Manicures and pedicures are one of the ultimate pampering experiences. But, if you’re not careful, a glamorous experience could become a gross experience.
Here are some things you should look out for and prepare yourself for in order to make your next nail salon experience a success.
1. There’s a proper sanitization protocol and not all salons use it
Like any treatment that gets close to people’s bodies, salons should follow proper protocol in order to keep everything sanitized and everyone safe from infection.
OSHA recommends these cleaning protocols, among many others: Soaking tools in a disinfectant that is EPA-grade, disinfecting foot basins after every single pedicure, and drying tools with a dry and clean cloth.
If you see your salon doing these things, chances are they are following protocol.
2. Make sure you’re not being charged for extra services
Upcharging exists pretty much everywhere. If you don’t want a particular service, or you didn’t ask for something that ended up on your receipt, you are well within your rights to dispute it and ask for it to be taken off.
That being said, some extra services are worth the price!
3. You should request a brand new emery board
According to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, “Nail salon tools like pumice stones, emery boards, nail buffers, and foam toe separators cannot be properly sterilized so they should be disposed of after each use. Bring your own equipment and clean and disinfect it between uses with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.”
4. Not all nail techs are qualified
Nail technicians should undergo some training to earn their qualifications.
Each state has different requirements for this, but in New York State, for example, a nail tech has to pass a 250-hour course and be examined by a medical professional.
You can ask your nail tech for proof of their license.
5. The UV lights they use for a gel mani can really damage your hands
In general, you want to minimize your exposure to UV lights. According to the FDA, UV radiation can lead to age spots, wrinkles, and potentially skin cancer.
That being said, the same agency also says that the UV used in nail salons is low risk compared to other UV exposures.
But if you feel the burn, pull those hands OUT!
6. You’re going to be breathing in a lot of chemicals
Many of the solutions and treatments that nail salons use contain harmful chemicals that you should try to limit your exposure to.
However, given that they spend long days exposed to these chemicals, this risk is higher for the nail salon employees than it is for you.
7. Some salons replace high-end products with generic stuff
According to celebrity manicurist Jin Soon Choi, some salons will refill a high-end lotion product with generic lotion, just to create the illusion that they are providing you with a high-end experience while saving money.
Additionally, some manicurists also dilute nail polish bottles with nail polish remover. This helps to declump any nail polish that is getting a little old, but it also means your manicure won’t last as long.
If you want to avoid the latter, just bring your own nail polish to the salon.
8. You can bring your own polish
That brings us to this fact you might not be aware of: you can totally bring your own nail polish to a salon!
According to the certified nail tech over at Almond Nails, not only can you bring your own polish, but you can also bring your own tools, such as an emery board or nail polish remover, if you feel so inclined.
The salon can’t reasonably be expected to guarantee anything if you bring your own products, but it may bring you peace of mind.
9. Unsanitary procedures can lead to big health issues
As with sanitation oversights in any industry, an unsanitary manicure could lead to infections.
The skin surrounding your nails could be a target of a nail fold infection called paronychia.
Another major one to watch out for is an infection in your skin follicles from unclean pedicure water.
It’s important to make sure the tools your nail tech uses are fully sanitized in order to avoid these.
10. If anything feels uncomfortable, you can and should ask them to stop
Your nail techs should want you to have a good experience. Even if it is for something as small as changing your mind about your nail color, it is more than okay to ask your manicurist to stop and figure something out that you like better.
But it’s more reasonable to ask them to stop when something hurts. If your cuticles are sore or bleeding or if a gel mani light is burning your fingertips, you NEED to tell them it’s not ok. Just be polite, because they aren’t trying to hurt you.
11. You have the right to ask if the salon and employees are licensed and passed their most recent health inspection
It is the law that every nail salon has a license and has it displayed in a visible place for customers to see. If you can’t find it, you can definitely ask the salon to show it to you.
Make sure that it is a license for a cosmetologist or a nail technician, and not for another service.
12. Acrylics are going to damage your nails long term
While acrylics are in style these days, they aren’t the best for your nail health.
The process of applying acrylics requires that your nails get filed until they are very thin, which will weaken your nails and make them brittle. And taking those nails off afterwards is going to peel away yet another layer.
13. Gel manicures aren’t much better in terms of long-term nail damage
Similar to acrylics, gel manicures can also make your nails brittle and weak.
Part of the process of removing gel nails is a long soak in the chemical acetone. This can make your nails thin and dehydrated.
But the real damage comes with the desire to peel off the polish on your own. You are definitely going to take off a layer of protection from your nails.
14. You should probably skip the cuticle cutting
Your cuticles are there for a reason! This layer of skin is built into your nail bed in order to protect the freshest part of your nails from bacteria. When that layer of protection is gone, you could accidentally let in germs.
If you really feel that your cuticle is oversized, you can ask your manicurist to gently push it back, rather than cutting it.
15. You can ask for a do-over if you’re unhappy
If you’re not happy with your service, you should say something. Manicures and pedicures are not cheap and you should get what you paid for. That being said, if you do ask for a do-over, you should make sure that you tip well to account for the additional time they spent working with you.
To avoid unhappiness in the future, make sure you talk to your nail tech ahead of time about exactly what you want and how you want your nails to look.
Nobody’s perfect, and sometimes nail techs make mistakes. Hopefully, this list will help you go into your next manicure with a clear idea of what to look out for and how you communicate what you want.
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