Ever since I was 19 and working full time, I’ve always had my nails done professionally. Back then, nail salons didn’t exist like they do today. Finding a nail technician was not easy as there are not nail salons everywhere. There are few beauty salons that actually offer nail services, only acrylic nails. If the ger had existed, it wouldn’t have invaded our little town. It didn’t arrive until six years later.
After graduating from high school, I entered a hairstyling school. The plan was to get my hair done and then my nails done, but I didn’t like my hair, so I quit when I had to deal with clients all day. I took a year off and got an office job. I found a job, got married, had kids and was a stay-at-home mom, and loved every minute of it.
what to do now that the kids are all in school
Now that your kids are grown up and go to school all day long, it’s time to find something to do while they’re at school. The desire to do my nails was still pretty strong in my heart, but many years passed and I had to go back to school.
You know you’re destined to do something when years later you still have the desire to do something. I love my nails and have been seriously considering starting a career in it for a long time.
I purchased a huge LCN nail kit as I was able to purchase professional grade products from my hair background. This is the same gel system my manicurist used and she has been doing my nails for a long time so she knew what all the products were for. I started doing my own nails. After all, how hard could I be (I thought so), I’ve watched her do my nails for years! Most of the time she used acrylic, but gel seemed to be much easier.
I had subpar nails after 4 hours, but it didn’t last a week. I kept at it and kept practicing, but my progress was very minimal. Clearly this was not as easy as it looked and it was clear that training was required. Courses were only available in the evenings, so someone had to stay with the kids while I was at school. Luckily, I have a supportive husband who encouraged me to attend college while I was home with the kids. Thus began my one-year journey to a nail technician certification course. Was it the best decision I ever made or was it the best decision I ever made?
I was there first and was so excited to get started. From day one I was disappointed in my class, instructors were all over the place. She didn’t understand and couldn’t teach her class. Her teaching was like watching a squirrel chasing her leaves in a field, impossible to follow. I mostly relied on the manual and what I learned from watching my own nail technician. Once I asked the teacher to show me how to fill in, instead he showed me how to do a natural nail overlay. I was too frustrated with the class. When it was time to learn the extension, she had me demonstrate it in front of the class. The only reason I only know how to do it is because manicurists have been doing it to me for years. I spent thousands of dollars attending college and learned very little about how to actually do my nails. A few years after I graduated, I found out that she didn’t really know how to do fills and extensions.
Did you learn enough to start your career?
I learned about hygiene and various nail ailments, but it was all in the manual. I decided to find a way to live this career. No other student in my class was able to continue a career as a manicurist. They didn’t have the necessary skills to make a career in the nail field.
This was before the Internet was as pervasive as it is today. At that time, most Internet services were dial-up and very slow. You can’t just go online and watch YouTube videos or take online classes. I learned it the old fashioned way, like you learn in a classroom!!
In the end, I decided to go back to my original manicurist and have her explain every little thing she did while doing her nails. I learned more from her nails than I did in one year at her school. I feel like I’m finally ready to work at a salon, but that’s a story for another blog.
Follow your dreams and stay on course. It’s never too late to start a new career!!
