Dehydration tops list of nail complaints among Brits

Dehydration is the most common problem nail techs up and down the country see on clients, according to new research by Professional Beauty.

More than a quarter (28%) of beauty salon and spa owners in our exclusive Insider survey said they regularly treat clients with dehydrated nails – with 11% stating overuse of gel polishes and acrylic tips as one of the reasons. 

Other common issues techs said they treat included peeling (13%), biting (12%), flaking (11%) and splitting (6%). A further 3% said broken nails were the number-one problem clients asked them to fix, usually caused by snagging, while 2% said fungal nails were their guests’ main concern.

The results are comparable to research conducted by nail care brand Stylfile last year, which found that more than a third of Brits are not proud of their nails. Many don’t protect them from chemicals, such as bleach and washing-up liquid, and 16% never moisturise their cuticles, the survey found.

Which nail problem do you treat most regularly? Comment below.

*PB stats were compiled from a monthly telephone survey of spas and beauty salons which was published on our Insider pages in the August issue of the magazine. The people who participated represent a cross-section of the industry from high-end spas to high-street salons. Nail business was calculated from data provided by spas and salons that offer nail services among other treatments.They were polled from July 1–6, 2016.