Nails Magazine

APR 2017

Magazine for the professional nail industry.

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104 | NAILS MAGAZINE | APRIL 2017 knows absolutely everything she needs to know to work on clients safely. This is a growing concern and one I and others are striving to change by pushing for accredited and professional education in the industry." Continuing education is available to working techs in South Africa, via tradeshows, advanced beauty school courses, and manufacturer classes. The main beauty tradeshows are hosted by Professional Beauty in the cities of Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg, this last being the largest and showcasing more than 200 local and international exhibitors. "Professional Beauty Exhibition is packed full of exciting new products and innovation that will give you great insights into what the latest trends are in skin care, nail care, and equipment supplies," states its website. The South African outpost of Russia- founded E.MI School of Nail Design offers continuing education courses in freehand nail art. "The aim of our courses is to improve the skills of nail technicians and manicurists to be able to offer an additional service to their clients," says Morne Louw, owner and instructor of E.MI School of Nail Design—Pretoria. "The most popular course is Art Painting—ABCs of Lines, where our students are taught how to use brushes and products correctly to achieve different lines, strokes, and designs." In tandem with more consumers getting their nails done regularly came more professional nail brands entering the South African market. "When I first started out as a nail tech, there weren't many product brands available then like there are now. The first nail product I ever worked with was OPI as that is all that was available," says van Rensburg. "Now we have such a wide choice of well-known international and professional products, systems, and brands available, and plenty of new nail salons and nail salon chains." OPI has stayed popular, and other brands with market share include Essie, Morgan Taylor, CND, LCN, Gelish, NSI, Calgel, Star Nail, and South Africa- headquartered Bio Sculpture Gel. Pedicures are a popular service at Buff Beauty Parlor, especially in the summer when clients will be showing off their bare toes at the nearby beaches. Though not as dominant as hair or skin care, South Africa's nail industry has made marked strides. Nadia Erasmus, finalist for South Africa's Nail Technician of the Year in 2016 (given by trade association Professional Beauty) and owner of newly opened salon and training center Nadz Hope Nails & Beauty in Cape Town, comments on some developments. "South Africa has come a long way in the past few years when it comes to the nail industry. There is a big change in the market for nails; getting your nails done is not spoiling yourself anymore. It has become a part of every woman's budget," she says. TODAY'S TECHS Sonette van Rensburg too has seen many changes in South Africa's nail scene. She has been doing nails for more than 28 years and now consults with salons and spas, as well as conducting technical training. She regularly contributes articles to South Africa's Professional Beauty and Nail File magazines, published by the Professional Beauty trade association. Van Rensburg says the country's typical nail tech is a woman between the ages of 20 and 50; the younger set frequently work busy full-time schedules at popular salons while some older techs view nails as a hobby or part-time employment, seeing clients from small home-based salons. Aspiring nail techs typically enroll in training programs at beauty schools and colleges, but educational quality is inconsistent — a problem compounded by a lack of government licensing. Some beauty schools adhere to CIDESCO standards — beauty and spa therapy standards set by a Zurich, Switzerland- based organization and used around the globe — but most of the standardized programs are for skincare and health with a few for full cosmetology (not nails-only) training. Van Rensburg says, "There are plenty of schools that offer nail technology courses. However, sadly many of them are not offering internationally recognized certification or training according to the necessary standards, so that a nail technician Umhlanga is an affluent commercial and resort town on the coast of South Africa; pictured here is the block that includes the building where Buff Beauty Parlor is housed. The nail areas at Buff Beauty Parlor can accommodate large groups. Buff Beauty Parlor is full of fun design elements, like this soda fountain. >>>

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