What does the day-to-day work of a nail designer look like?

Nail designers care for and beautify the fingernails and toenails of their customers.
With a new customer, they first assess the health of the nails and skin and ask about their needs and wishes. In a relaxed conversation, they then explain the possible treatments and discuss the advantages and disadvantages with the customer. For the actual treatment, they first set up the workplace by preparing the necessary equipment, instruments and materials. They then clean and disinfect the client's hands or feet, after which the actual treatment can begin.

They clean cuticles and nails and cut or file them into shape. They then polish the surfaces, repair nail damage and apply gel or nail polish. For artificial nail treatments, they glue on the nail extensions, shape them and create natural transitions. Finally, the artificial nails are polished and sealed.
If desired, massage the hands or feet, apply exfoliating cream and finish with oil and a moisturizing cream.

Many customers like to buy the right care products from their nail designer and receive appropriate advice.

Target group and skills: Who is the nail designer training course suitable for? What qualities and skills are required?

The nail design course with the school's own certificate is aimed at people who want to become self-employed in a cosmetic profession or who want to expand their existing skills to include the care and design of hand and toenails. For example:

• Beauticians
• People in the manicure/manicure department
• Hairdressers
• Re-entrants in the beauty and cosmetics sector

The following qualities are required for a successful job as a nail designer:

• Interest in cosmetics and beauty
• Craftsmanship, no fear of contact
• Good eyes
• Sense of hygiene, cleanliness and order
• Sensitivity and precision
• Enjoy interacting with people
• Service orientation
• Sufficient start-up capital to start your own business

Prerequisites for admission to nail design / nail design training:

As a rule, no specific previous training or professional experience is required for admission to the nail cosmetics courses leading to a "school certificate".

However, the following points are advantageous:

• Manual dexterity and good eyesight
• Good knowledge of German (at least B1/B2)

In addition, some schools require students to bring a model for individual days. This must be organized independently by the participants.

Opportunities for recognition:

As there are no protected professional designations or titles, it is important to prove your own seriousness and professional competence accordingly. This can be done, for example, by becoming a member of an association, such as Swissnaildesign.ch (the professional association). You can find out which criteria you need to fulfill for admissionhere.

Subject matter and content of the training

Nail design training is not federally regulated, which means that the curriculum is put together independently by the respective schools and can therefore vary from school to school.

The following topics are often addressed:

• Basics of anatomy and nail science
• Hygiene training, cleaning and sterilization
• Knowledge and recognition of nail diseases
• Device and product theory
• Various nail shapes (oval, round, etc.)
• Filing and milling techniques
• Liftings
• Working with gel, gel polish, acrylic and acrylic gel
• Art nails (glue, stones, glitter, French, etc.)
• Manicure
• Hand massage
• Customer advice, presentation, sales and marketing training

Costs and financing of further training

The costs for a nail design course are set independently by the schools. The amount of the tuition fee therefore varies greatly depending on the provider and offer.

You can expect the following costs for in-service training:

• Course fees:
  • For shorter courses (e.g. specific topic courses, one-day workshops/seminars etc.) between CHF 350 and CHF 1300.
  • For longer courses (e.g. nail design course for beginners) between CHF 2700.- and CHF 3500.-

As a rule, theExamination feesalready included in the course fees.

• Some providers requireExtra costsfor
  • Teaching aids
  • Training documents
  • Provision of models and devices

Please contact the provider of your choice directly for information on possible extra costs.

Course structure, duration of study, training options, teaching format and learning effort

• Study structureNail design / nail design training is generally designed to be part-time and has a modular structure.
• Duration of studyThe duration of the courses varies greatly and depends on the provider and the offer. For example, there are one-day workshops/seminars and in-depth courses on specific topics that last a few days (between 1 and 4 days). Basic training takes longer: usually around 12 days, spread over several weeks.
• Training optionsThe timetables are compiled independently by the schools. They therefore vary from school to school. The courses often take place either on one working day per week or on Saturdays.
• Teaching formatThe nail course always takes place in face-to-face lessons. Depending on the situation, theory lessons can be offered in online lessons or hybrid lessons.
• Learning effortThanks to the in-service training concept, you can apply and deepen your knowledge immediately in practice. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your previous knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week as a precaution.

Degree, diploma and title

As already mentioned, most nail design courses have a modular structure. Those who have successfully completed each module can take the final examination for the school's own certificate.

As a rule, the final examination consists of a theoretical and a practical part. A nail cosmetic treatment must be carried out in the practical part.

For shorter courses in particular, a course attendance of at least 80% is often sufficient to obtain the school's own certificate.

Diploma and title

Successful graduates receive a certificate / diploma from the respective school: "Nail Designer [name of school] (cert.)" or "Certified Nail Designer [name of school]".