Have you ever not researched something properly and come to regret it later? 
I sure have! 
Before I started training to become a nail tech, I unfortunately fell into the trap of DIY gel nail products… did you know that at home gel nail kits are risky to use without proper training? There are so many ways that you can misuse gel nail enhancement products, and the consequences can be severe, leading to painful allergic reactions or burns 
Using these products safely requires in depth knowledge about the natural nail, chemistry, UV light, hygiene, and more. I was putting myself at risk by not getting proper training first- but it’s hard to stop yourself from just going for it when you’re interested, passionate, excited… and a bit broke, and very new to the industry 
On top of that, I also ended up believing that it was safe to buy cheap gel products online – there’s a lot of misinformation out there. Many cheap/non-professional gel brands do not provide product safety information to their customers. That’s a HUGE red flag! 
If they can’t provide you that information, how do you know that they have safety tested their products? How do you know that you are using their products in a safe way? How do you know that you can trust their product to fully cure, which is needed to avoid developing allergies? Some cheap products don’t even come with an ingredients list… that means you are putting unknown and potentially untested chemicals on your nails 
Luckily I was just doing my own nails, so I didn’t put others at risk- but there are people out there offering paid nail services with no training, who don’t know how to keep their clients safe, and who don’t prioritise product safety over cost. This is why it’s so important to make sure your nail tech has qualifications in the nail services they are providing you with! If they don’t have training, they also don’t know the risks they could be exposing you to. People who provide nail services without training aren’t bad people – they’re just misinformed and in an industry that isn’t regulated to stop them from causing harm without knowing.
Long story short, I chose to invest in high quality training (thanks to Monaco Nail Academy) and I replaced all my dodgy products with high quality, professional grade ones that I know I can trust (thanks to Artistic Nail Design) – see the attached photo! 
Unfortunately I had to throw out those cheap, non-professional grade products I bought before I learned better – I couldn’t guarantee their safety, so I wasn’t comfortable using them on clients. I’ve got much higher standards than that!
