EXPERT ADVICE

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Onycholysis: what is it & how can it be treated?

By Jess Watts | 31 July 2025

Let’s talk the causes of onycholysis, aka nail separation, how to prevent and what to do when it’s presented at the nail desk… Picture this: you scrape your knee and pop a plaster over the top to help it heal. Three days later, that plaster has started to lift. At…

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How to elevate your beauty business by seeing it through clients’ eyes

By Marie-Louise Coster | 30 July 2025

Session nail stylist, salon owner & educator, Marie-Louise Coster, discusses the importance of understanding clients’ perspective… When was the last time you walked through your business as if you were an existing or new client? We all need to walk through our businesses, whether physically or virtually, on a regular basis…

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The nail hyponychium: what is it & why does it need protecting?

By Jess Watts | 25 July 2025

Not all heroes wear capes… but sometimes they deserve a little appreciation. Here are some key facts about the hyponychium – your underappreciated nail protector. Akin to how we fill the cracks in between shower tiles, the crevices of our nails also need sealing to protect the nail bed and…

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#SCRATCHSTARS18 – Top tips from a two-time winner

By Helena Biggs | 11 February 2018

Tammy Koslowski, owner of NAF! Salon, Glasgow – which scooped both the Nail Salon of the Year and Best Use of Social Media titles at the Scratch Stars 2017, reveals her top tips to take it to the top… Start early I think it took us around four weeks to write…

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How the local press can boost your beauty career

By Guest Writer | 19 January 2018

Tom Ferris, owner of Blackwell Ferris Marketing, reveals why you should be using your local newspapers and social media groups to spread the word about your services… The local press was a key way to getting exposure. Local press will be on board with many salon stories and events as it…

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PINTREST highlights growing interest in lash treatments and nail art

By Kat Hill | 16 January 2018

Pinterest has revealed its annual Pinterest 100 report, which sees a variety of trend predictions for 2018 identified by the social media platform. Including beauty and lifestyle forecasts, the report reveals an insight into consumer browsing habits on the social media platform. “Beauty is booming on Pinterest with a 75%…

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NHF warns pension change set to triple costs for employees

By Kat Hill | 11 January 2018

The National Hairdressers Federation, which supports the hair, beauty and barbering industries, is warning pension changes will triple costs for employers. Pensions auto-enrolment was introduced in April 2012 and has led to nine million workers saving into a pension for the first time.   Since auto-enrolment was introduced, the contributions for both…

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How to correctly remove nail enhancements that are lifting

By Katie Barnes | 9 January 2018

Salon owner, educator, former Scratch columnist and award-winning nail stylist, Katie Barnes, reveals how to correctly remove enhancements that have lifted What is lifting? Enhancements that lift away from the natural nail show a sign of service breakdown. This can occur with any nail coating but is often more common with L&P and…

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What is dark social & how can I get involved?

By Guest Writer | 21 December 2017

Tom Ferris, owner of Blackwell Ferris Marketing, reveals what ‘dark social’ is – and why you need to know about it… “It was so funny I just HAD to share it with you guys”. “Yeah but Marc never replies in the WhatsApp group, he always lurks in the background just watching”. This…

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