A Guide to Online Nail Courses
As a nation, we Brits like to keep ourselves groomed and looking our best. At its peak, the UK saw people spend £8.6 billion in one year in its salons and hairdressers, a substantial portion of which would have come from treatments provided by nail technicians.
There has been a steady and healthy increase in the number of nail salons and self-employed nail technicians throughout the UK in recent years, demonstrating a growing and consistent demand for cosmetic treatments for the hands and feet.
Not only is the nail sector thriving, but it also provides those working within it the opportunity to have a flexible and convenient way to make a living. Traditionally, getting qualified as a Nail Technician meant studying a nail tech course at college, which saw many people with already stretched schedules wondering ‘Can I become a Nail Technician from home?’
If you want to know how to become a Nail Technician, UK learners can now get the skills they need for this career through online nail courses at home. This frees you up to study when it suits you and work towards a career in the nail industry on your terms.
Should you aspire to become a Nail Technician, read on for our guide to online nail courses.
Are Online Nail Courses Any Good?
With classroom learning being the tried and tested mode of education for so long, it’s no wonder people are sceptical about online courses, especially those in practical fields like nail treatments.
It may seem like it would be impossible to grasp the hands-on aspect of your Nail Technician training over the internet, but with the advances in online study, online training courses are very effective in equipping learners with the skills to become successful nail technicians.
With learndirect, you study your nail course through a range of innovative online learning methods. This can include video and audio recordings, detailed diagrams, and pre-recorded demonstrations to help you visualise and get to grips with the handling and manipulation of nail treatment equipment and related nail tech materials. Our Nail Technician Professional - Complete course also includes the online assessments required to secure professional insurance with the Associated Beauty Therapists (ABT) to practise professionally either from home, as a mobile service, or in a nail bar or salon.
Another huge benefit of online nail courses over their class-based counterparts is you can work through the course at your pace. This caters to the individual learner’s ability and skillset as you can simply stop, rewind, pause, and go back to lessons as and when you need to.
Not only that, but the flexibility of online nail courses makes it much more viable for learners with existing commitments to get the skills they need. Plus, it removes the geographical barrier some face when searching for ‘Nail courses near me’ on the internet.
So, overall, you can get the same skills and knowledge from a classroom-based nail course as you can in one studied online.
What Is The Best Online Nail Course?
If you’re looking into the best online Nail Technician courses, this will depend entirely on your interests and what you hope to learn. There are nail tech courses that teach one type of nail treatment and those that teach a multitude. So, it really depends on how far you want to go down the rabbit hole.
The good thing is all of learndirect’s courses cater to those looking for nail courses for beginners. This means anyone of any ability looking for nail courses to do at home can find what they need in our online offering.
Acrylic Nail Courses
Aspiring acrylic nail technicians can get what they need to kickstart their careers by studying acrylic nail courses online.
Our online Nail Technician Professional – Acrylic course teaches you all you need to know about applying this durable type of artificial nail as an extension to a client’s natural nail.
During your nail tech studies, you will complete modules on:
- Nail Enhancement Systems and Health & Safety
- Becoming a Nail Technician
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Nail Disorders and Shapes
- Manicure
- Starting on Tips
- Application of Liquid and Powder
- Infill’s and Maintenance
- Troubleshooting
After this nail tech course, you will not only have the knowledge to apply acrylic nails successfully but an understanding of what is involved with being a Nail Technician and how to ensure the health and safety of your clients.
Gel Nail Courses
If you want to know how to become a Gel Nail Technician, you can study our online gel nail course to gain the confidence and competence to enter this line of work.
Through our online Nail Technician Professional – Gel course, you will get everything you need to become a fully competent Gel Nail Technician. From here, it's best practice to secure professional indemnity insurance before practising professionally from home, in a nail bar or salon, or as a Mobile Gel Nail Technician. Our more advanced complete course provides this.
During the course, you will explore how to apply gel nail treatments that closely resemble your clients’ natural nails through a range of role-specific modules. Modules 1 – 6 in our gel nail courses will be the same as those completed on the acrylic course, so you learn all about the role of a Nail Tech, the anatomy of the hand and the health and safety requirements of delivering nail treatments.
