“A comfortable and ergonomic chair is essential for nail design work - as is a table that is adapted to the nail designer's work , ” says our nail designer Stefanie. Both help you maintain a comfortable and upright posture during your day-to-day work and thus protect your back. One-sided strain or working while bent over can cause damage to the muscles - tension, especially in the shoulder and neck area, but also pain in the intervertebral discs can result. Swollen legs, varicose veins and other venous diseases are other problems that can be caused by sitting incorrectly for too long.
Sit dynamically & take breaks
The statutory accident insurance VBG ( accessed January 21, 2019) recommends dynamic sitting, in which ergonomic chairs provide freedom of movement - so you can switch between different positions such as bending forward, sitting upright and leaning backwards. Sitting breaks where you get up and walk around can also help you feel relaxed while sitting and prevent one-sided strain. Our nail designer relies on exercise in her everyday life: “A walk at lunchtime, climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator and being physically active after work. For example, I like to ride instead of just curling up on the sofa in front of the TV - working with the horse is my balance to sitting in the nail design studio." The goal is to keep changing the load and to put the strain on and relieve the strain on different parts of the body , so that individual regions are not overused. If tension still occurs, our nail design expert will use a warm cherry stone pillow and do regular light strength training to give the back muscles more support.
- Sit dynamically & change positions
- Take exercise & sitting breaks
- Alternate loading and unloading
VBG recommendations for the correct sitting position
Height-adjustable chairs are generally recommended by the VBG for all work at a desk - they enable the sitting position to be perfectly coordinated, because the upper and lower arms, like the upper and lower legs, should always form a right angle. People who are very short or very tall should also choose a table that is height-adjustable in order to be able to create the correct relationship between sitting position and table height. It is important that the feet can stand fully on the floor and not hang in the air or, if the chair is too low, the knees hike up. Our nail designer also recommends paying attention to the cover when choosing the right chair: “I prefer a chair cover that is breathable, otherwise sitting for long periods of time becomes uncomfortable!”
- Height-adjustable chairs & tables
- Adjust seating position
- Place your feet on the floor
- Choose a breathable chair cover
Sitting correctly when designing nails: 5 questions for our expert
Our nail designer Stefanie has over ten years of professional experience and is used to long working days in the nail salon. She answered five questions for us about her personal seating position to support you in your work. She has practical experience that you can benefit from to combine perfect nail design and ergonomic work. In her insider tip, she also explains why your client's relaxation is so important for your correct sitting position.
What do you value in a suitable chair for nail design?
Nail designer Stefanie: For me it is important to have a comfortable chair with a backrest that allows me to lean so that my back is upright and supported. It is also an advantage to have a chair with wheels to be as mobile and flexible as possible.
What distance should the nail designer and customer be from each other?
Nail designer Stefanie: Personally, I prefer to sit relatively close to the table so that I can sit upright and not have to lean forward. I recommend the same to my customers - because they too should sit comfortably, straight and not tense. Of course, you should still make sure that there is enough space under the table so that the customer and the nail designer can comfortably position their legs underneath it - roll containers etc. should be positioned in a different place.
Do you need armrests for nail design chairs?
Nail designer Stefanie: I actually have armrests on my work chair, but I don't use them. I actually find armrests to be a nuisance for customers' chairs because they restrict freedom of movement.
A long day at work – what do you do when you have to sit for a long time?
Nail designer Stefanie: Every now and then I take short breaks, get up, move my wrists, knead my fingers or massage my palms - just whatever I feel like doing to loosen up my body.
How important are hand rests for a correct sitting position?
Nail designer Stefanie: I think hand rests are very important for an ergonomic sitting position because they can be positioned in such a way that the work is made easier for both the customer and the nail designer. The customer can simply rest her hands comfortably - this way her joints and forearms can relax. The nail designer then already has the customer's hands in a position where she can work well and does not have to hold them up permanently.
Your insider tip for working comfortably and sitting correctly during nail design?
Nail designer Stefanie: If customers are tense or concentrate too much on a magazine while designing their nails, this can cause them to tense up. The nail designer also notices this - for example, due to the customer's stiff wrists, which can hardly be brought into the required positions, or arbitrary movements. The tension can be transferred to the nail designer, who then falls into an incorrect and strained sitting position. I try to create as relaxed an atmosphere as possible for my customers and pay attention to whether someone is particularly tense on a given day. Then I talk about it briefly, most customers then focus their attention on it and can relax a little better, which makes my work much easier.
