Michelle Pratt

Claim Your Specialty: Become a Foot Fixer

We polled women ages 18-59 to find out what foot conditions gave them the most aggravation. Read their answers to learn how you can position yourself as a solution to these common foot frustrations.

Working Through a Chronic Illness

by Michelle Pratt

What do you do when you have a health issue that doesn’t go away? We spoke to four nail techs who haven’t let their illness deter them from their dreams.

Opt for a gentle exfoliant, such as a mask, rather than a salt or sugar scrub, which can be...

Diabetic Nail Clients: Proceed With Caution

by Michelle Pratt

When a disease is as common as diabetes, it’s easy to forget that diabetic foot care is hardly a routine matter. Educate yourself on the serious issues that can result from a simple pedicure.

The Problem With Perfectionism

by Michelle Pratt

Creating a perfect experience for your clients is an admirable goal, but it could be a liability if taken to an extreme. Is perfectionism preventing you from profits?

Perform exercises that counteract your usual body position while you work. For example, the...

They say age is all in the mind, but for those of us who have celebrated a half-century or more, we know the body doesn’t always agree. How does a nail tech cope with the physical changes when the body starts complaining about getting older?

Photo courtesy of Luxure Nail and Beauty Bar

Technique

Something to Talk About: Dry Manicures

by Michelle Pratt

The benefits of a dry manicure may be obvious to techs, but clients are often understandably resistant. Bring them onboard by selling an experience just as luxurious as the warm soak.

Technique

The Industry’s Issue With Ingrown Nails

by Michelle Pratt

A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing and can potentially cause a lot of trouble, as in the case of ingrown nails. Do you know how to respond to this common problem?

Health

Something to Talk About: Onycholysis

by Michelle Pratt

Onycholysis is a relatively common condition where the nail plate separates from the nail bed. Sometimes the only treatment required is a gentle touch and a little bit of patience.

Health

Something to Talk About: Washing Hands

by Michelle Pratt

Salon best practices include handwashing before every service — both for the client and the tech. But why bother when a squirt of hand sanitizer can kill the germs?

Health

Something to Talk About: Product Lifting

by Michelle Pratt

Back when everyone was wearing acrylic nails, it was pretty easy to determine the cause of lifting. Today, with so many different products on the market, the cause is harder to pinpoint. But one thing hasn’t changed: More than likely it has something to do with the tech’s technique.

Michelle Pratt wrote