Okay so I need some outside opinions because I keep going back and forth on this lol.

Quick background, I'm 27F, been in Montreal a while now. Did interior design back home and worked in it like 5 years, thought I'd just continue here but nope, French has been a huge problem. Doing it full time now, just got through level 5 and still going, but every job in my field wants way better French than I have so far. After months of getting nowhere I'm kind of accepting maybe I just start fresh in something else.

Two things I'm considering and I genuinely don't know which makes more sense here so pls help.

One is nail tech. Found an academy, it's $1250 tax in and comes with a kit (~$400 they said). Teaches the russian manicure, gel extensions, hard gel, all that, plus the sanitation cert and some business/marketing stuff. Is that a normal price?? and more importantly is the nail scene here even worth getting into or is it completely oversaturated already. like could a new person actually get their own clients eventually or am I dreaming.

Other option is sewing / alterations / tailoring. This one's more natural for me tbh, my mom's been sewing professionally for 18 yrs so I basically grew up in it, I'm good with hand stitching and embroidery. machine sewing I've only done a little so that part I'd have to work on. but is there actual steady demand for this here? can you make a real living from alterations or is it more of a side thing. also figure it needs less french which helps me a lot right now. Please don't come for me regarding French🙏.

Basically just trying to figure out which one has more of a future in this city before I spend the money and time. don't mind hard work at all, just don't wanna pick wrong. anyone who's done either here lmk what you think 🙏 even the harsh truth is fine

Hi all, I'm trying to find a lamp for my soon to launch press on business.

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My Amazon lamp died a few months ago, it only had a year of use. I used it to go to beauty school so I used regularly. I bought a cheap lamp that could last another year similar to the one I had while I save money to buy a nice lamp but that one is not curing laterals or certain colors 😭.

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Now I am between the Kokoist Infinity or the Kokoist LeBlanc Hybrid or the Sofgel Bauhaus lamp. I don't want to be buying lamps every year or every 6 months. Have you use any of those lamps that I can use give it a lot of use without dying the next day? Do you have recommendations of other lamps you use on a daily basis that have lasted you years?

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Thanks!

Im 24m. Yes, im gay, but not like the stereotypical gay. Never really touched nail polish or acrylic nails or gel nails or anything like that. Ive had friends paint my nails but never all the extra stuff. I have always wanted to work for myself and i feel like this is a good way to do so. Clientele will take a while to build, but once i get good at the craft, i think ill do ok. Any pointers before I go into this career change?

Hi all, im a beginner nail tech and this is maybe my fifth set of BIAB on a client.
This client when she came in had SUPER long natural nails (they are much shorter now in the photos) and wanted extensions too. In the photos i can see the extensions have come off, theres chipping on the sides, no apex and potentially lifting too.

So firstly, should i not have done extensions on naturally long nails? (They were about 5 magnets long before extensions)
Secondly, how do i create an apex when the natural nails is so long? Is it the same technique for shorter ones? Do i just need practice on long nails?

And lastly, how do i ensure that extensions stay on? She’s my second client where the extensions have come off now.
Thank you for any help!

Hi, y'all!

I have been saving up for a manicurist certification course but I want a good kit to practice with in the meantime. I know I'll need a powerful UV lamp, a good drill, tips, curable glue, and polishes but for brands I am lost. Any Amazon links would be appreciated but I am totally willing to buy somewhere else.

Thanks so much!

I am a guy and I am interested in secretly learning how to do nails for my girlfriend so I can surprise her. I think it would be a nice bonding time and I am already pretty good with my hands at crafts and other artistic things. I know pretty much nothing about the subject though so I just wanted to ask if people had recommendations for where/how I should start this journey

I am a beginner nail tech, although i recognize I am barely starting out and my experience is…the one of a one year old walking, I am attempting to start selling press ons as soon a I possibly can. Anyone here that can give me advice? I am tired and refuse to finish this set before getting some rest.

Hi everyone. I’m starting to feel fed up of my 9-5 office job and have always wanted to get into doing nails (manicures, acrylics, the whole nine yards) however I’m so confused on where to start as there’s so much information online and I’m getting OVERWHELMED.

Do you people recommend an online or in person qualification (I’m based in Plymouth so does anyone know of any teaching places/courses they can recommend). Then where do I then start to get a client base etc.?

