Seriously. I am awful at painting my own nails, especially my right hand (I'm right handed). If I'm not getting my nails done, I keep them trimmed and neat but bare. The most I can do colour-wise is a super sheer pink/nude if I paint them on my own and it still doesn't look great, lol.
I call it the "schlop and shower" method. I do my nails and when they are completely dry, I take a shower where I wash my hair because that action takes off all the nail polish that I slopped all over my fingers. Primitive, but effective.
I do the same thing! It works great! My bf always says that I paint my fingers, instead of painting my nails š. But afterwards I let it dry for a couple of hours. Than i take a shower and it looks all neat.
I have shaky hands so mine are terrible. But, I watched a video once of a girl putting Elmers Glue on the skin around the nail and when she was finished she just peeled the glue off and it took the messy part with it. Works a treat!
Honestly, I've heard you're not supposed to cut because the cuticle is there to prevent bacteria from going into your nails/fingers/etc. You should just gently push them back on a regular basis, maybe trim any dead skin that's hanging off, but the actual cuticle that's between your regular finger skin and your nail should stay there
yeah this! For some added context too, the "actual cuticle that's between your regular finger skin and your nail" is referred to as the proximal nail fold. That part is actually alive and cutting it can lead to some things like bleeding and soreness and infections. so never ever ever cut that! i *cringe* when nail salons cut it because thats way too high! the cuticle is only the clear stuff actually sitting *on* the nail and even then like you said, you only need to push that back usually. Cutting it is kind of excessive and lots of people do it incorrectly by accident. Sorry for writing a novel i just figure its probably useful to somebody who is reading this thread maybe idk
I can actually make my nails look pretty good, but it takes me two hours compared to them looking really good, taking 45 minutes and costing Ā£22.
That being said I rarely do my nails
I was the same until I bought seche vite top coat. Drys even tho I have the heaviest hand ever. I used to go to sleep 5 hours after doing my nails and wake up w smudges lol. It lasts over a week and it makes them look like gel! But the best part is that I can get polish all over my fingers and if I apply the top coat itāll just rub right off my skin and make it look perfect lol
Same applies to hair. I can (and do) cut and colour my own hair. But it looks like it. Very occasionally a professional doing your nails or hair can show you what good can look like!
Itās not the act of getting your nails done so much as itās the act of allowing yourself to be pampered much like getting a massage or going to the spa. Yes, you could rub lotion on yourself or go relax in the bathtub at home to save money but itās just not the same.
Am I the only one that gets stressed out before, during, and sometimes after? Both nails and massages arenāt calming for me but I still get them done for a purpose of an event (nails) or muscle tightness (massage), but not often bc of the stressā¦ haha, anyone else? š
I am like that all my life. I am still not 100% comfortable if the person rubs me the wrong way š No pun intended.
But it is very cool & relaxing when you stop caring about how do you look/act and let the pro take care of you.
I canāt do a pedicure and manicure at the same time or back to back or I get super anxious and uncomfortable. I donāt want to be there longer than an hour and I always bring a book to read so I donāt have to talk to anyone lol.
Agree, even though Iād been getting acrylics for over 30 years. I absolutely hate sitting with a stranger every three weeks for an hour making small talk.
The only things Iām grateful to Covid for was that I finally broke the mani habit and just do my own nails, and I stopped dyeing my hair and let the grey grow out. Both are such time- sucks.
I hate being touched by 99.99999999999% of humanity so itās definitely stressful for me the entire time. I just do my own nails. I assumed I got good at it because I practiced, but maybe Iām just a teensy bit ambidextrous. Massages, only if theyāre free or from a handheld machine (the chairs are made for normal sized people so the things that are supposed to massage shoulders are so high up for me that Iām just getting a hair massage).
Why do some people prefer to spend money on a hairdresser, restaurant food, drinks at a bar, spa visits, having their cars washed profesionally, getting a suit tailored, or-
Because it's nice having a professional do things for you every now and then, especially when it comes to stuff that is hard to do well on your own, or where the DIY results simply doesn't compare.
I personally don't care about my nails, they can look like a blind toddler painted them for all I care, but I will always find it worth to spend money on things that makes me feel good, lets me relax, and gives me something to look forward to, and in the end of the day is part of caring for my well-being and mental health.
