Why I Don’t Believe in Nail Licensing
In the nail world, we have blurred the line between pro and non pro. So much so, that you often cannot tell the difference between the two.
Some will disagree with me. Some may be upset. It’s a very controversial topic in the nail industry. But I feel I need to address it.
I don’t believe in nail licensing.
I’m Suzie from Nail Career Education or as some refer to as “the Fairy Godmother of Nails.” Mostly I stick to nail how to’s, troubleshooting and general education of the craft of nails.
I started making videos as a way to display my teaching style and gain the trust of potential students in my area who might take my class. While that was the initial goal, my tutorials ended up having a far greater reach and I now make nail education videos for an audience of over 2 million. Every view and subscriber has changed my life!
Before I started making my videos, I wasn’t aware that nail education was lacking worldwide. I thought it was just hard to come by in my area. I believe the demand for this knowledge along with my use of nail forms (while most others used nail tips) are what sparked people’s attention and led to my skills becoming the pinnacle of the premium nail, so to speak.
For the past 5 years of Nail Career Education content, my mission has been to bring my skills and 30+ years of experience creating nails to anyone who wants to learn. I always wanted to include everyone- pros and non pros, licensed and unlicensed. And there’s always been a reason for that. The reason being…
It will always be about the nail you create- NOT the certificate.
When I’m looking to hire a nail tech, I don’t ask to see their certificates and I’m not concerned with where- or even if- they were trained. As a tech myself, I have NEVER had a client ask to see my certificates. So instead, I have them build a nail on me and I speak with them while they work, just like a client would. If they can create a good nail- not perfect- but with a solid structure, product control and work flow, then I will bring them on. Their friendliness and rapport with me also weigh heavily on my decision. As people skills are vital for any good nail tech and it’s something you can’t teach.
Much like with any job, regardless of whatever credentials you may have, you need to be able to deliver.
In my early days working in nails, I used to think getting licensed by the government really meant something— until I got one. The fact of the matter is, anyone can get one. Yep— even terrible technicians. Getting an official nail license does not mean you are a skilled nail tech. It just means that you took the course to get a license. Unfortunately, the merits on what qualifies as a pass or fail is not based on skill level, it is based on sheer participation and completion. What this does is allow unskilled nail techs to acquire these licenses and tout them as proof that they are qualified, when in fact, it doesn’t mean anything.
When someone like myself and someone with no skills has the same license this is very confusing for the client.
And that’s the main issue I have with nail licensing. Not necessarily that it exists, but that it doesn’t hold any value in confirming to a perspective client that said license holder is a reliable technician. Instead, it confuses and distracts from what is really important: the caliber of the work.
Licensing in the nail world varies all over. Which is another troublesome aspect of it. When where I live in Canada, the government removed licensing, I saw it as a good thing. Suddenly all techs were on even playing field in the consumer’s eye. Without a license to look for, clients refocused their tech choosing guidepost on the quality of the nails instead of the license hanging on the wall. The importance returned to ability.
Whether the nail industry in licensed or not, the consumer must exercise caution in choosing their nail technician. However in a licensed industry, the client doesn’t know that they need to be cautious, and is under the impression that the piece of paper (the license) will do that for them. But licenses do not train techs.
Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting that there isn’t education and training. Nail education is what I do, and I proved it for free! That’s how much I believe in education.
Nail licenses are separate from nail education and training.
Over 30 years, I have seen the problems licensing has created in our industry. It is not synonymous with education and training, but is confused as such.
Ultimately, the client decides who does their nails. So it’s the nail tech’s responsibility to earn their trust through their skills. It’s up to aspiring nail techs to seek the nail artists they want to learn from and train on everything from proper sanitization to application to building customer relationships.
The information is out there, it’s available. Those who are passionate, sincere and motivated will find it. And the clients looking for good work will find those who do. This system is effective and transparent- which benefits both tech and client. And it stops allowing techs to hide behind licenses that fail to give them the education that they desperately need.
