Introduction
Who doesn’t love a little glitter on their nails? Glitter or no glitter, getting your nails done could be so much fun! But if you could do it yourself, wouldn’t it be more exciting?
Manicures and pedicures are the most popular beauty concerns at the moment. And these treatments and services have become easier due to the improvement of technology. This makes the process of becoming a nail technician even easier.
If you’ve been thinking about being a nail technician, then good news! You can become a professional nail technician all by yourself! How? Well, there are plenty of opportunities to become a self-taught nail technician. Which you’ll find out soon in our segment enough.
Is Becoming A Professional Nail Technician A Good Idea?
If you have the skill set [and patience] to do nails, why not go for it as a career? Even though everything has gone online, there are plenty of online courses for professional nail arts. Some of the online courses also give the license to the learners after completing the training period.
Since you’ll be attending the classes online, you don’t have to go to a school for the certificate. And the training program will improve your skills 100% percent.
To add more, the pandemic and the lockdown have forced people to do their nails at home. Which creates this huge opportunity for you. You can become a self-taught technician and offer nail services to people who need them.
So, why waste this big opportunity?
What Do You Need To Become A Nail Technician?
Before we get into the methods, let’s first find out what we need to become a professional nail technician. If you want to practice your nail skills, you’ll have to make sure you check some boxes. These requirements depend from state to state. We need to find out this information before jumping in.
The job description of a nail technician is very simple. Along with manicure and pedicure, a nail tech also needs to trim, shape, cut, and polish nails. You also need to master using various tools needed for a good nail treatment.
This job requires a lot of sitting patience, and a hygienic sense. Not only that but a professional nail technician must also know about sales and customer service.
Now, in order to become a professional, a degree in the field isn’t necessary. However, you do need a certificate from a cosmetology school and a State licensure. The best part is you only need a High school diploma or GED to apply for the courses.
Here is a gist of the requirements of a professional nail technician-
| Job Titles | Nail technician; Manicurist; Nail artist |
| Required Education | High school diploma or GED; Nail tech program |
| Other Requirements | Licensure |
| Salary | $32,785 (as of April 2021) |
| Job Outlook | 19% growth (2019-2029) |
These are basically all you need to know if you want to be a professional nail technician.
How To Train Yourself to Be A Self-Taught Nail Technician?
When we said that becoming a nail tech requires a lot of patience, we weren’t kidding. You can’t become a professional without a certificate and a license. And you need to pass a certain test. However, you can become a nail technician by teaching yourself.
So, here’s the good news. You don’t have to go to a cosmetology school. You can enroll yourself in any one of the many amazing online nail programs. They would train you up with the best online experience.
If that’s not enough, there are a lot of options for you to choose from. You can take crash courses which are for 4 months. There are more extensive ones that require 6 months [college term], 8 months, or a year.
However, choosing any of these courses depends on the state you’ll be working in. These courses are an excellent way to train yourself up for a professional level. And what’s more, you’ll get a certificate that’ll help you to get your state license. However, the license must be renewed every 2 years.
Another useful resource for learning how to be a nail tech is Youtube. You can learn all the tips and tricks from some resourceful videos. That’ll help you to practice your homework. Also, nowadays, a lot of practice kits are available online. You can try your skills out on those.
If you have a cosmetology school nearby, you can take one of their amazing nail training courses. So, if you want to you can go to this college in order to build a stable career.
The best part about this course is that they offer a month-long apprentice program. So you can gain some practical experience.
Once you’re done with the training, you’ll be able to sit for the license exam. It could be a written/practical test.
If you pass the test, your dreams will come true. The license will allow you to start your career in this field.
Pros And Cons Of Becoming A Licensed Nail Technician
Are you ready for the bumps on the road?
Like any other profession, a nail technician also has its ups and downs. And you’ll need to face the consequences of choosing the career path. Such as facing workplace politics.
But if you’re passionate enough about nail care and design, then you’ll be able to overcome these hurdles. However, this job is still enjoyable and helps to elevate your creative side.
So let’s take a look at the pros and cons of becoming a professional nail technician.
Pros-
- Direct interactions with customers
- Ability to hone your skills through your work and easy job growth
- Little training duration
Cons-
- Lower than average wages
- Challenging customer service
- Possibility of contracting diseases from customer
These are the pros and cons of becoming a nail technician. If you’re up for this creative field, you can focus on the positives and avoid the negative aspects throughout your journey. You got this!
Signing Off
We hope that you were able to find a way to train yourself with the help of courses. Make sure you check the updated state requirements before enrolling.
Let us know if we were able to help you out and fulfill your dreams.
Good luck on your journey!