Beauty is pain, right? WRONG. In this day in age, beauty is money. From expensive clothes and shoes to bank-breaking hair salons that are so expensive that they seem to charge per strand. Out of all the different beauty expenses, one that has grown out of control, in my opinion, is the price of nail salons.
Now, I’m not talking about simple manicures since their purpose is mostly just for relaxation, but more of gel nails and acrylics that are more for the beauty aspect. Nowadays, it typically costs $25-$120 to get a gel manicure or acrylic set, not including design charges and the tip at the end of the service. If you get your nails done once every two weeks, annually, you will be spending between $650 and $3,120. Personally, I feel like spending that much money on nails that have habits of breaking or falling off, is not worth it. Many people have begun believing that as well, possibly as a reaction to the growing inflation that has infiltrated everyone’s day to day life. So much so, that many are turning to unlicensed nail technicians, instead of selling their soul away to nail salons. Not only is operating as an unlicensed nail technician a misdemeanor in many states, it causes more harm to the client that outweighs the cheap price. Receiving a service from one of these nail techs significantly increases the chances of several unfortunate occurrences that are much more avoidable in clean environments in professional salons. An article by Refinery29, a company who focuses mostly on feminine content, states, “A manicure might seem like a pretty risk-free beauty procedure but a lot can go wrong. Extreme pain, bacterial infection, allergies and even hospitalization in severe circumstances are just a few of the dangers” (Bell). Not only does this show the importance of research before committing to paying for services like these, but also makes it much more clear that at-home nails have a lot of risks.
As someone who does my own nails for the main purpose of saving money, but also because of my tendency to get bored of them easily, so I change them up a lot and that wouldn’t be possible in a professional salon. However, I did do extensive research to make sure certain products would work well for me, and I have never had any problems. The most important thing is to listen to your body, and prioritize health over beauty. So, the next time you think about going to get your nails done by someone who does not have professional training, evaluate the risks first, and be safe!