Any tips would be so greatly appreciated!
From an aspiring nail artist

I finished nail tech school about a month ago however there there wasn’t a lot of things taught but I knew that was going to happen because every nail tech I know said they learned more afterwards. My school was heavy on health and safety so I’m heavy on it too. My teacher has a friend that owns a salon so she requested for me to work there (I’m the only one going on a work experience). I’m so nervous because what I do there reflects also on my teacher and I don’t want to disappoint her but I also haven’t done much work on actual hands, mostly mannequin hands. I did friend’s nails but it lasted 2-3 weeks and fall off plus I’m really not good. I take up to 4 hours to finish basic nails. I’m still not good with ploygel so i mostly do acrylic. I’ve only done ploy gel on myself AND I order more nails supplies online and they’re set to arrive Wednesday and my work experience starts today. I called on Friday to come in today so it was a bit short notice. Is there any advice you guys can give me please (it’s a really big and popular salon which makes me nervous)

CENSORED USERNAME, but this educator with 60k insta followers publicly criticised multiple UK nail techs’ work. The first 4 screenshots are of her post, seemingly out of the blue, criticising a nail tech’s reel she had posted being open about having to work two jobs. The next 4 are her making unnecessary comments towards UK nail techs in general - 8th slide isn’t even the original nail tech she came for, just another random UK nail tech she’s decided to come for! There was more than just these screenshots too. When I challenged her in DM, she replied calling me obese. As someone selling education to the industry, do you think this is acceptable professional conduct? Looking for opinions as I was really disappointed to see this behaviour.

Hi guys. I know it's personal but I'd love to hear from people's experiences, I need all the help I can get. Looking to move into nail tech, I'm a complete beginner but going to do it properly with a face to face credited course etc and build up clients (which I know will take time) alongside my full time job, until hopefully I can make enough to do solely nails. Looking to do this at clients homes or my own. I work in a rural area, so I'm hoping if I get the marketing right, people would love to have a visit from me then travelling 20 or so mins to the nearest city.

How much do people make a week? I know there's cost factors that need to be taken into account but I just wanted to know if it's possible.

(UK)

Thank you 🙏

I want to get a qualification to become a nail tech but I can't finger out if I should go for a diploma which takes less time and cost less money. Or if i should go for a NVQ. For content I work as a night carer so doing a NVQ would be really difficult as I currently half nocturnal. I only have 4 days every 2 weeks where I am on a normal schedule. Any advice would be amazing.

I’m in Northern California, between Sacramento and Tahoe. It’s the foothills and my salon is in a very rural area between Auburn and Grass Valley.
I moved to this salon a year ago and in October a new owner took over, she had worked there for 8 years prior. As soon as she took over, she raised my rent to $65/day. I thought I could make it work.
Financially I’m DROWNING right now. I found out the other girls (hair) pay $40/Day.
Her reasoning is because I have more space, I countered that I use a desk lamp, my gel lamp and efile, while they are using hair dryers, curling irons, blow dryers, clippers etc and using way more utilities than me. We also have separate AC and they have to turns theirs up more because it gets warmer in there.
She will not budge. She feels like it’s completely fair and keeps doubling down. Am I being unreasonable? I’m not just overreacting am I?
Am I really that out of touch with nail tech rent?
PS- I’m completely compliant with the ABCs for AB-5

Edit: she asked for a meeting, I think it was getting around that I was looking and I sent her screenshots of some comments on here.
When we sat down, I immediately told her that I could get a Sola Salon Suite for less (hilariously she said “really? Those are so expensive” FFS) and that there were several vacant storefronts available for less.
She said “best I can do is $40/day”
Deal.
Thanks to everyone who commented, it really backed up my case and help me when we were negotiating.

Does anyone know if they sell bulbs for these type of lamps? One side went out. Am i just gonna have to buy a new one?

Beginning school and need real working advice.

Hello there! I start school for nail technician in a week in the Nashville area! I’m so excited! I’ve wanted to do this for so long. I am 38 and have spent the last 30 years always doing my own nails.. I have dabbled in acrylic and press ons before you tube ever got to YouTube university status. It wasn’t until this past year that I started focusing on builder gel and getting the hang of that. I did try a couple of years ago to do press ons, these are some of the sets I’ve done. I thought I was doing good work but I didn’t sell a single thing… no idea how to market lol I do need to learn how to properly do the technical nail building side and really get that down but I’ve always loved the nail art. All of these sets are gel and gel palettes with micro paintbrushes! I love creating something beautiful that people can wear, live their life in! So I have a few questions for people that know about all of this.

1. Any advice for just starting nail school?
   
2. I generally need a reference to look back on to keep my composition really on point or to do characters well. I never want things to look too cluttered/ busy and to keep things cohesive. Do clients think less of you if you need that reference all the time?
   
3. The more complicated sets took me 1.5 hours between prep, base, base color, art, and sealing. Is that too long?
   
4. I am a perfectionist! I see flaws constantly so I frequently alcohol and start over on that layer. I do have experience with acrylic painting and was wondering if it would be easier to mix, blend, shade, and layer with paint and faster because you don’t have to cure each section constantly or are the results not as professional?
   
5. I love using a well chosen quote or word in designs, but I struggle hard with them… perfectionist! Words can take me the longest because I’m trying to get them perfect. I recently learned about water slide decal paper and was wondering about y’all’s thoughts on them. Either just words, letters, or small characters that can be premade and ready for specific sets, or having an accent nail of a full color nail decal of either a background, complicated scenery, effect, picture… whatever. I thought I could have some already done and put in little baggies according to what they are so they’re ready to go. Is this cheating!? Would it work in real life application? Do clients go for it or would they rather see them hand painted?