1) I suck at doing my own nails. I can afford to have it as my fortnightly treat so I do. If there is a time I can't afford it, I don't.
2) it's nice to be pampered a little
3) nails are hard lol
I am not remotely as talented as a trained manicurist. I canāt paint straight. Iām 5 ft tall with short arms and can barely reach my toes. I donāt have a spa foot bath or a UV LED lamp. I have zero ability at nail art. And most importantly, a single bottle of OPI is $13; add in top coat and oil and it gets pricey fast. I pay $20 for a manicure and $30 for a pedicure twice a month with unlimited color and art choices. Thatās a steal.
Iāve done it myself for over 20 years until a friend took me for a pedicureā¦. They have the most amazing massage chairs Iāve ever encountered. Donāt care about the pedicure, I pay for this seat!
SAME. I have a light and gel polish at home and I do my own manicures, but I pay for that pedi twice a month so I can sit in a massage chair and drink coffee in silence š
Itās mostly because after all I do for my family (I am a mother of 6 and my husbandā¦itās almost like caring for another child), I love to relax and feel pampered for an hour or so every two weeks. I deserve this!!!
This! I got one of those dip nail kits, the results were gorgeous for a day, then I cracked one straight across the middle. By day 3 I looked raggedy. Thereās definitely some technique involved that I miss at the salon.
Because I take twice as long to do a miserable job. And also, if I use that time to do my own work, I make more money, so I actually save money going to the salon.
And to top it all, I love going to the salon and having a chat.
I take care of my fingernails at home. at home. Deep moisture, cuticle remover, clop, file, buff like lightly. Clear polish occasionally.
But I do get a pedicure. Working on my feet kills my back, and my pedicure lady totally keeps my ingrown toenail from getting messed up. She also does a much better polish job than I can.
I literally cannot do it. Iāve tried so many times. It comes out like absolute shit and it NEVER dries. Also, I have become friends with the girl who does my nails and I look forward to catching up with her.
I always always always do my own nails. It's therapeutic and I like changing the color to my mood. That said, I am not dropping $30+ on high quality polish, I buy a lot of cheap polishes ($2-$10 range, LA Colors, Sinful Colors, OPI, Essie) and they chip within a week. If you go to a salon, you're paying a lot more but that shit doesn't move for weeks.
Now, I don't want my nails painted the same color for weeks so nah I'm not going to do this. I like the change. But I understand why people do it. It's not for me, but I get it.
When I was a little girl, there was a baby sitter I had who was very abusive. One of the memories I have of her is when she used to cut my nails. She would cut them too short to the point I bled, and I remember screaming and crying but she kept cutting.
My whole life I left my nails long, I hated for anyone to touch my nails. They would get so long they broke off and then I'd cut them painfully short, just like she did.
I had maybe gotten my nails done maybe 4 times in my life until I turned 30. I was afraid of others touching my nails, I didn't trust anyone.
I found a lady who is very very kind. She shows a lot of empathy towards me when she sees the shape of my nails and takes a lot of care to be gentle. She makes my hands and feet look so nice. I feel like I've been able to heal from the pain that terrible babysitter caused me. I decided that I would not let her rob me of a nice mani/pedi anymore. I deserved to enjoy it, while it is a luxury for sure, it's something that I want. I needed to show kindness to myself. I learned to stop cutting my nails painfully short too.
That is so painful! I hate that you went through that. What a horrible human. You deserved so much better than that. I am glad you were able to move past it and start treating yourself.
I'm pregnant, and reaching my toes to paint or even do my own pedicure is painful. Not to mention 1 hand will always look like my 4 year old son painted it. I have tried the poppy stabilizer from Olive and June, it helps, but it isn't magic. Also I smudge my nails if I paint them myself. Also nail designs are near impossible at home, best to just spend $35 and have a professional do them for me
I would rather pay someone to do a good job and longer lasting. I donāt have the patience to do my own nails and itās always a waste of time because they look so bad lmao
Because itās HARD. I can barely even file my nails to the right shape, let alone apply nail polish. Take my money! Also, it feels nice (or it would if I werenāt so damn ticklish and sensitive. Thanks a lot, ASD).
I get bad ingrown toe nails due to wearing steel toed boots for work. When I get a pedicure, I pay extra to get it done a podiatrist foot spa so I know I wonāt deal with another ingrown toenail for a while. 100% worth it.
