Many women want their nails to look beautiful, but not all of them can achieve it at home, so they turn to beauty salons. Almost every beauty salon these days has added or is adding manicures to the list of services they offer. If you are in the business and thinking about expanding your beauty salon and offering your customers something new, you may consider investing in a quality nail supply.
Source: thenailpro.ca
If you are already offering this service to your customers, you may want to increase your profit by investing in new equipment and trying out some new techniques. Your salon should be an oasis of endless possibilities, however, it can not be complete without the three most popular types of manicure, such as the following.
Gel vs. Acrylic vs. Dip Powder
Once upon a time, a manicure meant only basic polish, but nowadays, women prefer new versions, so make sure you get the proper nail supply that will meet all your customers’ needs and expectations. Create an extensive menu with a lot of choices, but make sure you include gel, acrylics and dip powder nails and here is why.
Gel
A gel manicure includes the basic manicure process, meaning that the nail technician starts off by soaking the client’s hands in warm soapy water to soothe and soften dead skin cells and then files and buffs the nails, cleans the cuticles and massages the client’s hands with hand cream. The next step is to paint the base coat and colour the nails with gel polish.
This is where the main difference between the basic manicure and gel manicure process is – the gel polish is cured under UV light twice and then the topcoat is added to cure the nails. Make sure to have a variety of colours in both regular and gel polish.
Source: raycochrane.co.uk
Typically, a one colour gel manicure takes around 45 minutes and lasts from 2 up to 3 weeks. Sometimes clients risk damaging their nails when they peel, chip or lift the gel polish, but if applied and removed by a professional technician, gel manicure is not likely to affect the nail health. The nail technician uses an electric file to clear away the gel before wiping the nails with acetone-free polish remover to get rid of excess nail powder. Make sure to advise your clients to keep their nails hydrated with cuticle oil in case some peeling or weakness appears in the days after removal. This will help their nails regain strength.
Acrylic
Acrylic manicure includes the same process as a gel manicure, but it’s a combination of a liquid monomer and powder polymer that build a hard protective layer over the nail and is coated with polish or cured with a UV light if the client gets a gel manicure on top. It’s one of the favourite types of manicure because it can be customised in many different ways and make it look just as the client likes it.
Usually, it takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes to be done and can last between 2 and three weeks. If the acrylic manicure is both done and removed by a professional technician, it won’t damage the nails. However, nails may seem a bit weaker since they are filed down, so make sure to advise clients to use cuticle oil to keep nail beds hydrated.
Source: pinterest.com
Acrylic manicure is a great choice for those who want longer nails, but also it can be very helpful for those who are prone to biting as it can make the nails look naturally longer and provides a tough protective layer, which makes the biting difficult.
Dip Powder
Last, but not least, dip powder manicure falls somewhere between gel and acrylic. It is the newest manicure on the scene, but it’s gaining popularity quickly. It can be applied quickly and doesn’t require as much skill and precision as gel and acrylic manicure. A base coat is applied to the nail, but the only difference is that instead of using UV light to seal in the polish, the colour comes from a pigmented powder.
You can have every nail colour comes in the form of a pigmented powder, so your clients can choose the one they prefer the most. The nail is dipped into the powder and then sealed with a top coat. The powder sticks to the sealant only, so chances for messy cuticles are very low.
Source: allure.com
The process takes about 40 minutes to be done and can last up to three weeks. It feels harder and more resilient than any other nail polish, which is why it lasts longer. When applying and taking off the dip powder are done properly, by a professional technician, the process doesn’t damage the nails.
Even though some believe that dip powder is better for nail health than gel and acrylic, there are still no proofs for it. At the end of the day, it all comes to proper application and removal. However, hygiene is key, so make sure you are dipping your clients’ nails into a separate pot of powder to avoid infections.
A manicure is supposed to be a relaxing experience, so do your best to make your customers feel calm and stress-free while you are doing your job. And don’t forget to inform them about other beauty treatments you offer, such as maybe lash extensions, massages or else.
