When Melissa Stephens found out she had high cholesterol — and saw that it wasn’t improving after two years — she knew it was time to get serious about her health. Find out how this successful nail tech educated herself about healthy living, brought her cholesterol down to safe levels, and lost weight to boot.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your career. I have been a nail tech for 12 years and I own a nail studio in Nashville, Tenn., called Melissa Stephens Nail Artistry.
What are your health challenges? I knew I needed to make some changes when I had high cholesterol for the second year in a row. I had tried losing weight before, but I was simply counting calories. Sure, that helps you lose weight, but it doesn’t necessarily do anything for your overall health. I started my real wellness journey in December 2015 and knew my end goal wasn’t a specific weight; it was a feeling. I wanted to feel healthier.
What was/is your plan of action? I started my health journey by making dietary changes only. Using My Fitness Pal, I learned how to count my macronutrients and track what I was eating. That helped me to realize how much fat and sugar I had been consuming. I cut back on sweets and carb-heavy pastas and traded them for healthier options. I traded rice for cauliflower rice and pasta for spiralized zucchini. I lost 20 pounds by June. Once I mastered my eating habits, I knew it was time to integrate working out. Jillian Michaels DVDs are my absolute favorite!
How long have you been working your plan and what has been your result so far? I have been on my health journey for a year now. I have lost a little over 30 pounds and my cholesterol is in the healthy range. In fact, my blood work has never looked better!
How does your job as a nail tech affect your plan? I swapped my sugar-laden coffee and pastry habit for coffee with almond milk and hazelnut-flavored stevia, and a protein shake. I also had to learn to make time for lunch. Most days, I try to carve out a half hour to eat a tofu, veggie, and cauliflower rice stir fry from home or roasted veggies with some form of protein for lunch. For really busy days, I graze between appointments on hard boiled eggs, string cheese, fruit, veggies, and hummus or peanut butter. I also plan and prep for meals. I don’t feel the need to stop and grab dinner on the fly now because I have an easy, healthy meal planned.
What has been the greatest challenge of your new healthy lifestyle? My sweet tooth! I have swapped my usual desserts for Greek yogurt, cocoa dusted almonds, and Halo Top Ice Cream. I still indulge in my favorite treats from time to time. I have had some setbacks with my health that made it impossible to work out for a while, so instead, I started walking. I think the most important thing is doing something.
What’s your advice for other nail techs who want to embark on a healthy lifestyle? As nail techs, we teach our clients about how important self-care is, but then we don’t practice what we preach. Start small and take it one step at a time. If you overhaul your habits slowly (taking a lunch break, prepping your meals for the week, or walking for a half hour a day) you are more likely to stick with it. Getting healthy is a marathon, not a sprint. There’s no finish line for healthy. It’s something we work toward every single day.
Are you a healthy nail tech? Every month, NAILS will feature one nail tech in a monthly column devoted to shining the spotlight on your health and fitness success! If you would like to share your success story (overcoming health issues, weight loss — any health-related triumph) with NAILS readers, email tracy.rubert@bobit.com to find out more about how YOU can be featured as a NAILS Healthy Tech.
From acrylic monomers to airborne bio-dust, the air inside a nail salon carries risks most professionals never see coming. Aerovex Systems reveals the source-capture and room-purification strategies that are setting a new standard for salon safety.
Working in beauty doesn’t have to hurt. Learn how Somatic Movement helps hairstylists, lash artists, and other beauty pros release tension, improve posture, and extend their careers.
As a spa or salon professional, your clients expect more than just beauty—they expect safety, hygiene, and peace of mind. Fungal infections like Athlete’s Foot and Nail Fungus are more common than you think, especially in environments where tools and footbaths are reused without proper sanitation. This blog covers how to stop these issues before they start, using proven infection prevention strategies for salons and spas.
A federal initiative aimed at studying chemical exposure in nail salons has ended due to staffing and budget changes. Here’s what the project set out to do—and what its conclusion means for salon professionals.
For many people, a pedicure is a relaxing beauty ritual. But what most don’t realize is that this simple service, if done without proper hygiene and sanitation, can cause serious infections and long-term health issues.
Onycholysis is the separation of the nail plate from the nail bed. While it may look painful, it typically isn’t—at least not at first. But without proper care, this common nail disorder can lead to infections, deformities, and long-term damage.
Mckenzie Kool, Psychologist, MC, RPsych provides us with guidance on what may or not be helpful in speaking with someone who has suffered a significant loss.
Clients come to you to feel their best—not leave with a viral souvenir. Warts and cold sores can spread fast in busy salons, but a few smart habits make all the difference. Let’s talk about what’s really lurking in your salon (and how to kick it to the curb).
As Earth Day approaches, The Green Beauty Community Foundation and the Green Spa Network invite beauty pros to step forward and embrace sustainability through the Green Pledge--a powerful initiative designed by and for beauty industry leaders.
Don’t cancel Valentine’s Day altogether, urges Jill Palmquist. Instead, think of it as a (frilly, flowery, Champagne-bubbly) wake-up call to fall deeply in love with your own life.
Life coach and Culture Ambassador of Sam Villa, Andrew Carruthers, outlines how to tell if your burnout is temporary - or if it's time to make a bigger career change.
Cancer treatment can create very specific challenges for your guest when it comes to hair, skin, and also nails. Here are some tips for working with your salon client who is going through cancer treatment to help you provide a relaxing, enjoyable, and also safe experience.
For those clients concerned about exposure from UV lamps, the Sun Patch might be a solution. Sun Patches are waterproof, reusable (up to 10 wears) block 98% of UVA/UVB rays, and maintain their UPF 50+ rating all day long.
One of the most common conditions that affects the nail is onycholysis, which is the separation of the nail plate from the nail bed. Onycholysis occurs as a result of or along with a great variety of nail traumas and disorders. Probably the most common cause of onycholysis is a fungal infection of the nail.
Hairdressing is a physically taxing career integrating simple stretches into your daily routine can reduce the strain repetitive motion puts on your body, help you stay flexible and strong and eventually prolong your career.
