If you already got proper education and decided to open your nail studio or salon, one of the things you’ll need to deal with is ordering and restocking high-quality supplies for your new business. So, if you’re searching for the ultimate nail technician supply list, we’ve got you covered.
As you well know, the nail design world is constantly changing, and a great professional nail technician requires learning all the latest trends and techniques. But talent and good education will not be enough without having high-quality nail supplies.
Doing nails without the proper equipment will be considered an amateur and will find it challenging to create a regular clientele. Having and ordering equipment is an integral part of the procedure and the profession.
There are some things a nail tech can’t do without. So, in this article, we will give you the 19 must-have nail technician supply list.
Our 19 Must-Have Nail Technician Supply List
1. Nail Desk/ Station
It is important to have a workstation that will fit your exact needs as a nail technician. Before you purchase a nail technician desk, you should know your room’s measurements so that it will fit perfectly. Also, ask yourself if you need your nail station to be portable and know your budget.
2. Table Lamp
For a nail technician, having good lighting is a nail supply list must. Whether your working on tight spaces such as cuticles/side walls or creating an amazing nail design, it’s important to have good lighting for you to see exactly what you’re doing.
3. Nail File & Buffer
The nail file will help you shape, file, and prepare your nails for nail polish. Buffers will help smooth the nail bed and will help your nails look consistent and shiny. Simple nail files and buffers are very cheap and easy to find. Every nail tech needs to have both in a nail salon.
4. High-quality Manicure set
Everyone who practices nails needs a good and high-quality manicure set, including a cuticle pusher, nail scissors, etc. This is essential to any nail technician. Good preparation of the nail bed is one of the things that improve your manicure and will help it last longer.
5. Nail Drill
As a nail technician working with a high-quality professional nail drill is a total must. A nail drill will help you to do your job a lot faster. Especially with artificial nail extensions, you need your nail drill to remove a lot of product fast. This may take forever with a regular nail file. Also, nail drills are used for shaping, backfilling, and cleaning the nail and they can get to those tight spaces where a regular file can’t.
6. Nail Drill Bits
High-quality nail drill bits come in a variety of materials such as ceramic and metal. Picking the right nail drill bit for the right job will help you to get fabulous manicure results. Different bits are made for different purposes such as a UNC bit, which is mostly used for “under the nail” or a barrel bit, which is ideal for “surface work”. (Find out the right way to choose and use electric nail drill bits)
7. Disinfectant
Good and Proper sanitation of your nail tools is very important when working with clients. Proper cleaning will prevent you from getting or transferring different types of infections and bacteria. Do not work with dirty tools, and remember to clean and disinfect your nail bits and tools after every client.
8. Acrylic powder & monomer
Acrylic nail extensions are durable and long-lasting. That is exactly why some clients love them and wouldn’t give them up for anything. As a nail technician, having a high-quality acrylic powder & monomer on your supply list is a definite must. It is very important to have a good education and a great technique to apply traditional acrylics correctly.
9. Hard Gel
Although not many people know this, hard gels contain acrylic-based ingredients. However, hard gels have some benefits over traditional acrylics. Unlike traditional acrylics, hard gel extensions have some flexibility to them, and even more important, there is no time limit on shaping the nail. Hard gel extensions need a UV/LED in order to cure fully.
Tip: If you want to cure hard gels you need to have at least a 36W nail LED/UV lamp
10. LED Nail Lamp
In order to cure hard gels, soft gels, and even gel nail polish, you need a LED/UV light. The main reason I prefer LED light over UV is time. LED nail lamps are the ultimate time savers. LED nail lamps will cure gel polish in about 30sec, while UV lamps will cure gel polish in about 2 minutes.
11. Nail Dip powders
One of the fastest and easiest ways to create the most amazing manicure is to use nail dip powders. Nail dipping powders are odorless, durable, and gentle on the nails. Dip powder manicure usually lasts longer than a gel polish manicure.
12. Variety of Nail polishes
A lot of customers love to have a variety of nail polish colors, glitters, and designs to choose their new manicure style. Also, just like any artist, having a good variety of colors and products to work with can help you become more creative and design amazing nail art every time.
13. High-Quality Base & Top Coat
A good base coat will make your nail polish to stick to it and help the manicure last longer. Also, using a base coat will prevent the natural nail from staining with yellowish colors that some nail polishes may cause. The top coat will give a beautiful shine to the nails and keep the polish from chipping.
14. Nail polish remover & Cotton balls
Acetone is one of the most popular nail polish removers as he dissolves enhancement products more quickly than other non-acetone nail polish removers. Acetone, gauze pads, and cotton balls are often used in the nail industry for removing regular nail polish, gel polish, and even acrylic and hard gel nail extensions.
15. Nail polish wall rack
You bought tons of nail polishes for your client’s satisfaction, and now, you need a good place to store them all. Having a Wall rack in your nail salon is one of the most place-saving solutions. Not only that, but a beautiful & full wall rack also looks very impressive to customers.
16. Isopropyl Alcohol
Alcohol solutions are often used in nail salons when using gel polishes and hard gels. After the gels cured with a UV/LED lamp, there is an excessive sticky layer left. The best way to remove the sticky layer is to wipe it off with an alcohol solution.
17. Nail tips, Glue
If your customer wants long beautiful nails, one way to get them exactly that is using nails tips and Professional nail glue. Just like nail forms, nail tips helping the nail tech to achieve nail length. Nail techs usually using tips with dip powders, traditional acrylics, and gels.
18. Acrylic & Gel Brushes
It is essential to have a good set of acrylic brushes when working with traditional acrylics. Acrylic brushes come in various shapes and sizes. Gel brushes have a different shape from acrylic brushes, and gel brushes usually thinner and flatter then acrylic brushes.
19. Nail forms
Nail forms are, basically, nail stickers that help you to form a nail without using a nail tip. Disposable forms are way more popular them reusable ones. The key with nail forms is placement. Wrong nail form placement can Leave your client with uneven false nails. Nail techs often use nail forms with traditional acrylics or with hard gels.
