Nail technicians united after increasing their prices

From Biab to acrylics to gel nail polish, with funky patterns or simplistic French tips. Nails over the years are becoming more of an essential than luxury.

On the 8^{th of} April 2024, the Nail Tech Org initiated a national increase for nail technicians. This came about as ‘most nail techs in the UK are working for less than £7 per hour,” as stated on the Nail Tech website, which is less than minimum living wage of £11.44.

The huge collaboration in the industry allows for nail salons to grow in sustainability and ensuring they take away some profit. Getting your nails done is crucial for most people, steering towards less of a luxury and more of an essential now.

Beth Guy-Clark, 21, a student at Nottingham Trent University, has been getting her nails done for over two and a half years.

She said: “There’s a hundred percent times I’ve thought about not getting my nails done, with the prices.

But, when I don’t have nails on, I look down at my fingers and I think, wow, my hands look really stumpy.”

Fresh nails on Beth Guy-Clark (Sourced by Jessie Price)

Fresh nails on Beth Guy-Clark (Sourced by Jessie Price)

She also discussed how she finds getting her nails done as more of an essential now than a luxury. As she constantly visits nail salons for her fresh sets of acrylics with pops of pink and patterns.

Over 300 miles away from Miss Guy-Clark is Holmes of Beauty, a vibrant and modern beauty salon, located in Winton High Street, Bournemouth.

Holmes of Beauty in Winton High Street (Sourced by Jasmine Holmes)

Holmes of Beauty in Winton High Street (Sourced by Jasmine Holmes)

Jasmine Holmes, the owner of the salon and soon-to-be owner of a second salon in Wimborne, took part in the national nail price increase.

Interview Clip with Jasmine Holmes (Sourced by Jessie Price)

Nail technicians spend their days ensuring clients get the most out of their appointments, they are artists. They spend their days mastering and hand-drawing delicate designs based on their client’s preference to gently filing away to complete the perfect nail shape as desired. Unsurprisingly, the catch being they take away little profit.

Jasmine Holmes said: “On every product we then have to pay 20 percent tax.

When you become VAT registered that means 20 percent of all our profits go to HMRC and we do not ever have that back.”

She expressed it’s a lot of money to lose on “every single client and every bit of money that we make.”

United together, nail technicians came together as a community to provide better growth for themselves and their businesses. But has it affected clients returning?

At Holmes of Beauty, Jasmine said: “I think people have reacted quite well to it. I think everyone does understand.”

“It’s our job, it’s how we make money”, she said.

Vanessa Ferns, 29, a nursery manager from Dorset said: “Getting my nails done is extremely important to me.

It makes me feel more feminine.”

She typically spends around £60-£80 per month getting her nails done and doesn’t regret spending that money as “I consider it an essential as it makes me feel good about myself”: Miss Ferns added.

Nails allow people to be creative whether that’s the nail technician or the client deciding on the art of choice. Clients understand the need for changes to nail prices as, according to the UK government’s National Careers page, nail technicians earn an annual salary of £22,000.

Technicians like Jasmine from Holmes of Beauty supported the movement in her salon as it’s a way of showing “gratification and appreciation for nail techs.” Something that over the years of nail salons and businesses growing, seems to have been left behind.

The Holmes of Beauty salon hadn’t done a price increase since opening in 2021.

Gel Bottle Shelf (Sourced by Jasmine Holmes)

Nail design book (Sourced by Jasmine Holmes)

Client getting her nails filed. (Sourced by Jasmine Holmes)

Why is nail care important?

Attending nail salons or professionals can help keep nails healthy and reduce any risks of infection. It will also help ‘remove dead skin cells, treat brittle nails, and improve nail appearance. Find out more here.

The Nail Industry

Pretty floral designs, crisp white French tip to the perfect almond shape nail. Nail technicians needed to increase prices to show their talent, worth and potential.

Jasmine Holmes said: “I love my job. We hand paint all our designs, it allows us to be creative and give our clients bespoke designs suited for them.”

In terms of the nail industry, Jasmine expressed concerns with the toxicity and said, “there’s so much competition and everyone’s fighting against each other.”

“People should work together, they should collaborate with no animosity,” she added.

Inside Holmes of Beauty (Sourced by Jessie Price)

Inside Holmes of Beauty (Sourced by Jessie Price)

"We stand together"

Jasmine Holmes, owner of Holmes of Beauty.

So, if you are partial to a manicure, bright acrylic nails or a minimalistic gel polish, be willing to pay more and appreciate the lengths nail technicians go to in their line of work.

A community stands together to empower people to understand and educate themselves on the rising costs of products, taxes and having enough money to pay themselves and other nail technicians for their job.