject to the painful effects of the heat
generated by the curing process as the adhesive bonds to the eye. Almost certainly the eye
will shut a fraction after it is hit by the adhesive, thus trapping the adhesive and bonding the
eye shut. If this occurs, do not attempt to force the eyelid open, bathe the eyelashes with
warm water so that they can de-bond and release. Do not force the eye open, keep it
covered, seek medical advice, and after a couple of days the adhesive will release from theeye and it will open.
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Filing dust.
When building fiberglass extensions dust is produced as the shape of the nail is perfect with
the file. Follow similar rules to those explained for acrylic filing dust, i.e. make sure you
work in a well ventilated area and if possible use a dust extraction system
A quick guide to understanding the risks!
Product chemical name common routes of entr y other ri sks
Extensiontip remover
Acetone Absorption and
Inhalation
Fire
Nail polishremover
Ethyl acetateI sopropyl alcohol
Absorption and
Inhalation
fire
el prepresidueremover
Ethyl acetateI sopropyl alcoholAcetone
Absorption and
Inhalation
fire
Acrylic
liquid
Methacrylote Absorption and
Inhalation
fire
Nail tip
Adhesive
Cyano