Nail techs share how they have navigated challenges to flourish in their careers
ALICE NALI
Scratch Stars
&
Nailympia
award-winning nail artist & educator
www.alynailsitalianacademy.com
/alynails.italianacademy
@alynails.salonandacademy
@alynails.salonandacademy
I was 12 years old when I became passionate about nails. I was a nail biter and found that painting my nails helped me break the habit and explore my love of art. I thought I had a clear path in front of me, but life had other plans.
At 18 years old, my world changed in a matter of seconds. I was involved in a serious car accident that left me with broken ribs, a broken shoulder and a traumatic brain injury. The hardest part wasn’t what had happened to my body, but my mind. I lost most of my childhood and teenage memories, couldn’t remember people, places and moments that had once been part of my life, and struggled to speak properly. I felt like I had to learn who I was all over again – yet one thing I still had was my love for nails.
I don’t know how or why this passion remained, but it was something familiar when almost everything else felt unfamiliar – and it became my therapy. When I was sitting at my nail desk, I could focus on something beautiful, concentrate on tiny details, let my creativity flow and see the results
of my work. My fear and frustration disappeared, as nails gave me purpose while I healed.
‘‘ Nails didn’t just help me rebuild my life; they gave me the opportunity to help other women build theirs. ‘‘
At 19 years old, I started a nail business in Italy. This quickly became more than a career; it became a safe place where I could rebuild my confidence and believe in myself again. However, I then faced another difficult chapter. Shortly after getting married, I discovered that the person I had committed my life to was verbally and physically abusive.
Leaving an abusive relationship is not simple, as it affects your confidence and the way you see yourself. You question your decisions, worth and whether you are capable of starting again. My business became a huge part of finding my strength: every client I worked with and euro I earned reminded me that I could take care of myself. My skills gave me independence, and independence gave me a choice.
Eventually, I found the courage to leave and moved to the UK. It wasn’t easy, but I had learned from my accident that healing doesn’t happen overnight. Sometimes, you have to rebuild yourself one small step at a time. For me, nails were those steps. I first worked for a salon in West London, but one month after moving, the second Covid lockdown hit and left me without an income. I started posting my nail art on Instagram and was contacted by an academy in central London, who asked me to become an educator. My English wasn’t good but I decided to accept, starting as an assistant teacher then becoming head educator.
A year later, I opened my own salon and academy. I had no clients, but a big dream: to do the job I love and help other women find independence by doing the same. I teach the skills needed to build a successful career, but also help students understand what those skills can give them beyond the nail desk: confidence, independence and options. Nails didn’t just help me rebuild my life; they gave me the opportunity to help other women build theirs.
Alice’s advice
To anyone going through something similar to what I experienced – don’t underestimate yourself. Learn a skill, find something you can build for yourself and keep developing it. Your skills belong to you. Also, try to grow your independence, because even small steps towards earning your own money can hugely impact how you feel about your choices. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help, as healing isn’t something you have to do alone, and most importantly, be patient with yourself. You don’t need to have everything figured out immediately – sometimes surviving is enough.