I've gotten pedicures for years and love getting my toes done! I got acrylics done once and will NEVER do that again. I was in a wedding last Saturday so I decided to get a mani pedi package. I used my own nails, just got them polished and prettified. It's been a week and my nails are a disaster! Not one of my nails is still fully painted. Some of them look completely awful. They aren't shiny anymore either, like the top coat has worn off. Also the day of the wedding, the day after I got my nails done, I had THREE hangnails! I was really suprised at that.
I guess I just assumed that manicures last a couple of weeks at least before starting to go downhill. Did I just get a bad manicure or do they just not hold up through every day wear and tear? I'm just trying to decide whether it's worth it or not to ever do this again or if I just to a questionable salon. For the record, I was not impressed with the pedi either, and for what I paid for it, I could have bought five bottles of polish and given myself a manicure!
Thanks for the info, ladies!
I can't give up pedis. I only get one a few times a year, but I love relaxing in a chair and having someone else rub my feet after they've been soaking!
I think I am just not going to bother with manicures again. I can paint my nails and have them look nice myself for how long it will end up lasting. I'm not overly hard on them. I'm a stay at home mom, so I guess changing diapers, doing dishes and cleaning is too much for them. I need a housekeeper! lol
It's most likely that you went to a bad salon. All I know is that polish never stays on my nails very long. About a week like you and that was a good salon. It's just because of wear and tear and because I have more oils in my nails so it never stays on long.
At least they looked nice for the wedding right? Hang nails or not :)
I stopped getting manis-I only get pedis now. I hate the way that they always want to cut the cuticle to trim it-so bad for the nail! Also I am just too active with the kids to keep a nice mani for too long. Before kids I could go at least a week. Now I keep my nails short in a neutral polish with a bit of glimmer that hides the chips and takes a second to do.
I don't spend money on manis and pedis for this exact reason. I really don't get what the big deal is about manis and pedis. I mean, people look at your face and if you have a nice figure. Unless your feet are completely disgusting, just keeping your nails clipped and clean is all you need to do. If you are doing it for yourself to feel good, why not focus on general health and a happy smile? I had acrylic for about 6 months and it was a nightmare. You always had to go to the salon and that crazy machine scared me. Plus, the money!! Bright, long salon nails look cheese-bomb.
regular manicures last a couple days maybe a week if you don't do things like dishes, laundry, etc. if you want one thats not going to chip do the "no chip gel manicure" it costs roughly double the cost of a regular manicure but it lasts for a solid 2 weeks.
got nothing for the hangnail part sorry.
The polish never stays on my hands for very long . . . usually chipping within 2 days, so I only do manis for special occasions. My pedicures will last forever (except the nail starts to grow). I always though it was just because I use my hands all day, but my toes do not get much wear and tear, even in sandals. You can try buying a decent polish and painting your own nails, and then compare the two.
On your natural fingernails, polish should last about 5 days. On acrylics, it will last the 2-3 weeks until a fill, and usually the polish on toes will last about that long, too. For a longer lasting mani on natural nails, you can get a Shellac manicure, which lasts longer but also is quite pricey. In between manicures, you can go in just for a polish change to keep them looking nice. If you swim a lot, the top coat will dull and the polish will chip more quickly. Also, sunscreen and insect repellent messes with the polish too (seems to make it kind of sticky).
One thing I've noticed is that salons will squeeze every last drop that they can out of a bottle of polish, often by adding a few drops of acetone here and there. When they start doing that, the polish just never dries right. I try to always take my own polish with me to be sure it is fresh where it will dry well and won't bubble. If you don't take your own polish, look for the newest bottles when choosing your color for the best results. And, some technicians just give a crappy mani.
Yeah, that's why I rarely waste my money on salon manis/pedis. I'm hard on my hands/nails. But a quick tip is to brush a top coat on every morning after the mani/pedi. Really makes a difference in keeping the polish from chipping.
No chip manicures. They cost a bit more but last longer as does the shine. I miss my acrylics but have resorted to the no chip which has worked out great. Regular manicures rarely last more than a week.
It depends on what you do for a living and day in day out.
When I am doing my decorating business or estate sales and garage sales. Gardening, floral work.. Forget it. Not going to hold up.
