If you know where to look on YouTube, you could find tips to help you create anything from the perfect French tip to breathtaking artwork. What we’re providing here is a great place to start — but there’s a whole world waiting for you out there! And while watching and learning is awesome, don’t just lurk in the shadows. Why not create a training video of your own and let other techs learn from your experience?

 

THE BASICS

YouTube is a website that allows users to view and upload video that can be shared with anyone around the world. Created in February 2005, YouTube has turned our ability to communicate upside down. Now anyone with a video function on their camera can post how-to videos, create their own commercials, or become a quasi-celebrity. If YouTube hasn’t entered your vocabulary yet, fear not! It’s as easy as can be.
1. Go to www.youtube.com.
2. Type in the topic of your choice.
3. Begin watching videos.

You can search for absolutely anything on YouTube, and you’ll probably find it. But to find the videos that we’re talking about in this article, you’ll have to search the terms exactly as they are written here. If we say the search term “nailzoo” brings up a good video, for example, and you type in “nail zoo” (with a space), you will find a goofy story about nail polish people, but you won’t see the excellent work of Carl from nailzoo.

 

ENHANCEMENT TRAINING

A few nail videos on YouTube quickly rise to the top. Watch as these skilled techs perform nail services on camera. You’ll learn how to hold a drill, control product, complete a backfill, and prep for a French fill. It’s all in there. Search the following words for a few of the best. You’ll get more than one hit per each search term, but it’s worth watching them all.
> Acrylic Nails P&W
> NAILZOO
> miwhel nails

These next two search terms bring up videos that offer some good tips, but the quality isn’t as good as the ones listed above. These videos may be grainy or some may have funny camera angles, but if you dig around a bit you can find some good stuff.
> gel French nails
> su su ezflow (This search term will bring up some good videos. The only reason it isn’t listed above is because a few of the videos were pixilated or blurry.)
> expertvillage acrylic nails (Expert Village is an online, how-to video site. They have an official channel on YouTube. Professionals from different fields post how-to videos on behalf of Expert Village. This accounts for the variation in quality of the videos.)

 

NAILART

Here’s where you’ll find the bulk of video content. Some of the art that is featured is positively astounding. You will find beautiful pictures to help you get new ideas, and you will also find great training videos to help you learn the how-to. Personalize your nail art search (for example, “3D nail art,” “nail art French,” etc.) to pull up what piques your interest. Sit back and relax. This search could captivate you for hours.
> cosmozoner
> mysticnails
> topgal
> kookynails
> melirivera
> jtsNailCouture

 

MANUFACTURERS

Not many manufacturers are represented on YouTube, though it seems like a great place to get free exposure, build client relationships, and link over to their homepage. Some manufacturers are represented, though it’s difficult to tell if videos are posted from dedicated users or from the manufacturers themselves. Search these words to view a few:
> Ez Flow High Definition Promo Reel
> nsiuser
> gel French nails
> qtica
> Welcome to OPI

 

PEDICURE TRAINING

Pedicure videos posted on YouTube often focus on one stage of the pedicure, so you will want to watch a number of videos in a row to see a complete service. Search terms such as “pedicure massage” or “pedicure polish” to find videos that interest you. The search -“expertvillage pedicure” will bring up many videos posted by a variety of users.

 

TAGS

“Tags” are description keywords chosen by the author of a video that help people search. Here is a short list of tags to get you started as you search YouTube. Like Google, the search will bring up limitless places for you to explore.
> Acrylic
> Artificial Nails
> Gel Nails
> Nail Art
> Backfill
> Manicure
> Pedicure
> Nail Application

 

BROWSER BEWARE

Anyone can post on YouTube — and that becomes evident as you spend even a short time searching. If you are a novice in the nail industry, it’s important to watch with a critical eye. A variation of the old adage “you can’t believe everything you read” is true here. You can’t believe everything that’s posted. Videos are available, for example, that feature people who appear to be friendly and helpful, but who offer advice that is professionally questionable. Be gracious. These videos aren’t meant for you, the nail professional. Keep searching until you find videos made by professionals for professionals.

 

MEET A POSTER

Joseph Pham is the owner of Art Design Hair and Nails in Buffalo, N.Y., and a guest artist with Team OPI. Techs often contact Pham through his MySpace page (myspace.com/doia) to ask him technical questions. After viewing a video from YouTube sent to him by a friend, Pham realized the need to post high-quality training material. By the end of the day he had posted two excellent 10-minute videos (see them by searching “Pham acrylic nails”). Pham received more than 500 personal e-mails from his videos. “I don’t know why people didn’t write in the comments,” he says. “Maybe because most of them were professionals who didn’t want other people to see the questions they were asking.” Pham says the questions came from people all over the world, many of them asking about the way he uses the electric file and bit.

 

 

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