Necessary Skills for Attaining High Success

By Janet McCormick, MS

You have finished your trek through the NCA programs and you are ready to hit your plan towards becoming a “6 Figure Nail Technician.” What are the additional “absolutely MUST HAVE” skills you need to achieve this goal? Yes, you have more to learn. Is it ever going to end? Probably not, but these are the next skills you need to perfect, in my opinion, to become a high earner – if you don’t know them already. And not necessarily in this order, of course.

Most of these skills were discussed in the programs, but I believe you need further hands-on training in some, a lot of practice in others.  The ones not taught in the program have an * after their title name.

Skincare-Based, Soakless Manicures and Pedicure – I believe that sooner or later most pedicures will be soakless for the reasons discussed in the program (time saved, safety, etc), though spas may continue to soak to maintain the whirlpool feeling of luxury. The steps of the Soakless are in the ANT Program Handbook, in the program and in my book (published September 2024), Manicure & Pedicure Mastery. 

 Feather Massage – This tapotement massage is taught in the course as a “safe massage,” replacing the traditional massage for those with chronic illnesses. A video is present. This is an important skill so practice, practice, practice!

Wrap Repair of Natural Nails* – This skill can stabilize a nail that is torn and supposedly is going to have to be removed/will tear off completely. The wrap will hold it together well until the tear or crack grows off. I use this repair often as my nails are very hard so when they are hit on the end, they break in the stress point area. A wrap saves the long nail while maintaining its appearance until the break grows off. Clients with nails like mine love this repair!

Onychocryptosis Treatment – Nail technicians cannot perform this treatment on ingrown nails that have any of the 3 “I’s, but this is a very important skill for clients who qualify for these treatments. Currently, two treatments are available for this care, OnyFix® and the BS Brace. Both require training for the technician to perform them well from the start, but upon perfecting the skill, and with marketing, they can be a source of high income. The charge should be $50 and up per nail for the treatment.

Speed Polishing* –  Is just what the title says. It is a method to alleviate the long time some technicians take in polishing. Most technicians who actually time their polishing will be greatly surprised with how long they take to do a quality job – usually 10 minutes. (TOO long.) Speed polishing gets the tech down to 5-7 minutes – and soon, less – with no clean up post-polishing.

Prosthetic Toenail (Toenail Replacement) – Another lucrative skill that must be learned, prosthetic nails bring toes out of hiding and into sandals immediately after application. Clients love what this skill does for them and technicians love the income it brings in for a short appointment. This skill is offered in-person and on videos by educators listed on our Resources section of the site.

Flossing the Toes – This skill is not difficult but must be performed correctly to do what it is supposed to do. It is well covered in the program, and I suggest new graduates purposefully practice it to smoothly and with expertise perform the task. A video is present in the ANT Program.

Ditching – This simple trick for shortening too long or too thick nails is a huge time saver for nail technicians. It is not a difficult task and is greatly appreciated by techs once they try it.  It is included in the ANT Program. A video is present in the ANT Program.

E-Files in a Pedicure – Using an e-file to reduce calluses is another skill that is not difficult, but it does require expert and cautious use of the e-file. It is covered in the ANT Program, and in the separate course on the site, E-Filing in Pedicures.

Curettage – The use of a curette to clean the side walls and under the free edge of a nail is an important skill which requires caution and a gentle and accurate touch. This is covered in the ANT Program; the technician must always take special care to prevent damage on the sidewalls of the toenails and to not harm the hyponychium under the free edge. Practice is important in preventing damage to the clients.

Time is $* – To meet potential goals, a technician must manage skill time well and always be on time. It is discussed in the ANT Programs and is on the Blog on this site titled “Time is $” on this Blo site. It’s important!

NCA graduates recognize the skills that should be learned/mastered to be a 6 Figure Nail Technician, and the ones that are not difficult but need caution and practice. Check them off your list now as you move forward in your career and you will see the tremendous advantages you have gained then.

See the classes available by our Preferred Vendors on these topics on the Resources section of our site!