5. Skills hub
In this module, it’s where the fun really starts to begin! Up until now, it has been like building a puzzle – putting all the pieces together one by one. Now that you have a thorough knowledge of all the processes, tools, products, safety requirements and application techniques, you can now begin applying all that knowledge.
In this module, we will cover the following nail enhancement processes:
- Creating the perfect acrylic bead (on a practice tool)
- Acrylic application on a practice finger
- Gel application on a practice finger
- Gel manicure
- Gel pedicure
- Acrylic overlays
- Gel overlays
- Full set of natural tips (gel)
- Full set of natural tips (acrylic)
- Full set of French tips (acrylic)
- Acrylic and gel removal techniques
- Acrylic infills
- Gel infills
- Acrylic French (two tone)
- Acrylic and gel French
- Nail art
When you are selecting your models, try and find a wide variety of ages, ethnicities, nail shapes, skin types and nail goals. This will help to ensure that when you start taking on clients, you will have learned how to work with a range of nails, skin types and service requirements!
As you work through this module, it is important that you take your time to practice each technique before moving on to the next. If you were learning the violin or the cello, you wouldn’t even touch the bow for the first few weeks – you would learn about your instrument, how to hold it and where to position yourself first. This is exactly the same approach we use in the design of our course. Getting the basics mastered before moving on to more complex applications will help to ensure that you are doing everything correctly, efficiently, and safely. You will likely have a few months of basic manicures and pedicures before you master gel nail extensions and then conquer acrylic extensions!
When you are practising your skills, remember to be patient with yourself. It can be frustrating when we are really trying to nail a new skill, but the reality is, it is unlikely we will be perfect on our first try. Daily practice will help you to remember the steps in each process, will build your muscle memory and will also help you to speed up your techniques. It is also important to remember that speed comes with experience; it is better to be a bit slower and do a thorough job than be really quick and do a dodgy job. Utilise your practice fingers to build your confidence and before working on actual clients, test out your skills on your own nails. Doing your own nails is not super easy (especially on your dominant hand!), but it is important that you get to feel what it’s like to have a new nail, infill, repair and removal on yourself.
For each skill you will practice, we will include video demonstrations performed by our industry expert to show you the correct way to perform certain tasks. Be prepared to watch these videos a few times, and you may find yourself starting, stopping and pausing a lot. You might also find it useful to take notes as you watch each video so that you can refer back to them later. In addition to practical demonstrations, we have also developed a range of practical activities for you to complete to build your skills. We encourage you to not skip any of these practicals and to do them as many times as you need to help you become a master nail technician!