Why Improved Nail Work Deserves Higher Prices
If your nail work looks completely different now compared to two or three years ago, but your prices are almost the same, this article is for you.
Only a couple of years ago I was charging around £37 for BIAB and £25 for gel polish. I now charge £100+ for services where the work, time, knowledge and expertise justify it. This is the story of what changed, and what I think has to change in your work before your prices can follow. The video is on my official YouTube channel, Radina Ignatova | Nail Academy.
Quick Answer: Should You Raise Your Prices When Your Nail Work Improves?
Yes, once the service has genuinely changed. Premium pricing needs a premium standard behind it: better structure, balance, shape, product control, manicure quality and finish, plus the understanding and confidence to explain the value. Other technicians’ prices do not tell you what your work is worth, so ask what level of service you are actually providing. If your work has improved, stop pricing from the old version of your business.
Watch the Video: From Cheap to Premium
In the video I show real screenshots from my old booking system, my old work and real client testimonials. These are the parts I would watch first:
- My old prices from the booking system (0:14)
- What changes when your understanding improves (1:26)
- Real client testimonials from Google (4:18)
- Why other technicians’ prices should not be your ceiling (5:34)
- If I could do it, you can too (7:07)
My Old Prices and the Limit I Believed In
A couple of years ago, my booking system showed around £37 for BIAB and £25 for gel polish. At the time I genuinely thought there was a limit to how much people would pay.
I was looking at what other nail technicians were charging. I was reading Facebook groups and hearing comments like “clients will never pay that” and “you will lose everyone if you increase your prices”. I believed every word I read online.
Looking back, much of that limit was a belief I had taken from other people, not something I had tested with my own clients.
What Changed in the Work, Not Just the Price
When I look at my old work now, I see things I could not see then. When your understanding improves, you stop looking at a set of nails and thinking “that looks nice”. You start seeing balance, shape, product control, the overall premium finish and how the nails need to look alike.
This is not the same service at a higher price. The service itself has changed. A price increase only makes sense when the thing being sold has genuinely improved. For a closer look at how a plain, simple finish shows this, read why plain nails demand better technique.
| Then | Now |
|---|---|
| Around £37 for BIAB and £25 for gel polish | £100+ for services where the work, time and expertise justify it |
| “That looks nice” | Seeing balance, shape, product control and finish |
| Copying what I saw and being unsure of my value | Understanding what I am doing and why |
| Scared to ask for £50 | Confident charging £100+ and able to explain why |
Confidence Comes From Understanding
The bigger shift for me was confidence. I used to be scared to ask for £50, never mind anything higher. It was not only worry about what clients might say. I was not completely confident in the value I was delivering.
That changed when I started asking questions and understanding the why. Confidence comes from knowing exactly what you are doing, why you are doing it and how to approach every client. It did not happen because I suddenly became fearless. It happened because my standard changed, my understanding changed and my work changed, and I stopped allowing other people’s limiting beliefs to decide what my prices could become.
If you want to understand where service confidence really comes from, see what actually creates confidence in nail services.
What Clients Say When the Service Changes
The client side matters too. In the video I show real testimonials from Google. Clients write things like “my nails have never looked so good”, “the best manicure I have had” and “absolutely perfect manicure with no gaps, it is flawless”.
To me, that is proof that the service is not the same anymore. The value is different, the result is different and the experience is different, so prices should eventually reflect all of that.
Other Technicians’ Prices Are Not Your Ceiling
This is where I had to stop asking what other nail technicians were charging, and start asking what level of service I was actually providing.
Another technician’s price does not tell you the value of your work. Their experience might be different, their techniques different, their finish different and their positioning different. So why should their prices become your ceiling?
You Cannot Charge Premium Prices for the Same Work
There is another side to this. You cannot simply decide to charge premium prices while delivering exactly the same work. The standard has to move first.
That is why I talk so much about clean manicure work and structure. Premium results are what add the value, and they are what make simple nails look expensive. If you want to understand how pricing, quality and positioning fit together, read Russian Manicure mistakes: technique, pricing and why nail technicians undercharge and why technical skill alone will not sell your Russian Manicure service. Once your standard has moved, how to make the value of your Russian Manicure obvious to clients shows how to let clients see it.
