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Career opportunities in the beauty industry are becoming more and more widespread, and one of the most popular choices is becoming a Nail Technician.
Nice nails are ‘cool’ and beginning on a career as a Nail Technician can be highly interesting and enjoyable. It can even lead to you owning and managing your own nail salon. So if you enjoy working with people, are creative and artistic, have a patient manner and like to keep up with the latest fashion trends, a nail technician could be the career for you.
Cosmetology, or personal appearance service, is not only a large industry, but a broad one as well. There are several facets of personal appearance, from hair or skin care to nails or hair removal. As a result, cosmetologists quite frequently specialize on one concentration of the field. Nail technicians, as the name suggests, tend exclusively to hands and feet, giving manicures or pedicures, treatments or nails extensions.
Nail Technicians usually work in a salon with beauticians, hairdressers and so on. Some prefer to start up their own mobile Nail Technician business by providing a service for clients in their own homes. As you can imagine, whatever route you choose, it’s a great way to make friends!
Nail Techs provide personal appearance services to clients, performing manicures, pedicures and related services with techniques they’ve learned through Cosmetology or related certificate and diploma programs. Careers related to Nail Technician include manicurist, pedicurist and nail art technician.
As a student in a Nail Manicure program, you’ll learn nail care, how to teach customers skin therapy techniques and, most importantly, the principles of nail clipping and filing, acrylics, fiberglass and reflexology. Many trade schools and community colleges offer certificate programs in Nail Manicure or related services, and some of these community colleges also grant associate degrees to students who combine their manicure and beauty coursework with the necessary general education courses. With a completed degree or certificate in Nail Manicure, you could work as a manicurist, pedicurist or electrologist.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), www.bls.gov, manicurists should see strong job growth in the coming years, due to rising incomes, growing populations and increased emphasis on fashion. Manicurists who have completed a degree or certificate in Nail Manicure will probably have good prospects. Most manicurists make between $16,000 to $20,000 annually, according to www.salary.com.
Pedicurists are essentially like manicurists, except that they concentrate on feet exclusively (‘ped’ is the Latin root for ‘foot). In general, they are not as busy as manicurists are, but they provide the same general service. Some individuals with experience in manicures or related services also work as electrologists. Electrologists use an electrolysis machine, which sends a tiny electric shock into clients’ hair follicles, to destroy and eliminate unwanted hair.
Manicure and pedicure technicians must be certified in safety, hygiene, and professional techniques before entering the workplace. These training programs which may take as little as a few months teach nail hygiene, safety, shaping, coloring, and more! Manicurists may find work in beauty salons, spas, or they may start their own business and solicit clients on their own.
