Erica's ATA

Being your hype girl is my favorite job!

My family has been in the nail industry for over 40 years- seeking to build confidence, assure value, and encourage nail professionals to chase their dreams.

Every nail tech knows the feeling🫣

What are you doing? Giving the lesson or saving the friendship? Tell me down below!

That hard, painful spot on your client’s toe isn’t just “thick skin.” Dr. Anne Sharkey | Podiatrist & Media Expert breaks down what’s actually happening underneath it. 👣

Corns aren’t random — they’re the body’s response to focused, repeated pressure in one spot. Here’s what we wants every tech and client to understand:

👉 What it actually is: a small, cone-shaped core of thickened skin that presses inward, not outward

👉 Why it hurts: that core presses directly on the nerves and tissue underneath — which is why corns can be so much more painful than a callus

👉 What to do about it: reduce the buildup gently, and use gel pads in between foot care appointments

👉 The real fix: address the pressure that’s causing it in the first place (shoes, gait, toe alignment) — or the corn just comes right back

I say this with love- your short stiletto nails are causing damage to the lateral nail fold.

If you want slender almond or stilleto nails, please grow out your nail first, then you can taper in that free edge without cutting into the sidewalls. 🎉

Using the Erica’s Diamond Nail File in medium.

One bit isn’t always best⬇️

👉 thick cuticle and a large surface area to cover, a flat top bit is the winner.

👉 tight corner like the sulcus and sinus areas, a smaller round top is your best bet.

It’s not about using one tool to do every job.

It’s about choosing the right bit for each part of the cuticle for the best results and client comfort.

Using the Small Tapered Barrel and the Unicorn in medium grit.

Teaching a new nail tech instead of watching them struggle.

Treating other nail techs like colleagues, not competition.

Believing a stronger industry makes everyone’s business stronger — not weaker.

Choosing “let me show you” over “figure it out like I had to.”

Chic is knowing we all rise when the whole industry levels up. 💅

Nail techs — what would you add?

You’ll never see me sprint so fast🫣

“Wouldn’t it be easier to soak the nails and then use nippers?” 🤔

Here’s why I still dry manicure these types of cuticles:

👉 Wet cuticle looks almost exactly like live tissue. Taking nippers to that? No thank you!

👉 We don’t just exfoliate the nail plate, we focus on the skin as a whole. That only works with a dry approach.

A dry manicure allows me to have complete visibility of the skins true condition at all time, making it easier and safer in the long run.

Using the Big E medium diamond bit 7-12,000 RPM.