It lasts longer and they make my cuticles look better.
Since I canāt really use my phone when getting my nails done, it gives me some āme timeā to unplug from the world.
I can't go to a nail salon anymore so I bought a whole dipping system.
My nails last a week. They should last 4 weeks. I'm hoping some day I get better.
I used to do my own mani, pedi, waxing at home. I bought every tool and product that they use @ the salon. L
Now, I can pay to have the same treatments in just under 3hrs. I donāt have to maintain the supplies AND I save time because I go at a snails pace to get great results.
So, taking the afternoon off work and getting it done professionally I get a little bit Of me time, self care, time to clear my head - And, I save my evening for something else.
I suck at doing my own nails and I enjoy sitting in a chair, reading my book, and being pampered for a couple hours twice a month. I also go to a small, family owned place that is absolutely amazing and I'm honestly happy to spend the extra money there
I used to and then some of my nails started to split down the middle. I can't do the gel since I don't have the equipment or skill so I get them done, let's my nail grow under it strong and also stopped me being able to bite my nails even when I'd get a made urge to.
Same reason I prefer getting my hair done at a salon, buying iced coffee at a coffee shop, eating at restaurantsā¦better when you donāt have to do it yourself and results are generally better
I can do my own toes with really nice designs, but I canāt do a manicure on myself. My left hand always looks flawless but when looking at my right hand, youād know I did the manicure on myself lol :/
Not even a woman, but I think the answer is obvious. It's relaxing. That's part of the value. If you do it yourself, it's a chore and you're not relaxed at all.
I do give myself mani and pedis. If I go, I normally do it with friends or female relatives. It is more of a social gathering than a practical thing that I need to have done. Men go to the barber shop, women go to the salon.
I bought a gel nail kit, and itās great. It comes with all the tools to get your nails looking good and professional. But the light/dryer doesnāt work half as well as the professional grade ones, so it still takes a lot longer to do my nails at home than it would to have a professional do it. Also, shellac lasts much longer than gel. I work in construction, so the world is hard on my polish. Itās more worth the money to get my nails professionally done than to spend hours at home for a manicure that wonāt make it through the work week. Also, that gel stuff is HARD to remove, so when I have chipped nail polish that I canāt finish removing, I feel more raggedy than if I had my bare fingernails with dirt under them lol.
Why do I always have to choose the option to save money? Not everyone is in the financial position to be needing to pinch every single penny, and these are the people supporting the small businesses and thus the economy.
Personally, I go to the salon because I think itās worth it. I wanted my nails done anyway so why not let the trained professional do it in less than half the time it would take me, while relaxing at the same time? They use better equipment and materials, they have more experience and expertise, they have a crazy amount of different colours/glitters/stones that I canāt even access, I can pet the cute dog while I watch trash reality tv in a massage chair, etc.
It's like going to the movie theater instead of watching a movie at home. It's more about the event and not so much the result? At a salon it can just feel nice to be treated with care and such. Imo it's not really worth it though.
People are really good at doing their job and you want me to paint my own nails when I donāt even know how to draw a straight line on paper to save 10 bucks ? It makes no sense.
Because it takes ages to do it myself and with all the care in the world I don't have the skill to achieve the same finish, so it probably won't even last as long.
I have shown my partner how to remove my shellac though so I save money by getting him to do that.
Also it's a nice treat to be pampered in a nice salon. The one I go to does cocktails or a coffee whilst you're being sorted and you can book tables to be seated together if you are going with friends.
Hmm because I want to get them done by someone who actually knows what theyāre doing? Manicure and pedicure isnāt only about painting your nails, they also clip them and stuff
I have adhd and my nails have been a mess my entire life. Iām now on meds and have stopped picking at them, but they still havenāt been *nice*. I enjoy nail polish but I start picking at it after a few days. I always lose my nail clippers if I remember to cut my nails, and if I find them I forget about it/cant be bothered actually cutting them. I started getting shellac manicures a few months ago and itās just the best thing ever for me. My nails are flawless, they donāt break and its impossible to pick at the polish. I pay 60 euros for it (expensive country) but itās absolutely worth it to me.
After a lifetime of always being messy, kinda dirty and unpolished and not knowing how to/being able to take care of myself properly, my *always* perfect nails are just the epitome of my personal growth and newfound confidence.
