EXPERT ADVICE
A guide to the gel system: when & how to use & troubleshooting tips
Nail pros share insight on the gel system… When to use the gel system Theresa Foddering, Lecenté business development manager & Scratch Stars Shooting Star Award finalist 2025, adds: “If a client has weak or brittle nails that require extra support and strength, hard gel is a great option for enhancements.…
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Nail industry expert: here’s the problem with AI-generated nail designs
Scratch Stars Social Media Star of the Year finalist 2024 & 2025, Hannah Clayton, shares her thoughts on artificial intelligence nail imagery…. We’ve all seen them: every nail shaped like it was designed in a factory with no cuts, dry skin or missing bits of sidewalls. We’re seeing a wave of…
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How to achieve a work-life balance as a beauty professional in summer
Scratch columnist & beauty business and mindset coach, Zaara King, shares advice for achieving a work-life balance this summer… Summer is upon us and I am so excited for the coming months. Seeing seasonal nail designs puts me in the best mood and makes me want to have fun in…
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Read the latest issue
Although it may sound like there’s no rhyme or reason to how nails grow, award-winning nail tech, Katie Barnes, shares the few basic factors that affect the speed of growth. The standard rate of growth of a normal fingernail is between 0.5 – 1.2mm per week, but this differs from…
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Nail salon events were once very popular, but that popularity has waned over recent years, says session nail stylist, salon owner & educator, Marie-Louise Coster. I think the pandemic caused us to fall out of the habit of in-salon events; we got so used to not being able to gather…
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E-file bits are made from different materials, come in different shapes, sizes and styles and have different purposes and benefits, says Katie Clark, award-winning nail tech & founder of Katie Barnes Tool Range & Education. There are some bits which must only be used for certain techniques, otherwise it is…
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Nail pros share their experiences with imposter syndrome and offer tips to help overcome it… Have you ever felt undeserving or that success is beyond your means? Perhaps you’ve felt like your career journey has been down to luck, or you’re worried that clients won’t return. These are all common…
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As nail techs and beauty professionals, we often catch ‘comparisonitis’, where we constantly measure our success against others. We see the flawless work and fully booked schedules of other nail techs on social media, and suddenly, we feel like we’re not doing enough. In the Nail Business Success Club, a…
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Global business & beauty education expert, Kim Ford, shares her expert advice on how to deal with client complaints… I am sure many of you have experienced a customer complaint at some time, and it can be a difficult situation to resolve. Let’s explore how dealing with complaints can be…
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