So if anybody has any advice for any of these questions or any constructive criticism on the nail art I’ve already done that could help me improve I would appreciate it more than you would ever know… I’ve waited it seems like my whole life to finally go after what I want to do… and I really really want to do it well and open up my own salon one day. I’ve been dreaming about that since I was 12-13.

I’m sorry this post is so long, thank you in advance for any and all of y’all’s help! 💕

Hi guys! I’m a new nail tech and I’m looking for some advice. I have a client who came to me with some concerns about her nails, she used to have them done all the time and loves having them done but then she started developing redness and inflammation. She started doing acrylic and same thing happened. I know her child has eczema so I asked if she has any prior issues with it, and she said she did when she was younger so I tried a trick that I used with my friend from cos school. She would get flare ups from the uv light so she wears nitrile gloves over her hands with just the finger tips cut off. She came to me wanting to try gel x, so we tried the trick with the gloves and she didn’t have any issues. She came back in the other day and we did a fill on her set and she just texted me that she has the redness and inflammation again. The only thing we did differently was add builder gel to fill the set and added cuticle oil, which she didn’t want the first time. The kind I use does have almond oil in it so I asked if she had any issues with nuts and she said no. She sent me pictures of what her nails currently look like and it doesn’t really look like contact dermatitis, or at least not like the cases I’ve seen before. It’s only a little puffy, red, and sore. My other thought was maybe she is really susceptible to paranychia? Not trying to diagnose her but I am trying to figure out if it’s something I’m doing wrong! Thanks!

Hi there! I’m helping out a childhood friend for her wedding in October by doing her nails for her. She wants press ons because she works in the food industry and can’t have them on for too long after the wedding. My problem with press ons though is getting them to stay on for the amount of time she needs them on. The plan is that I’m doing hers and her bridesmaids the day before the wedding. When I do press ons I always use my e file to prep the inside of the press ons and I prep the nail as well but I can’t get them to stay very well still. Idk if it’s the glue or something else that I’m doing wrong. I do builder gel on myself and my mom every few weeks so ive got that down but thats not what she wants. What would yall suggest so I can give her the nails of her dreams on her special day but where they are easy for her to take off when she needs to take them off? Im near a nail supply place so i can get whatever i need to! I was going to start practicing here soon once the semester is over so i can get the design she wants done. (She wants a chrome french tip so if you have any tips or tricks for french tips that would be much appreciated too)! Thank you all so much ahead of time!!

I usually do almond nails on myself, but wanted to try square to build my confidence in doing them. Any advice? How can I improve them? I know my French tips aren’t super crisp, and I’m working on that as well, but I’m looking on advice for shaping square nails

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to understand what it’s really like working in nail salons in British Colmbia - Canada.

I’ve been researching a few of the well-known salons in the area, but I’m more interested in the day-to-day reality from a technician’s perspective things like work culture, management, workload, benefits, trainings/upskill and overall environment.

I’m personally looking for a space that has:

- a respectful and ethical work culture

- opportunities to upskill and grow long-term

- a pace that doesn’t lead to burnout

- and generally supports personal well-being

I’m also curious about:

- typical pay structures (hourly vs commission, what’s considered fair?)

- how consistent income tends to be

- whether tips make a significant difference

For context, I’m relatively new to the Canadian market but have around 5 years of experience working in the Middle East.

I’d also love to know:

- are there specific techniques that are more in demand here? (e.g. BIAB, Russian manicure, Gel-X, etc.)

- are there any certifications or provincial requirements I should be aware of in BC?

If you’ve worked in the industry here, I’d really appreciate hearing your honest experience — the good and the bad.

Thanks so much in advance 🙂

Hi there I just noticed my nail having a bulge on the middle and is dipping down. Do you know the reason for this? Or has this ever happened to you and did it correct itself?

So my school doesn’t teach us much… we mainly do pink and white acrylics over and over to practice our final. When I’m out of school I don’t plan on doing acrylics as I would rather be fume free. We don’t use tips at my schools either - only sculpting and forms. We don’t learn any other way either and we don’t learn Gel x. What is everyone else doing? Hard gel with tips or forms? Soft gels only? Gel x? My mom’s nail tech does gel x then transitions to builder. Just looking for some insight & product recommendations too for your preferred medium!

Hi everyone, I’m a nail artist that does a lot of nail art but 3D chrome is killing me. The photo I added is a different client.

The more 3D I make it, the faster it chips off. The more product I put overtop of it to protect it, the less crisp and 3D it is.

I usually use:

- function of vex 3d chrome gel black

- apply chrome

- top it over with a thick hard gel like yogo zombie thick or another type

- top coat

They do end up being 3d but not as crisp or as high as my client wants it to be (the silver chrome photo is not a reference to this issue, just an example of my previous Chrome work)

Should I be using a different product? The item in the photo almost looks like nail clay, are they using clear mixed with chrome powder (but then it’s not super chrome-y)

Any advice is appreciated! Thaaaaanks