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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Foot sand summer

3 rules for keeping holiday nails in tip-top condition

By Scratch Staff | 16 August 2019

Sharon Sandhu, category manager for nails at Salon Services UK & Ireland, reveals three ways to ensure nail looks keep in the best shape while on holiday… At this time of year, many clients will be escaping for an annual summer break of sun, sea and carefree days on the…

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How to close a nail form correctly to ensure a great enhancement

By Katie Barnes | 5 August 2019

The perfect form fit is one of the most important elements when it comes to a well-structured sculpted nail enhancement. The correct placement of the nail form is essential but an often overlooked component of the form fit is the symmetrical closure of the wings. Without this, it will be…

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Your session styling questions: answered!

By Sophie Nutt | 1 August 2019

Session stylist and Scratch columnist, Robbie Tomkins, invited you to ask him any questions about the session world. Here, he answers those questions with the help of session techs Michelle Humphrey and Michelle Class. Kaycie Kyle asks: What career level do you need to be at to start session work? RT: I started…

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How to keep staff happy

By Sophie Nutt | 25 July 2019

Finding an ideal candidate and offering them the job is not the end of the salon recruitment process. Retaining staff is an ongoing responsibility and ensuring their happiness is key to the. There is no ‘one size fits all’ formula formula to retaining staff, so it might take some trial…

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Margaret Dabbs shares 10 ways to look after feet in the heat

By Sophie Nutt | 24 July 2019

Margaret Dabbs, foot expert and CEO of Margaret Dabbs London, shares her advice on how to take care of feet in this heatwave… How can heat negatively affect the heat? The warm weather can cause feet to swell as the veins dilate in an attempt to keep the body cool,…

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What it takes to become & remain a successful nail technician

By Katie Barnes | 23 July 2019

Becoming a nail technician is often a career choice that is snubbed and looked down upon. It is often perceived as ‘just painting nails’. Anyone that has ever tried to paint nails well, will appreciate that this is a skill in itself. This element is just the tip of the…

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