EXPERT ADVICE

Katie Barnes Canva Allergy

Home gel kit dangers & 6 ways to prevent allergies at the nail desk

By Katie Barnes | 11 January 2025

Many people turned to DIY nail kits during the coronavirus lockdown. They may have been visiting a nail pro for months, years or even decades – before suddenly, the luxury of a nail appointment was gone, and some saw a solution in home application of gel polish. DIY home kits…

Read More
Lilly Web Newsfeature Lead 1200x800px 70

Self-employment help for nail techs: registration & tax essentials

By Lilly Delmage | 11 January 2025

Are you keen to take the leap into self-employment? Here’s a guide to the registration and tax essentials you need to know… For nail technicians working in salons who seek greater control over their careers, self-employment often feels like a natural next step. It offers professional and creative freedom, aiding…

Read More
Ai Richard Mccabe Piece

AI is changing the beauty salon game: here’s how it can help you stay ahead

By Guest Writer | 10 January 2025

Richard McCabe, aka the Lifestyle Salon Coach, shares how artificial intelligence can benefit your beauty business… Love it or hate it, AI is changing how businesses work – and that includes salons. Just like past tech revolutions, if you jump on board early, you’re more likely to come out on…

Read More
Goal List

A beauty business coach’s guide to goal setting for 2025

By Guest Writer | 7 January 2025

Beauty business and mindset coach, Zaara King, offers up advice for the new year… It’s time to consider how you wish to make your mark on the industry over the next 12 months. You get to choose how you show up, what you offer clients and how you make a…

Read More
Lilly Web Newsfeature Lead 1200x800px 62

Why nail technicians should enter the Scratch Stars Awards: tips from a nail competition maestro

By Lilly Delmage | 3 January 2025

Bespoke nail artist, Jiak Hing, who has won the Scratch Stars Gel Polish Stylist of the Year accolade for three consecutive years, shares insight into the competition, what to expect on the day and the benefits of entering.   Why did you decide to enter the Scratch Stars Awards? To…

Read More
2025 Goals

New year, new you: How nail businesses can plan for the year ahead

By Marie-Louise Coster | 1 January 2025

Session nail stylist, salon owner & educator, Marie-Louise Coster, shares her tips for reviewing the last year and preparing for the next, in order to achieve success… Here we are again, another year gone and a new one in front of us full of opportunity, possibility and hope. It is…

Read More
Woman Laptop Business

4 updates to make to your beauty business in 2025

By Guest Writer | 30 December 2024

Kim Ford, global business & beauty education expert, shares ways to make the most of quiet spells to improve your business long-term… The beginning of a new year is a great time to focus on business administration, such as updating operational and legal documents, and to consider if your marketing…

Read More
Lilly Web Newsfeature Lead 1200x800px 60

Introverted nail techs: how to grow your skills & clientele comfortably

By Lilly Delmage | 22 December 2024

Do you love the creative aspect of being a nail professional: perfecting enhancements and getting arty, but find it challenging to converse with clients and colleagues? You’re not alone. A need to recharge after client interactions or feeling most comfortable in quiet environments are signs of introversion. The word ‘introvert’…

Read More
Liza Smith Bodylines

Coronavirus: How one salon owner vows to manage nail appointments safely

By Scratch Staff | 17 March 2020

Liza Smith, session nailist & co-owner of award-winning Bodylines salon in Sittingbourne, Kent, reveals the steps she’s taking to manage the safety of her staff and clients while honouring appointments… “The government has given the advice to avoid social outlets, which could have a huge impact on nail and beauty…

Read More
Social Media

Is your social media content ‘shareable’?

By Sophie Nutt | 13 March 2020

Social media has never been so prevalent in the nail industry. While it can be a minefield and extremely difficult to navigate at times (especially due to the ever-changing Facebook and Instagram algorithms), it can be the make or break of any business. Extending your reach beyond your existing following is one of…

Read More
Coronavirus Mask

Coronavirus: Essential advice for employers

By Scratch Staff | 12 March 2020

Tina Chander, partner & head of the employment team at Midlands law firm, Wright Hassall, deals with employment law issues for businesses of all sizes. Here, she reveals advice for employers in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak… The coronavirus outbreak (Covid-19) has raised serious health concerns, and now, the…

Read More
Bridal Nails

Why you should already be preparing your client’s summer wedding nails

By Sophie Nutt | 6 March 2020

Preparation for a bridal manicure can begin up to six months prior to the big day, allowing for a thorough consultation, trial manicures and maintenance appointments. “The natural nail can take six months to grow from the matrix to the free edge and so it is ideally best to start…

Read More
Mothers Day

How to make mature mums feel comfortable in the salon

By Sophie Nutt | 5 March 2020

Mother’s Day lands on Sunday 22 March this year, so be sure to capitalise on the occasion by putting the focus on mature ladies – including the mums and grandmothers of your existing clients. The Office for National Statistics reveals that the UK’s population is ageing, as people continue to live longer…

Read More
Katie Barnes Clean

Coronavirus fears: A review of salon hygiene practices

By Katie Barnes | 3 March 2020

With Coronavirus spreading at a rapid rate across the globe, Katie Barnes reflects on sanitation, disinfection and sterilisation procedures in the beauty sphere to help prevent the spread of any infection… In the nail salon, we are in constant contact with a a number of people every day. Sometimes, we…

Read More