Checklist: Is It Time to Review Your Prices?
- Look at your old work next to your current work. Has the service genuinely changed?
- Name what has improved: structure, balance, shape, product control, cuticle work, finish.
- Read your client feedback. What are clients saying about the result and the experience?
- Stop using other technicians’ prices as your ceiling. Ask what level of service you provide.
- Check your standard. Premium pricing needs premium results, not the same work with a new price list.
- Build confidence through understanding. Know what you are doing and why, so you can explain your value.
- Let your prices follow your standard, not the beliefs of people who have never seen your work.
How I Teach This
If the technical side is what is holding you back from a cleaner, more premium result, that is what my courses are for. Inside Russian Manicure – Beyond Technique, I teach you to understand the skin, the e-file, the tools and every decision you make. Inside The Ultimate Dual Forms, I teach structure, fitting and the shape that works on every client, and why they can feel different from one client to the next.
When your understanding improves, your results improve, and it becomes much easier to position yourself differently and charge accordingly. Better pricing starts with better work, better understanding and confidence that comes from knowing what you are doing and why. You can also browse all online nail courses.
And if your work looks more like my older images, that is not where you have to stay. I was there too. I learned, made mistakes, corrected them, and my eyes and understanding changed. If I could do it, you can do it too.
Raise the Standard First, and the Prices Follow
Explore Russian Manicure – Beyond Technique and The Ultimate Dual Forms and learn the why behind premium results.
Explore the Online Nail Courses →Frequently Asked Questions
Should I raise my nail prices if my work has improved?
Yes, once the service has genuinely changed. Pricing should reflect the standard of your work, your understanding and the experience you provide, not the old version of your business.
How much can a nail technician charge?
It depends on your skill, standard, market and positioning. In the video I explain that I used to charge around £37 for BIAB and £25 for gel polish and can now confidently charge £100+ for services where the work, time, knowledge and expertise justify it.
Should I base my prices on what other nail technicians charge?
Not as a ceiling. Another technician’s prices do not tell you the value of your work, because their experience, techniques, finish and positioning may be different. Ask what level of service you are actually providing.
Will clients leave if I raise my prices?
Online comments often say so, and I believed them for a long time. What matters is whether the work and the value are clear. Premium pricing needs a premium standard behind it, and clients respond to results and experience.
How do I become confident charging more?
Confidence comes from knowing exactly what you are doing, why you are doing it and how to approach every client. For me it came from asking questions and understanding the why, not from telling myself to be fearless.
Can I charge premium prices for the same work?
No. The standard has to improve first: cleaner manicure work, better structure, shape, product control and finish. Premium results are what add the value.
Where can I watch the full video?
‘Why Improved Nail Work Deserves Higher Prices’ is on Radina Ignatova | Nail Academy, the official YouTube channel of Artistic Touch – Nail Training Academy. It is embedded at the top of this article.
Key Takeaway
You cannot expect premium pricing while producing exactly the same service. Improve your standard, understand what makes your service different and build confidence through understanding. Once your work, understanding and positioning change, your prices should eventually reflect that too.
Better Pricing Starts With Better Work
Learn the why behind clean, premium results with Russian Manicure – Beyond Technique and The Ultimate Dual Forms.
Explore Online Nail Courses →About the Author
Professional Nail Expert | International Nail Educator
I am Radina Ignatova, a Professional Nail Expert since 2014 and International Nail Educator, based in Scotland, UK. I am the Founder of Artistic Touch – Nail Training Academy and TheNailWiki.
At Artistic Touch – Nail Training Academy, I provide structured professional online nail education specialising in dual forms, nail preparation and retention, nail structure, E-File work and Russian Manicure, with a strong focus on professional salon safety. I continue to work actively in salon practice, ensuring that all education reflects real client scenarios and current industry standards.
My teaching philosophy is simple: I show real salon challenges, real mistakes and real performance testing, not just perfect demonstrations. This is how you develop genuine technical competence and become a confident, capable nail professional.