After which, you will move on to modules in:
- Module 7: Application of Gel
- Module 8: Gel Infill’s and Maintenance
- Module 9: Troubleshooting with Gel
Nail Art Courses
For those looking to break into the more creative side of the nail sector, courses in nail art and design are also available, allowing you to help clients express their personalities through the tips of their fingers and toes.
With learndirect’s online nail art course, you can learn how to create intricate works of art through a combination of adornments, foils, and coloured nail polishes.
During this nail art course, your modules consist of:
- Anatomy and Physiology of the Hands
- Client Consultation and Communication
- Gel Art and Design Procedure 1
- Gel Art and Design Procedure 2
- Health and Hygiene
- Marketing and Starting Your Own Salon/Nail Business
So, not only will you grasp the intricate makeup of our hands and the procedures behind nail art and design, but you will also know how to set up and raise the profile of your business as a self-employed Nail Art Technician.
If you want to study online nail art design courses, view the option provided by learndirect on our website.
Manicure and Pedicure Nail Courses
There is a lot more to treatments of the feet and hands than simply decorating nails in an aesthetically pleasing or creative way. Manicures and pedicures, while enjoyable and relaxing, are important for your overall health and wellbeing.
Looking after hands and feet can help:
- Prevent infection
- Promote healthy blood circulation
- Improve nail health
- Alleviate back pain
- Boost mental health
For these reasons and more, both women and men are more regularly frequenting salons and employing the services of nail techs to keep their hands and feet looking, and feeling, their best. With learndirect, you can study:
Manicure and Pedicure
Modules in this online nail course include:
- Anatomy and Physiology of the Skin, Diseases of the Skin
- The Foot
- The Nail Disorders and Diagnosis
- Implements and Materials
- Manicure Procedure
- Pedicure Procedure
- Hands and Arm Massage
- Sterilisation Business Advice
For a more detailed view of this online nail course, view it online.
Natural Nail Manicure
In this online nail course, the modules include:
- Health and Hygiene
- Client Consultation
- Anatomy and Physiology
- The Hand
- Treatable and Untreatable Contra-indications
- Why Manicure
- Manicure Products/Equipment
- Basic Manicure: Step-by-Step
- Luxury Manicure: Step-by-Step
- Polish Application
Check out this course online to find out more!
Other Nail Courses
While you can study these avenues of nail care independently, there are online Nail Technician courses that enable you to cover multiple treatment styles in one qualification. That way, you won’t be limited, and you can start your career in the nail sector with many strings to your professional bow.
learndirect offer overarching online nail courses, such as:
Nail Technician - Professional
In professional Nail Technician courses like this one, you will learn how to provide a number of treatments to clients that boost the look and feel of their hands and feet. This will be through a varied assortment of modules that include:
- Anatomy and Physiology of the Skin
- Anatomy of the Nail
- Manicure
- Pedicure
- The Process of Nail Growth
- Client Consultation and Communication
- Tip Types and Tip Customisation
- The Gel System
- The Fibre System and Maintenance
- Nail Enhancement Removal
- Health and Hygiene
- Marketing and Starting Your Own Salon/Nail Business
Upon completion of this nail tech course, you will confidently be able to apply and decorate gel nails and false nail extensions, whilst consulting clients on the general health and wellbeing of their hands and feet. You will also understand the procedures required to carry out a manicure or pedicure, as well as basic massage techniques to relax your client's hands and feet.
Nail Technician Professional – Complete
If you want to study an advanced course that goes further into Nail Technician training, and contains all the elements you require to study from home in order to become a fully qualified Nail Technician and to secure professional insurance with the Associated Beauty Therapists (ABT), our Complete Nail Technician course is the course you're looking for. Our Complete Nail Technician course online contains the information provided in our other single stream nail courses, so that you gain comprehensive knowledge of all nail systems.
