EXPERT ADVICE
What are rings of fire on nails & how can they be avoided?
Red rings or semicircles that appear on the nail – often referred to as ‘rings of fire’ – can strike fear into the hearts of nail techs and clients alike, but what causes them and how can they be avoided? “Rings of fire appear as red rings on the nail…
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Christmas rush tips for nail techs: why pause matters
Nail business mentor, Hannah Clayton, shares why pause is a powerful tool during the festive season… It’s that time of year: I start to panic, like my life will come to a close in December and I have to get everything done! My inboxes are full, I have work to do, but…
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Christmas retail guide for nail salons: products & tips to boost sales
It’s the most wonderful time of the year – not only for tinsel, treats and Christmas cheer, but for ringing tills and sleigh-loads of salon sales. But, let’s be honest, festive retail isn’t all fun and games. If you are scratching your head over what to stock, we’ve got you…
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Read the latest issue
Session nail stylist, salon owner & educator, Marie-Louise Coster, offers up top tips for the festive season… Now is the time to look ahead to Christmas and consider how you will maximise your marketing to make profit. The first thing you need to do is review last Christmas: what worked and…
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Photo created using ChatGPT AI-generated nail images are becoming increasingly prevalent across digital platforms, and while you might think ‘I’m savvy, I can detect a fake nail image’, know that AI is savvy too. When the world first cottoned on to the potential of artificial intelligence image generators, it’s likely…
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Business mentor, Hannah Clayton, shares why there needs to be a shift in the way nail professionals are seen… Recently, I shared an Instagram post that went viral. It was so simple – about how pros aren’t ‘just nail techs’, yet the response was overwhelming. It received hundreds of comments, shares, reposts…
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Justyna Pryke, Scratch Stars Gel Tech of the Year 2015 & 2025, serves up a step-by-step guide to removing hard gel enhancements safely and effectively. Removing hard gel manually (without an E-file) can be done safely, but it requires patience and care to avoid damaging the natural nails. Here’s a…
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With a number of day-to-day considerations to navigate, how you manage your salon waste can often be pushed to the back of your mind. But it’s easier than you think to respect the environment through your work, as we highlight via our roundup of recycling schemes and tips. Green Salon…
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Gel polish overlays should not cause any damage to nails. As award-winning nail artist, Katie Clark (née Barnes), has previously written for Scratch, natural nail damage can occur as a result of ‘improper application or removal, overly aggressive filing or client abuse such as picking or biting’. If done without…
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