Trending Manicures and Pedicures

An excerpt from Manicuring & Pedicuring Mastery, by Janet McCormick

These services can be “pop ups,” meaning they come into our market from something that is trending on the internet or in society - suddenly they look great for a service in our salons, products are developed, and they are added either as a promotional service or placed on the menu. They can generate excitement that lasts or are just a flash in time – that aspect of trends is not controllable by the salon or industry. They just…happen, are there to stay forever to have a place on the salon menu or are gone in a short time, a thing of the past.

An example is the recent CBD trend. These manicures and pedicures sparked interest, full product lines were developed around them, products were developed within many established lines, and protocols were developed. Clients are attracted by their relaxation and pain relief results and salons are interested in their uniqueness. These services have become established now; most salons who offered them still do so, and they are on their salon menu.

When trends happen investigate them thoroughly before jumping onto the band wagon. Following is a list of questions to ask and answer before investing.

Initial investment cost. Does the service require any new products or new equipment that only will be viable for that service?

Potential for profit. Is the number of potential new clients it will bring in high enough to invest? Or is the actual Return on Investment per service enough for the investment?

The demographic for the service. Is the number of people who will be interested  large enough to gain a sufficient clientele for the service? To pay for products. Etc?

A one-time service, or initiates a return clientele. Is it a one-time services? If so, it must be higher in price to pay for the initial and ongoing investment. Potential for continual return clientele allows a loyalty factor to magnify profits.

Marketing. How much will it take and what kind? If the service is really new, it will need to have sufficient exposure to be successful.

Check legality. Are the professionals allowed to perform the service in your state? It must be within their scope of practice as listed in state regulations.

Insurance. Does the salon/professional’s liability insurance policy cover the service? Some insurance companies are narrower than others in their coverable services list. Know for certain every service offered in the salon is covered.

Safety factors. Is the service fully safe for use on your clientele? Service safety must be thoroughly investigated. An example is the sudden appearance of “fish pedicures” in the US several years ago. Many salons jumped on this trend without investigating the safety issues. Fish pedicures are now illegal in most states in the US because of their unsanitary water environment.

Education. How much education is needed for nail professionals to perform the service? Most trends require education of the professionals for successful launch and lasting success. To ignore this important part of the treatment addition can be a mistake for salons.

Trends are fun, but responsible professionals and salon owners must look past their initial intense spark of interest into defining how they fit into the clientele and into the financial aspects of their business. And in how long they may last as a viable service.

Are skin care-based manicures and pedicures going to be a permanent upgrade to nail care menus? These services are expansions of techniques and enhance the results of current services, allowing the nail professionals a higher level of respect from clients, a higher level of loyalty, and higher profits. With proper preparation, including education and high-quality products, these services have earned their permanent placement on nail care menus.