Client paying

How to grow clients’ average spend & boost your beauty business

By Marie-Louise Coster | 29 June 2025

Session nail stylist, salon owner & educator, Marie-Louise Coster, offers tips for encouraging clients to spend more money… I am at a time in my life where I simply don’t want to work myself into the ground. My years of being everything, for everyone, are long gone. It is costing more…

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How your beauty business can reduce its environmental impact

By Guest Writer | 5 June 2025

Victoria Brownlie MBE, chief policy & sustainability officer at the British Beauty Council, shares guidance to support eco efforts in the beauty sector… While most people are committed to working more sustainably, I have noticed a real disconnect between where world leaders, governments, NGOs and big business see challenges, compared…

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Nail techs, here’s how to diversify your skills to reap rewards

By Guest Writer | 26 May 2025

Scratch columnist & beauty business and mindset coach, Zaara King, shares advice for taking your next career step… Do you want to change your role or take a leap in a new direction? Many beauty professionals have been asking me how they can diversify their careers. I teach people to leverage their…

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Nail techs, here’s the difference between irritant & allergic contact dermatitis

By Guest Writer | 25 April 2025

Award-winning salon owner, educator & industry consultant, Theresa Foddering, aka The Naildresser, explains the difference between irritations and allergies… In the nail world, we see a lot of terms to describe skin reactions: itching, redness, swelling, irritation, but the real question is: do we fully understand what’s causing these issues?…

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Chrome pigments: a nail expert shares a troubleshooting guide

By Katie Barnes | 6 April 2025

Educator & award-winning nail pro, Katie Clark, offers advice for dealing with issues that can arise when using chrome pigments… The chrome nail trend is ever-popular, but are you applying chrome products correctly? Each brand may have slightly different instructions, so always follow these and get in touch with the…

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Natural nails

Nail anatomy: essential parts of the nail every nail technician should know

By Katie Barnes | 27 March 2025

As a nail professional, it is paramount that you familiarise yourself with all parts of nail anatomy to ensure you are offering your clients a professional and thorough service. Understanding the purpose and growth of the nail The primary function of the nail is to protect the outermost bone of…

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Scarlett Senter Embellishments

7 top tips for working with nail embellishments

By Scratch Staff | 17 September 2024

Adorning nails with 3D elements and embellishments adds dimension to designs, allowing you to transform plain styles into striking looks. Nail stylists offer adhesion and application advice… 1. “Practice wearing embellished designs on your own nails, as this will help you to learn a lot about working with them and…

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Nail Appointment Lamp

What you need to know about mixing brands at the nail desk

By Dani Bailey | 10 June 2024

Dani Bailey, nail educator & Scratch Stars finalist for The Shooting Star Award 2024, begins her online article series by sharing her career story and exploring concerns around mixing nail brands. I’ve always been a self-confessed nail nerd. I’ve devoured nail scientist, Doug Schoon’s work and after completing the NailKnowledge…

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How to avoid bridal nail disasters

By Rebecca Hitchon | 6 April 2022

Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful times for a bride, so ensure their nails aren’t an area of worry by putting in place plans to prevent nail mishaps. “There is a lot that could potentially go wrong at a wedding, so you need to explain to…

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Bridal nails

4 ways to market bridal nail services

By Sophie Nutt | 21 February 2020

Brides-to-be have a number of things to juggle in the run up to their big day, so help make it easy for them to find their dream nail look. Follow these four simple steps to market bridal nail services to potential clients… 1. Tailor treatments “I believe the best way…

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Simone Radley shares her top tips for nail competition success

By Sophie Nutt | 14 February 2020

Since immersing herself in the nail industry just three years ago, Simone Radley has stunned the UK nail sector by excelling in industry competitions country-wide and imparting her skills on others in her role as an INK London educator. Enthralled by the excitement, buzz and sense of achievement associated with…

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Male marketing lead

How to market to male clients

By Sophie Nutt | 15 June 2019

The male beauty market is booming as salons see men make up one in five clients*, indulging in their appearance through treatments such as manicures and pedicures, waxing and tanning. We witness old-fashioned stigmas attached to men paying ‘too much’ attention to their appearance or the notions that a ‘real…

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Jenny harris

How to strike a balance between work & home life

By Scratch Staff | 6 February 2019

Make it easy to manage the separation between work and home life with advice from nail artist and educator, JENNY HARRIS… I entered the nail industry shortly after my daughter was born, as I sought work that would be flexible so I could look after her. I completed a diploma…

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How to advertise a vacant job role

By Sophie Nutt | 3 January 2019

As an employer, hiring and keeping the right staff for your business will undoubtedly be your biggest ongoing challenge. In terms of hiring, you will need to be thorough in your employment process; clear on what your business requires and can afford, and ensure your staff understands and is happy…

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How to deal with price challenges

By Sophie Nutt | 27 December 2018

No two days are the same in the life of a nail pro, which sometimes throws up some awkward occurrences. One common incident is when a client questions the price of a manicure; but how do you handle such a query once the treatment has been completed? Kelley Colley, of…

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