Mum from Brazil opens new nail salon with mission to keep feet in South Shields healthy
A mum-of-three from Brazil, has opened her own nail salon offering medical pedicures and other treatments after years of experience in the UK and Brazil.
A new nail salon has been opened on Westoe Road by a mum-of-three from Brazil with over 30 years of experience.
Dani Barbosa was just 15 when she began working as a nail technician in her hometown of Rio de Janeiro, tending to cabin crew staff’s manicures when they stopped over in Brazil.
Seven years ago the now 46-year-old moved to the UK where she lived in Swindon for four years before settling in South Shields where she worked as a nail technician out of her home.
On September 13, she opened her own salon space on Westoe Road where she offers not only manicure treatments but also medical pedicures that include toenail reconstruction and fungal treatment.
Dani said she has been trained to do medical pedicures for 20 years, but had to undergo more training in the UK to receive a certification so she can perform them here.
She now holds a foot care practitioner’s licence, meaning she is able to treat issues like fungal infections.
Now she is on a mission to ensure the residents of South Shields have healthy feet, because she says issues in the feet can often lead to issues elsewhere in the body.
She is passionate about caring for feet because we spend a lot of time stood up, walking, running and using them.
Dani said: “It’s really important for us to live with no pain, no fungal infection, because fungals can spread in your body.
“We can have loads of problems and we don’t associate that with the fungal infection.”
When she first moved to the UK, she could not speak English, but through years of practice at work and reading, she is now fluent.
Dani said: “It’s a big deal because, not being petty, but being an immigrant, it’s difficult.
“Not because of racism or nothing like that, not here in South Shields, I’ve been through it in the South of England but not here.”
She said when she first started work, she would travel around to clients’ houses with all of her equipment in a bag.
But now she is very proud to have her own space and said her clients have even brought her flowers to celebrate.
Clients can book in with Dani through her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/danielle.barbosa.9235199