Magazine for the professional nail industry.
Issue link: http://nailsmag.epubxp.com/i/224814
… You're Allergic to Acrylic Photography by Spencer Pullen/Premiere Graphics I opened my salon eight years ago with my mother-in-law. We had gone through Hurricane Charlie here in Florida, and the community was just beginning to recover. Ann, my mom-in-law, started wearing sculptured acrylics in 1995 and decided to become a licensed nail tech in August 1999. She started specializing in sculptured acrylics and was fine for almost a decade, but then she began suffering from peeling, redness, burning, and itching on her left hand, plus sinus issues and eye infections. An allergist performed patch tests and found that Ann is allergic to many salon products, including acrylic monomer, primer, nail polish, and acetone. The allergist advised her if she didn't stop wearing and doing acrylics, she'd have to have skin grafts on her hand and could cause permanent damage to her health. I became a nail tech in 2003 with a specialty in sculptured acrylics. I am also licensed in massage therapy (since 1999), skin care (since 2007), and cosmetology (since 2012). I started to develop allergies in 2007. When Ann gave up offering acrylics in October 2009, other nail techs, including myself, continued to offer acrylic services in the salon. Then we switched to only offering gel enhancements in June 2010. It was not until 2011 that my doctor recommended I discontinue the exposure to all enhancements. At the beginning of 2011, we stopped offering nail enhancements. When we decided to stop offering acrylics, most of our clients were pretty supportive. This was a major change, especially since we had quite a clientele of acrylic clients. Most of our clients switched to the gels we were offering. But over time, we were not able to offer the gel enhancements either. But we found we could offer CND Shellac, plus natural nail care services. When we made this switch, most of our clients stayed. We did have a few clients not continue with hand or nail services, but we were able to keep most of them as salon clients with other services such as pedicures and massage. We marketed our new menu and service changes as part of an overall "healthier alternative" salon to our customers, including promoting the FootsieBath disposable liners in our pedicure tubs. By taking the time to pamper our clients, including offering hour, hour-and-a-half, and two-hour pedicure services, we set our salon apart from the average salon. Since then we have added CND Brisa Smoothing Gel to our service menu, which has helped us regain most of the clients who left our salon due to the changes from acrylics. Overall, we've gained more clients since we have started offering natural nail care and Shellac than we had lost in changing our services from acrylics. We've gotten so many positive responses to the changes from our clients and wish we had made the changes sooner for our clients and us. Angelina Pullen AA Serenity's Touch Inc., North Port, Fla. Not being able to ofer acrylics hasn't stopped this mother- and daughter-in-law duo from running and expanding a successful salon and day spa. I have never regretted the choice I made to enroll in nail school. As soon as I earned my nail license, I started gaining new clients, plus body wrap clients started getting their nails done! They would get wrapped, then have their nails done while in the wrap. I love my job, I love being a nail tech, and yes, it was well worth the hardships. I am no longer renting rooms from a hair salon or at my home! I have my own salon now and oh, how our menu has grown. But I do want to say: Give yourself two years in your business to give it roots. I did not become a success overnight. Vickie Meador, Starting with only one service ofering in 1995, Vickie Meador (right) has since added gels, gel-polish, pedicures, massages, and more to European Body Wraps. Here she smiles with Aimee Craig, a client of 15 years. European Body Wraps, Olive Branch, Miss. >>> JANUARY 2014 | NAILS MAGAZINE | 187