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- Paint, decorate and repair nails for clients in a salon or in their home
- Opportunity to specialise or train in other beauty treatments
- Work in a salon or set up your own business
As a nail technician, you'll decorate, repair or paint clients' nails to a good level of hygiene.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Manicures and pedicures
- Cleaning and filing nails
- Applying false nails or extensions
- Decorating nails with coloured varnish, transfers, gems or glitter
- Repairing, looking after and removing false nails and extensions
- Checking for any signs of skin or nail problems before treatment
You'll also need to make sure that you use and store chemicals and varnishes correctly, use tools carefully and follow strict hygiene procedures to prevent damage or infection.
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You could work in a salon, at a health spa, on a cruise ship, from home or at a client's home.
You'll need
To be a nail technician, you'll need the ability to work well with your hands, excellent verbal communication skills, active listening and customer service skills, flexibility and openness to change, thoroughness and attention to detail, patience in stressful situations, and good concentration.
You can take a course in nail technology or nail treatments at a college or private training provider, but this isn't essential.
You could get into this job through a nail services technician intermediate apprenticeship.
If you can show a real interest in nail art, you may be able to get a job as a trainee with a nail salon or beauty spa and learn on the job.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could manage a salon or start your own business. You could work with photographers, fashion designers or TV companies, preparing nails for photoshoots or fashion shows. With further training you could move into teaching nail art.