Teaching not preaching: Why go to a professional?

It's a question often broached by my clients, although possibly not so directly! They've seen the gel polishes and UV lamps on ebay (haven't we all) and want to know what it is that stops people simply DIY gel polishing themselves at home. What I tell my clients is the gods honest truth and I never stray from the following phrase: Nail technicians attend college, spend a fortune on training and products and have insurance for a reason. 'Doing' gel polish is NOT as simple as it may seem. Each step of your gel polish application or removal involves not only the physical application skill but much thought and know-how.

1. As nail technicians we are trained to spot issues with your nails and we can also sometimes spot the signs of further medical conditions. We can spot a fungal infection a mile off and usually explain why your nail plate is seperating from it's nail bed. We may seem to be happily listening to you chat about your recent break-up/birthday/new puppy but in our heads we are diligently analysing your nail type and looking for any signs of nail disease.

2. As nail technicians we are trained to maintain the appearance and health of your nails. We sort out your cuticles, scrape the gunk from under your nails and shape them in a safe and healthy way using tools that we are trained to clean, sanitise and sterilize safely.

3. As nail technicians we are trained not to cause further damage to your nails! We know how to file correctly, we know the correct grit of file to use on a natural nail and we know how easily our actions could cause damage to your nails if we don't do things properly.

4. As nail technicians we are trained to apply gel polish safely. We know the best technique to apply the gel polish, we know the importance of each of the individual layers of gel polish. We know that if we don't seal the free edge or apply the top coat in a thin even layer your manicure won't last. We know that we need to apply different colours using different techniques or numbers of layers. We know that certain colours look rubbish without an initial base layer of white gel polish.

5. As nail technicians we know how to remove your old gel polish in a safe way without causing damage to your nails. We also know how to do this in about half the time it would take you to do it to yourself at home!

6. As nail technicians we have spent hours of our time and a lot of money researching and investing in professional brand of nail varnish that we are passionate about using. We know the gel polish we use lasts well, we know it doesn't damage your nails, and we know we can trust the ingredients in it as we have the lab reports to prove it! I have lost track of the number of clients I have seen who have had bad experiences/ allergic reactions to cheap gel polishes (but i'll talk more about this in another post).

7. Finally, as nail technicians, we love what we do, we want the opportunity to do what we love and we want you to leave us loving your new nails and feeling pampered. Have you ever tried cutting your own hair? I did once, and I certainly didn't feel pampered afterwards!?! If you're going to spend money on your nails rather than spending the money on cheap products that you probably won't feel satisfied with, come to a professional. Spend the money with us, trust in us and I promise we will look after you.