Katie Barnes

Left-handed nail tech? Here’s how to adapt your tool kit

By Katie Barnes | 13 August 2024 | Expert Advice, Feature

It is assumed that when working left-handed, you just work the opposite way. But if you are leftie, you will know this is just a myth.

The majority of the population is right-handed, and so the majority of products and techniques are tailored to right-handed techs.

This is applicable for all fields, but with the nail and beauty industry home to so many creatives, there are a substantial number of left-handed operators. Having to adapt to right-handed working ways and tools has meant that many techs have to work in an unusual and uncomfortable manner. When learning, it is not just about the hand; it is about the hand, eye and brain co-ordination.

Each left-handed tech works, writes and holds objects differently, meaning that just the opposite way does not work.

I have found this to be an issue when learning from a right-handed educator, who assumes that you work the opposite way. It is a different way of thinking, and methods need to be adapted in various ways to help a left-handed tech achieve success. As an educator, it is important to learn the true working ways of lefties to ensure your classes are inclusive of their learning requirements.

Where can this pose an issue in the nail industry?

Scissors are renowned for being tricky for left-handed users. The reason for this is because of the way the blades are aligned. Designed for right-handed users, when held in the right hand the bottom blade is on the left, allowing the user to have a full view of what is being cut. When you switch this to a left hand, this blade doesn’t change position, meaning the upper blade sits in the way of the left-handed user’s view. This view produces a more effective and cleaner cut for a right-handed user, whereas a left-hander’s cutting action may force the blades apart, reducing the effectiveness.

A left-handed user must hold right-handed scissors in an unnatural way to make the scissors cut, causing marks on the hand and eventually callouses. Add standard loop handles to the equation and it makes it extremely tricky for a left-handed user to manage. This makes cutting more difficult and can result in problems arising in the work. All of this puts additional stress on a left-handed tech’s hands and wrists.

As a left-handed nail technician who has also taught many lefties, I understand these struggles. This why I designed Katie Barnes Tool Range’s scissors with the left-handed tech in mind.

Due to the pivot point, alignment and shape and size of the blades, vision is not affected for either right or left-handed users. The spring handle allows for easy use: almost like a tweezer action, which provides better comfort for both left and right-handed users.

With cuticle pushers, cuticle knives and other such tools, the ‘knife’ side is designed in a direction suitable for right-handed users and cannot be adapted for left hand use, due to having one blunt and one sharp side. It is important to look for a tool with even sharp edges as this can be used universally.

E-files are a common issue amongst left-handed techs. When a machine is working in a direction opposite to how it was designed, the motor will never be as powerful, meaning that when working on reverse for left-handed technicians, the power is not as effective as for right-handed technicians.

Issues even arise with electrical items, cameras, desks and such like, which are designed for right-hand use, resulting in a left-handed user having to stretch and work in an uncomfortable manner. A nail tech is prone to issues such as RSI, and working in these uncomfortable ways can increase strain for lefties.