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Written by Taylor Luthringer
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Written by Taylor Luthringer
Maintaining healthy natural nails doesn’t have to be a chore. There are many products that are easy to use and make a huge difference. Cuticle oils, nail strengtheners and proper maintenance between manicures are a great way to start looking after your nails. To provide guidance on how to do it best, we interviewed a nail industry expert, Jill Wright.
We had the pleasure of posing questions to Jill, who is the coordinator of the event Nail Tech Event of the Smokies, LLC and an incredible nail technician. Jill has over 30 years of experience in the profession and works very hard to provide education and ongoing opportunities for those working in the industry. Jill gave us tips on growing strong, healthy nails, the dos and don’ts of manicures, and the fun color trends we can all look forward to!
Q. In your own words, what does natural nail care mean to you?
A. Take the time to care for your hands by using quality nail products to maintain or grow the strongest, healthiest natural nails possible.
Q. As a nail professional, what are some of your best tips for proper natural nail care?
A. Don’t use your nails as tools, apply cuticle oil often, keep nails covered with a nail strengthener that is removed and reapplied weekly, and know when to trim your nails to match with your lifestyle. Murphy’s law of nails is when one breaks, the rest will follow.
Q. What tips do you give your clients for taking care of their nails between manicure appointments?
A. All of the above and also to reapply skin oil and hand lotion after they have washed their hands. Also, to have nail files in their car, on their nightstand, in their purse, and where they sit to watch TV. It is inevitable that a snag will occur in their nail and they should be prepared to nip it in the bud before their nail quickly rips.
Q. What is one of the biggest mistakes someone can make when doing home care between visits?
A. Picking their polish instead of using polish. Picking off the polish strips away the layers of their natural nail plate causing their nails to become damaged and weak.
Q. We hear your annual Smokies Nail Show this year had record attendance. Congratulations! From the conference, can you share with us some highlights?
A. Attendance was actually down due to the pandemic with only 400+ professionals and educators attending as well as company owners who were on the floor. Last year we had a record attendance with 550 nail technicians and about 200 educators/company owners working at their booths. The highlights for everyone this year were:
that it happened at all
that ran so smoothly with zero issues to handle
that through follow-up 4 – 6 weeks later, no one contracted the virus during the show or on their family vacation to Gatlinburg (many technicians bring family and stay longer)
Q. What nail colors and art styles are trending for Fall/Winter?
A. Fall colors I’ve seen tend to be deep creamy blues and earthy greens, plus the requisite fall reds, browns, warm-toned taupes. Nail art still varies by region, but the coffin shape is still popular for very long nails, while very short nails tend to be darker.
Q. What are the nail color trends for 2021?
A. Pantone’s color of the year is Al Aqua which is described as an “electric shade of blue” but referred to as Turquoise. I’m so excited because it’s one of my all-time favorite colors and it’s used liberally in the Smokies Nail Show logo! How can anyone not love a cheerful retro shade of green + blue?
Q. Artificial nails, gel nails and dramatic nail art have taken over the nail salon industry in recent years, but what are some things you can recommend to all professionals and their clients to maintain their natural nails healthy and hydrated, especially during the winter while trying new trends?
A. Never underestimate the effectiveness of a good skin oil and hand lotion applied several times a day, and always wear gloves outside when it’s cold to avoid brittle nails and dry, wrinkled skin.
So what are the takeaways?
Firstly, nails can be easy to beautify on the outside, but it is very important to learn about the health of natural nails and how to achieve strong nails under a manicure. Through its regular use skin oils, nail strengtheners And with proper care between manicures, you can achieve healthy, natural looking nails.
Second, SKIN oil it’s a nail’s best friend. With the colder weather now upon us, the chances of dry skin and chapped hands increase, so it’s important to be proactive with your skin oil and moisturizer.
Third, nails should never be used as tools. Nails are constantly at risk of becoming brittle or weak and breaking. If you work hard to strengthen and hydrate yours, you should never compromise all that work by using your nails as scrapers, screwdrivers or package openers.
Big thanks to nail tech extraordinaire, Jill Wright, for sharing her natural nail care knowledge with us. If you have any questions about nail care, we’re just a phone call away and would love to talk with you!
