Left Out: The Real Struggles of Left-Handed Nail Techs (and the Tools That Fix Them)
We live in a world built for right-handers. With 90% of the population using their right hand as dominant, the remaining 10% - left-handers are often left to adapt to tools, systems, and techniques not designed for them.
Simple, everyday actions like swiping a credit card or using a can opener can be awkward or downright uncomfortable for left-handed people because everything is designed and positioned for right handed users. In the nail industry, this disadvantage is amplified - especially when it comes to tools like scissors and e-files.
As the Founder of Katie Barnes Tool Range and a Nail Technician of 17 years, I am left-handed and know these challenges all too well.
People assume that being left-handed just means working in the opposite direction but most techniques and tools are designed for right-handed use. Left-handed techs are forced to train their brains and bodies to work in ways that feel unnatural and often uncomfortable. It’s not just about the hand - it’s the coordination between hand, eye, and brain.
When I was learning nails, I found myself struggling to mirror the methods of my right-handed educators. They expected me to simply ‘flip’ what they were doing. But left-handed techs all work a little differently - how we hold our tools, how we write, even how we move. A mirrored version doesn’t cut it. It’s a completely different mindset.
This forced adaptation has contributed to a longstanding (and unfair) stereotype of left-handers being “awkward” or “clumsy.” But the problem isn’t the person - it’s the tool.
Why Scissors Are a Nightmare for Left-Handed Techs
One of the most notoriously frustrating tools for left-handers? Scissors.
Scissors are designed with the blades set so that a right-hander can see exactly what they’re cutting. When used in the left hand, the top blade blocks the line of sight, and the pressure often forces the blades apart, leaving a ragged cut. To get them to work at all, a left-handed user has to contort their hand unnaturally, often causing pressure marks or calluses.
Standard loop handles make this even worse. The strain doesn’t just make cutting difficult - it can lead to long-term wrist and hand issues, which are already common in the nail industry.
A Left-Handed Solution - By a Left-Handed Tech
Frustrated with the lack of tools that truly worked for left-handers, I took matters into my own hands - literally. Drawing from my years of experience and feedback from the nail community, I created the Katie Barnes Tool Range®, a line of high-performance tools designed to work with the user, not against them.
To design tools for left-handed users, you need to be left-handed. You need to understand the nuance of hand-eye coordination and the feel of the tool in action. Most tools I’d used were either too long, too bulky, too blunt or just felt wrong, especially scissors. So I began tailoring my own starting with KB Curved Cuticle Scissors.
Our tools weren’t just created for me. Before launching, I had both left and right-handed professionals test them to ensure comfort and usability for everyone, even ambidextrous users.
Built for All: The Katie Barnes Tool Range®
Left-handed scissors in our range feature custom blade alignment, optimal pivot points, and spring handles for easy, comfortable use - regardless of which hand you favour. The design improves visibility and control, while reducing strain.
Cuticle tools, like pushers and knives, are another area where left-handers often struggle. Traditional tools have a sharp and a blunt side, making them difficult to flip. Our version is thoughtfully crafted with both sides equally sharp and balanced, allowing use in either direction with the same precise results.
E-files are another pain point. Most e-file machines are built with right-handed motion in mind. When reversed for left-handed use, the power often drops or feels off, making work less efficient.
Even beyond tools, electricals, desk setups, cameras, and more are rarely designed with left-handed professionals in mind. We adapt because we have to but once you finally use something that truly works for you, it’s like a lightbulb moment. You realise how much you’ve been compromising.
The Katie Barnes Tool Range® isn’t just a product line - it’s a mission. A mission to make high-quality, accessible tools for every nail tech, whether they’re left-handed, right-handed, or somewhere in between.
Because in a world that’s long favoured the right hand, it’s time left-handers had the right tools too.