HEALTH & WELLBEING

nail desk client tech

How to avoid stress when clients offload at the nail desk

By Guest Writer | 2 April 2025

Suzy Reading, psychologist & wellness expert for the British Association of Beauty Therapy & Cosmetology (BABTAC), shares top tips for managing mental stress from being a soundboard for clients… “The energetic and emotional toll of listening to clients’ problems needs to be recognised and addressed as part of basic training,”…

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Nail Tech Endometriosis

Living as a nail tech with endometriosis: ‘I was heartbroken & scared of losing my nail business’

By Lilly Delmage | 31 March 2025

Scratch chats to Andover nail tech, Jo Bennett, about her experiences suffering with chronic condition, endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition which targets the uterus, causing tissue, similar to the lining of the uterus, to grow outside of it. Common symptoms include, but aren’t limited to, severe pelvic pain and extreme…

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Why do I have white spots on my nails? Causes & treatment for leukonychia

By Lilly Delmage | 28 March 2025

Have you noticed white spots appearing on your nails? This could be leukonychia – here’s everything you need to know… What is leukonychia? This refers to discolouration, which often appears as white dots or lines on the nail. According to book, Milady’s Art & Science Nail Technology, the cause of…

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Are your gloves protecting you against nail ingredients

Are your gloves protecting you against nail ingredients?

By Katie Barnes | 18 July 2023

In a previous blog for Scratch, we explored what gloves are needed for nail technicians and covered thickness and how often these need to be changed. In this blog, we delve deeper into chemical permeability and how to know if your gloves protect you against the chemicals which you use…

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SPF: What is it & why do beauty pros need to know?

By Chloe Randall | 25 June 2023

The topic of weather is often an ice-breaking conservation starter between nail & beauty pros and their clients. If you have clients who are hoping for sunshine this summer, it’s a prime time to bring up the topic of sun protection. More than one in three (35%) burn their skin…

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Cleaning tools

4 items you should be sanitising alongside your nail tools

By Katie Barnes | 23 June 2023

You clean, disinfect and sterilise your nail tools, but on what else should you carry out these processes? Any reusable items that come into contact with clients’ skin or nails must be sanitised, disinfected and sterilised, depending on your country’s regulations. Protocols referred to in this blog are applicable to…

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Mindfulness

How to incorporate mindfulness into your beauty services

By Guest Writer | 21 June 2023

Salon System educator, Lisa Stone, who achieved a meditation qualification after using the practice to support her mental health, shares how mindfulness techniques can be used in your beauty business… We can spend so much time and money on ensuring our outward appearances look and feel great, that we forget…

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Cost of living crisis

9 ways to support employees during the cost of living crisis

By Guest Writer | 26 May 2023

Experts at employee engagement software company, Weekly10, have collated nine top tips for businesses to support staff during tough economic times… 1. Focus on employee engagement When employees feel connected to their work, peers and company mission, they’re more likely to find meaning in their work. They feel like they…

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4 ways to help prevent allergic reactions in the nail space

By Katie Barnes | 5 May 2023

An allergy in the nail industry is caused by repetitive skin contact of a nail ingredient that has been advised against skin contact.  The contact of this allergen may not always be known or as simple as displaying on the hands from accidentally flooding the cuticle. If you or a…

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