Right here at Blair High School, students are conquering the nail game. In the past, people went to salons to get manicures or pedicures, but if you get your nails done often, it gets pricey. To save money, students have become their own nail techs.
Some students at Blair High School have done this themselves. Senior Abby Leggott started doing nails about a year ago.
“I didn’t want to have to pay for them at the salon, and my grandma did her own, so I wanted to be like her,” Leggott said.
Money seems to be a big part of students’ decisions in doing nails. Many don’t want to pay to get their nails done in the first place, but to become a nail tech, you have to buy supplies. Getting your nails done at a salon usually costs anywhere from $30-50 for simple nails, and $65-100 or more for more complex designs. Is it worth it to buy the supplies? Although the price may vary, these BHS techs say it is way cheaper in the long run to buy the supplies than to get their nails done every two to three weeks.
“I buy my polish in bulk, so it costs anywhere between $20-$50 for a pack. Most of it depends on what brand you are buying from. All of my nail supplies I buy on my own, so I’ve been adding to my collection throughout the years. Other than polishes, I have to invest in a UV light, nail glue, nail tips, etc. It all adds up, but is very worth it,” says senior Avrie Camenzind.
Another person at BHS that started doing nails recently is senior Sophia Kegler.
“I started doing nails after my junior year in high school, and I started doing them because it was prime day and all of the supplies were cheap,” Kegler said.
Kegler’s favorite nails to do are cheetah print or French tips. She and Leggott both agree that they could see themselves doing nails as a side job when they grow up.
Like Kegler and Leggott, Kate Faue, a junior, started doing nails to save money. She does it for fun and does her friends’ nails anytime they ask her to. She also does her own about every three weeks.
Faue, Kegler, and Leggott all handle scheduling the same. To book an appointment, people simply text and ask them. Camenzind handles her appointments slightly differently. Instead of just having her clients text her through SnapChat or Messages, she has an Instagram account promoting her small business. She explains how to book an appointment.
“In my instagram bio I link my phone number or I’m open to DM’s as well,” Camenzind said.
Camenzind started doing nails for fun just as everyone does, and she has fallen in love with it. In the summer she would do two to five appointments a week, and in the school year two to three. After doing her own nails for a while, she progressed to doing her friends’ nails.
“Typically I don’t charge, but my friends ‘gift’ me money to keep funding my supplies,” Camenzind said.
She may have started doing nails as a hobby, but it has become Camenzind’s dream job. She would love to have a nail salon out of her house or close by in the future.
There are many positives to becoming your own nail tech, and these high schoolers show that. It’s cheaper, it’s fun, and it may give you a job opportunity later in life.
