Opening your first nail salon is a great opportunity for you to proudly display your nail art skills to the world. To make the process go as smoothly as possible, you will need to keep yourself fully equipped with high-quality, salon-grade tools and equipment. A nail salon is not just a place for beautifying nails, but it also acts as a much-needed health checkup for damaged fingernails and cuticles. Before you open your salon’s doors for its grand opening, stock up on the essentials from the ultimate nail salon equipment checklist.
Vast Selection of Nail Polishes
You likely want to open a nail salon because of your love of nail polish and nail art. Display your appreciation for the craft by showing off your nail polish collection in the salon. Flashy nail polish racks can impress patrons and help you stay organized. Guests will have an idea of what colors to choose if their options are on a display rack.
Your collection should consist of polishes and products that you would use as a customer. For polishes, gels, powders, and protective coats, stick to brands you have personally tested and approved. If you have not had the chance to test a brand or product yourself, but you know it is popular, then do not feel pressured to check it. And make sure to keep a steady supply of base and top coats—you will be using those the most.
Different Kinds of Brushes
Nail art should be sleek, stylish, and refined. Sloppy nail art can ruin your business, especially if it happens often. The brushes you keep in your business are your ultimate tools for clean strokes on beautiful nails. Consider yourself an artist on a tiny canvas with plenty of brushes not just for color switches, but also for style. You can pick up a set that includes all the brushes you need, but remember that your business requires more so you can work on multiple customers at once. Like any other tool in your shop, you must sanitize your brushes after every use.
Salon-Grade Tools
Your business requires special salon-grade tools instead of at-home variants. Customers will visit your salon for special treatment they cannot get at home, and professional tools will enhance that feeling, resulting in satisfied clientele.
Nail Clippers and Scissors
There are several different kinds of nail clippers that you will need to buy for your salon. First, you will need a basic nail clipper tool, sturdier than the clippers you would use at home. Buy both big and small sizes and keep the clippers meant for toenails to the side, so you do not mix them up. Next, you will need a set of acrylic nail clippers. Acrylic nail clippers will make trimming fake nails easier for both you and the client. Lastly, you will need nail scissors for careful work that requires precision, like dealing with hangnails or damaged nails.
Nail Files
The nail salon should use many kinds of nail files to provide proper care for any kind of nail. The higher the grit number on a nail file, the smoother it will be. Lower grit nail files are excellent for quickly filing down or shaping acrylic nails. You will use higher grit files for finishing or buffing the nail after you have worked on it.
Many salons have nail drills, which are miniature power tools for nail artists with filing attachments for quickly removing acrylics.
Cuticle Pushers and Scissors
Cuticles are an important part of a healthy nail. Generally, simply pushing them back with a cuticle pusher will be enough to keep your customers’ nail beds feeling soft. Some clients may want cuticles or dead skin around the nail bed cut, so you will need cuticle scissors.
High-Quality Nails and Extensions
Your nail salon’s main service will be the application of false nails and nail extensions. Gel nails are exploding in popularity due to their easy application and painless removal. You will still want to keep acrylic nails stocked and ready to go. When applying acrylic nails, remember that they require a small amount of nail glue to stick. Fake nail extensions are popular for any client that wants to add some extra flair to their everyday look. As always, make sure that your false nails are high-quality and salon-grade. No one goes to a nail salon for dollar store fake nails.
Manicure Table
Any craftsman or woman needs their workbench—and for you, that is your manicure table. The salon manicure table is a staple of every nail salon and is where all the magic happens. Keep a bright LED light at the table for an excellent light source. Manicure tables should be a comfortable place for your clients to relax while you work. Make sure that your customers can relax on a cushy chair to avoid unnecessary shifting or movement. You should also try to find yourself a comfortable chair to prevent aches while working. Keep emergency repair supplies and post-manicure moisturizers stored within the manicure table’s drawers for easy access.
Nail Dryer
Nail dryers are essential for nail art and gel nail application. Keep your salon equipped with the best nail dryers for your clients. Some manicure stations even feature nail dryers underneath the table. Nail dryers can come in many different forms, from UV light dryers to the simple fan dryer, so know what would work best in your nail salon before you buy.
Pedicure Chairs
If your nail salon also does pedicures, you need a pedicure chair. Pedicure chairs are luxurious seats for clients, where you or your employees will wash your clients’ feet and care for their toenails. After every client, make sure to sanitize the pedicure chair’s basin—an unsanitary washbasin can lead to the spread of diseases and fungus.
You should be excited to venture into the world of nail salons and especially excited to share your nail art talents with the world. At Salon Equipment Center, we hope that our ultimate nail salon equipment checklist provided you with the knowledge you need to proceed. When you are just starting out in the industry and need luxury furniture at wholesale prices, our selection of high-quality salon furniture and equipment will keep your business supplied.