For this reason, the extensive range of units in this online nail tech course include:
Unit 1: Nail Enhancement Systems and Health and Safety
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
- Understand the course content and requirement
- Understand the advantages and disadvantages of nail enhancement systems;
- Understand the importance of Health and Safety when working with enhancements
- Identify the risks associated with working with enhancements
- Understand the difference between sterilisation and disinfection
Unit 2: Becoming a Nail Technician
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
- Understand what qualities make a professional nail technician
- Understand why appearance is important
- Understand the difference between codes of practice and ethics
- Understand body language
- Understand how to prepare for and greet the client
Unit 3: Anatomy and Physiology
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
- Understand and identify the underlying anatomy and physiology of the hand and lower arm
- Understand the structure of the skin
- Identify the structure of the skin and nail
- Understand the process of keratinization and the process of nail growth
Unit 4: Nail Disorders and Shapes
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
- Understand what is meant by the term contra indication
- Identify what is an untreatable nail or skin disorder
- Identify what is a treatable nail disorder
- Identify natural nail shapes
- Identify factors affecting growth
Unit 5: Manicure
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
- Understand the reasons for a manicure
- Perform a consultation
- Set up a work station
- Identify what equipment and tools are required
- Demonstrate the correct use of tools
- Perform a manicure
Unit 6: Starting on Tips
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
- Identify the correct tools, equipment and products required
- Understand the importance of minimising waste
- Understand the importance of health and safety throughout the service
- Select, prepare and apply tips correctly
Unit 7: Application of Liquid and Powder
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
- Understand the chemistry of Acrylic and powder
- Understand the stages of Acrylic
- Understand the correct ratio of liquid and powder
- Understand the application of liquid and powder in zones
- Blend the product to create a smooth finish
Unit 8: Infill’s and Maintenance
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
- Adapt techniques for working on a natural nail and client
- Identify when a client will need infills
- Apply infills
- Recognise when to recommend advanced services – back fill and rebalancing
Unit 9: Application of Gel
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
- Understand the chemistry of Gel
- Understand the stages of Gel and the effect of lamps
- Understand the application of gel in zones
- Demonstrate the correct application of beads
- Finish the product to create a smooth, glossy surface
Unit 10: Gel Infill’s and Maintenance
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
- Adapt techniques for working on a natural nail and client
- Identify when a client will need infills
- Apply infills
- Recognise when to recommend advanced services – back fill and rebalancing
Unit 11: Troubleshooting
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
- Identify when there is a problem with enhancements
- Understand why the problem has occurred
- Identify what steps are required to overcome the problem
Upon completion of this complete online nail course, you will have all the knowledge and evidence of practical ability you need to secure insurance and confidently start a career as a Nail Technician.
How Long is a Nail Course Online?
One of the main benefits of online study is the flexibility it offers learners in terms of when they can study and how fast they can complete their course. If you’re wondering how long is a nail tech course when studied online, the answer really depends on the time you have to commit to learning.
With no classes or timetables to stick to, you can complete your course at your pace. This makes it entirely possible to blitz through the online learning materials and finish your nail tech course in a matter of weeks or months.
This is why our online courses are ideal for anyone looking for short Nail Technician courses. If you want to train for this career quickly, come to learndirect!
How Much Does a Nail Technician Course Cost?
If you’re wondering how much does a nail tech course cost when studied online, this depends on the type of online nail tech course you choose. Naturally, the nail tech courses that cover more nail treatments will be more expensive, but the courses you study online will typically be cheaper than the same nail tech course completed in a classroom.
This is because online nail courses don’t have to factor in the cost of tutors or building rates. So, any learner looking to get the best value for money in their nail tech training would be best off studying online.
Get Started Today!
There aren’t any specific study requirements to become a Nail Technician, as stated on the National Careers Service website, but with the vast array of treatments, materials, chemicals and health hazards related to the role, it is important to complete proper Nail Technician training ahead of your career.
Not only will this give you the confidence to work safely and effectively, but it will also prove to both employers and clients, that you know exactly what you’re doing.
With learndirect, our online nail courses don’t require you to have any existing qualifications or prior experience, so they are ideal for anyone looking for beginner nail tech courses. As the UK’s leading distance learning providers, you can be assured our online learning courses have been carefully designed to give you the skills you need to succeed.
Find out more about studying these nail tech training courses online by downloading our FREE Beauty and Wellbeing faculty brochure, speaking to our Course Executives on 01202 006 464 or by contacting us online.
