Student from Bristol who runs a nail salon from her family home

Lydia Wheeler, 25, runs a nail salon from her home in Hotwells while studying for an MRes in Psychology at the University of Bristol. Although her business ‘Wheels Nails’ only started taking clients last September, she had a passion for creating nail art from a young age.

Lydia describes herself as a creative person who has tried everything from drawing to painting, but nails have “always been on her mind”. Her ‘wearable art’ has appeared in Bristol Slow Approach and Utopia magazines.

“I bought myself a pound of nail polish from my pocket money when I was nine or ten and every time I got a new coin I would go and buy a new colour. It was my collection,” Lydia said.

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“Wheels Nails started as a journal in 2022 and was nothing more than an Instagram account that I could use for myself. It was a collection of my own work rather than something that said ‘come and buy my product’.

In September, Lydia qualified as a nail technician. She also works one day a week in a general salon in Bristol and finds this helps her keep up to date with her health and safety training.

“I work a 9-5 university job Monday to Friday and I try to get appointments outside of that time. Two to three times a week I do nails and it could be one to four hour appointments,” Lydia said.

“I charge between £50 and £100 for a set of nails. I think what people don’t understand about nails is that it’s not just about a quick buck.”

“I’ve used over fifty different products in one set of nails before. Acetone, e-file training, there are so many hidden costs.”

Lydia has cited her influences for her nail designs as being from around the world. She is aware that extravagant and quirky nail art has long been created by Asian and black people.

“I’m not doing anything new, but I’m doing it my way. I’m taking a lot of influence from Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese models and black beauty trends.”

“A large number of nail salons in the UK are run by Vietnamese people. There is a misconception that these people are not qualified, when they are just as qualified!”

Vietnamese nail art has a history dating back to the 1970s when Tippi Hedren visited a Vietnamese refugee camp. Hedren flew in with her manicurist to train a small number of Vietnamese women in the trade to give them a fresh start and financial freedom.

Lydia also talked about the negative experiences she had when telling people about her nail business. It feels like, unlike other artworks, nail artists and other skilled beauty professionals are not valued as an art form.

“It was a very interesting experience to tell people that I do nail art because I feel like any other artistic person, they get praise for their art. In some social circles I’ve been in, they see my nails as just a silly hobby.”

“It’s a talent, a skill and a job. The market is incredibly saturated, so having the ability to stand out is a skill in itself.”

Although Lydia spent a lot of time as a child trying on designs that she couldn’t afford to do professionally, she always recommended anyone wanting to get into the business to do a nail technician course.

“After isolation, people started doing their own nails and got allergies. People think that beauty does not require education, but there is so much science behind it, such as the correct use of gel, which contains methacrylate.”

“My advice to anyone who wants to turn their hobby into a business is to take the time and love the hobby. As I juggled education and all the boring parts of the business, there were definitely times for me when I thought I never wanted to do nails again!”

To see more of Lydia’s designs, click here.

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