EXPERT ADVICE

Gelish E File Image

Buying an E-file & bits? Nail techs: here’s what to consider

By Rebecca Hitchon | 21 February 2025

Nail experts share what to know before buying an E-file and bits… Choose the company carefully “Purchase from a reputable professional brand that also provides high-quality training for its E-file range, as undertaking this training is the best way to ensure the tools are being used correctly,” says Giorgia Cappella,…

Read More
Empty Nail Salon

No-shows & cancellations: how to prevent & handle them in your beauty business

By Marie-Louise Coster | 20 February 2025

Session nail stylist, salon owner & educator, Marie-Louise Coster, shares advice for client no-shows and cancellations… Every beauty business, at some point, has a client that doesn’t turn up for their appointment. You will have blocked out time and potentially turned other clients away, but are left with an empty appointment…

Read More
Nail Biting Picking

How to stop nail biting & picking: experts share treatment plans to break the habit

By Rebecca Hitchon | 18 February 2025

Finalists in the Scratch Stars Natural Nail Specialist of the Year category 2024 share tips for nail biting and picking clients… Why do people bite and pick at their nails and skin? “Nail biting, also known as onychophagia, and skin picking and biting, named perionychophagia, are habits associated with stress,…

Read More
Feb25 Low Res Cover Scratch For Web

Read the latest issue

Counterfeit Stock Image

Fake versions of my nail tools were being sold on eBay – Here’s what I did about it…

By Katie Barnes | 18 May 2021

Recently, I discovered a company selling counterfeit Katie Barnes Tool Range® products on eBay. My brand is my name, so I had never considered that counterfeit versions of products under my name would be created. It’s something that I thought only big companies and designers would experience. How wrong I…

Read More
Max Van Den Oetelaar Buymym3rq3u Unsplash

Mental Health: 5 ways to help manage anxiety

By Chloe Randall | 12 May 2021

This week is Mental Health Awareness week which encourages global mental health education. It also helps to raise awareness of mental health issues and combat social stigma by addressing issues that affect many people every day. In a role that demands you constantly care for others, it is important to…

Read More
2

11 ways to help your mental health

By Scratch Staff | 11 May 2021

Help look after your mindset & mental wellbeing during lockdown, with Monika Stachon, business coach & owner of Nail Boss Strategy & Mindset… It’s hard not to feel alarmed, when all social media, news outlets and daily conversations with clients are overloaded with fear, uncertainty and chaos. Undoubtedly, this is…

Read More
Mental Health Canva

3 ways to #ConnectWithNature to support good mental health

By Helena Biggs | 10 May 2021

The last year has seen us ‘locked down’; nesting inside the same four walls for longer periods of time than any of us have ever known. Many have been isolated at home alone, others in a pressure-cooker style environment with family or friends; both of which can contribute to feelings…

Read More
Katie Barnes File 1200x800

Are you holding your nail file correctly? Find out here…

By Katie Barnes | 4 May 2021

Although filing the natural nail shape may seem like it’s as simple as using a back-and-forth motion, the truth is there’s much more to it.  The way in which you hold your nail file when filing the natural nail or enhancements is critical for the desired results and shape.  Start…

Read More
Quiet Silent Appointment

Is it OK to not want to chat at the salon?

By Kat Hill | 4 May 2021

As we ease back into life from the quiet of lockdown living and more clients – both new and old – return to the salon, have you considered their noise preference by offering silent or sensory-aware appointments? Many may be experiencing anxiety surrounding their appointment. While many salons enjoy a…

Read More