But day in and day out just regular house keeping and regular paper work.. They should last for at least 2 weeks.
I know my sister in law for some reason, her nails just do not do will with manicures. My nails are super strong and grow extremely fast. If you use nail lacquer instead of just polish.. That stuff is tough.
I would go back and let them know you are disappointed and want to give it another try.
I don't think you should have got so many hangnails so quickly. But I do think losing the polish/look within a week is normal. I can't stand the feel of acrylic and after the first time, every mani I've ever had was on my own nails as well. A week is the norm, i've experienced.
My pedicures stay looking good for weeks. But that makes sense when you are using your hands,not feet, constantly.
I love getting pedicures and for me, it is the experience- having someone rub my legs and feet and do the work. They last for weeks and are WELL worth it to me. Manicures, on the other hand, are so not worth it for me. A regular manicure will last roughly 12 hours-1 day before I notice chipping. I decided to try a shelac manicure last year because I was in a wedding. It was beautiful!...and it lasted for four days- it is supposed to last two weeks. I had it done at the spa where I get my hair cut, which is very reputable and slightly pricey, so I know it wasn't the manicure. I am just too active. Maybe after my kids are grown and I'm not constantly washing/using my hands, they will last longer?...I don't know, but I will reserve manis for only very special occasions and stick with pedis only.
It's the service we're paying for, they don't last that long, and you know, I think you hit the nail on the head, just do your own mani/pedis. They're not hard at all. I treated myself to acrylics (trying to grow my nails out) and a pedi for my birthday last month, have had one fill, and have been doing my feet myself. I found a nifty all-in-one foot brush, file, pumice and one more silver thing that gets off dead skin, for under $3 at Target, and it works great.
If you want something to soften your feet mix up a cup of raw (turbinado) sugar or coarse sea salt, half a cup (adjust it to get it the consistency you want) olive oil, and a teaspoon of vanilla or other extract you like, and rub it all over your feet and wash/rinse after you've soaked your feet and scrubbed the dead skin off. It will leave your feet so soft and works on dry elbows and knees as well.
My almost 11 year old granddaughter and I just gave each other pedicures last night, we have cool turquoise blue glittery polish on, and it was fun : )
I'd go right back to the shop and ask them to FIX the problem!
Sounds like you got a TERRIBLE manicure!
I count on my manicure (my own nails) looking good for 10 days. I wear gloves to do the gardening and don't wear my nails long...just a nice natural oval shape.
It took me awhile to find a good salon. One actually filed my skin and left me with a burn on my fingertip! The right salon and manicurist will leave you feeling beautiful and will want your nails to look beautiful for as long as possible!
Sounds like it was a bad mani AND depending on YOUR use of your hands they do not hold up. I polish my nails every few days typically because I have oily nail beds and the polish just slips/chips etc right off! When I want it to last I use those new nail sticker/dreses by Kiss/Sally Hansen - those DO last! My pedi's last WEEKS on end, but I am hard on my hands and use them all day in and out of water, drawers, toys, yard etc. Plus, if they cut your nails wrong they actually CAUSE hang nails.
There are places here that will do a mani/pedi for $25-30. I love the pedicure...the whole process is so relaxing for me. I am just too hard on my fingernails. The manicure seems to chip within a couple of days. Last time I splurged, I just got the pedicure...
It's probably not the manicure but your nails. I get a manicure every few weeks or so. I have a friend who has a business in her home. My nails sometimes last for 5 days, but that's unusual. They usually start chipping after 3. I have softer nails that don't hold polish. I have a friend who goes and gets hers done (same place/same polish) and her polish lasts two whole weeks. She has really hard nails and they hold polish well.
I am very hard on my hands, and I hardly ever walk out of a salon with french tips without messing up at least one nail! However, a good mani should stay pretty (with normal use) for at least 3 days. Pedis will stay pretty much longer. I did the gel manicure last year for vacation, my nails were PERFECT for about a month. I didn't realize that you had to go back to have the gel removed and let it stay on too long virtually killing my natural nails. Won't do that again unless I am willing to get it removed professionally. You got a bad manicure, watch for any sign of infection.