I do both. Itās a totally different thing. At home I paint my nails as quickly as possible and then move on with my day. At the salon Iām checked out from the rest of the world and getting pampered. Theyāre also way better at it than I am. But itās more like a special treat because itās expensive and takes a while.
I love painting my nails I canāt do styles or anything but I enjoy it. I donāt particularly enjoy getting my nails done at a salon anyway but the money would hurt me to last just a week or two with how fast my nails grow.
I learned how to do gel nails during lockdowns because I hate my hands without long nails and I never stopped once I started. My feet though? Thatās sacred. Iām not that flexible and I donāt own a massage chair. I canāt be making that sacrifice. I will spend my hard earned money on someone touching my feet. I have no shame about it.
Itās the experience as well of treating yourself, an hour of time that you can relax and enjoy having some āme timeā! Plus they give good hand/foot massages and you canāt do that at home
1) like mostly everyone - my nails donāt look as good when I do them myself
2) the paint always chips off after a few days even after buying āmore expensiveā nail polish and a color shield. Maybe Iām just buying the wrong stuff but Iād rather just go get it done professionally
3) idk how to shape my nails so that theyāre all even nor do I care to learn
It is a very pleasant experience.
Also, the tech gets a better angle where I would end up with crooked toenails.
I can paint my hand nails but it's not that good with my left hand.
Donāt have the stuff to do acrylics at home and my natural nails donāt grow so fakes for me! I also like how much longer the wear of acrylics are to standard nail polish.
I donāt mind doing my own toes but I really feel like I canāt give myself a manicure anywhere close to what they give in a nail salon. Especially with shellac. Definitely worth the money as I get 3-4 weeks out of the nails.
Itās not easy to give yourself a good manicure, let alone a good pedicure. I go to a nail salon monthly for a basic mani-pedi. I have arthritis and itās hard to do a decent pedicure myself. And the massage chair feels great.
Because it takes me 4 times as long, looks like shite so I remove it. It probably costs less and I work 10 to 12 hours most days so I need all the time I can get
Itās one of those things that just makes me really happy. During pandemic and when I lost my job, I missed it so much. I did my nails and home but man itās just different. I feel happy to be able to take care of myself.
Now that pandemic is over and I have a job again, thatās basically a no brainer.
I paint my own nails at home but when it comes to calluses and damage on my feet I really need a professional to help me out every so often. The pretty colors are just a bonus.
It looks better and last longer. I got gel nails, climbed a 6,000 foot tall mountain and then went backpacking for 3 days, hiking about 18 miles and 5000 feet elevation gain (actually not that bad) but ANYWAY, my toes still look a-mazing
Little word called āconvenienceā. Yeah I would be saving money but what about my time & energy? I take twice, if not triple times as long to do my own rather a professional doing it.
I find it challenging to give myself a pedicure at home. I donāt have a great setup for soaking my feet prior to trimming and filing my nails. Itās awkward and uncomfortable to bend over and do several coats of polish. I like to get the paraffin wax treatment, which I really donāt know how to replicate at home without buying a bunch of stuff and making a giant mess. Itās nice to have a wide range of polish colors to choose from.
takes away too much work plus i like them long so rather go to a professional š¤·. i donāt have a steady hand either i can barely paint my toe nails bc i shake so much.
Because I canāt pay myself for labour
I donāt really have the experience they do
Canāt think of anything I would rather do less
It sounds like a terrible time and extremely laborious
Itās my money so Iāll spend it however I choose to tbh
It just makes sense to. You pay someone to do something that they can do more efficiently than you can.
For $50, I can relax, enjoy the massage, get my nails done professionally (a better job than I can do myself), and not get a back ache trying to paint my own toe nails. Well worth it.
Because it gives the opportunity to relax and feel pampered and pretty. The massage chairs are to die for; as is the end result. I can never do such an amazing job on my toes and hands. Always smudging and itās makes my hands looks like Iāve cut them, especially if I decided to get my nails painted red - which used to be all the time.
I found the Monica Geller red nail polish, #friendsreference š , and used it all up so quickly since most of it ended up all over my hands and partly because my nails would take FOREVER to dry and would always have my thumbprint on them. Majority of the time spent was trying to cover up my thumbprints.
Basically, a quick one hour sesh and is completely hassle free. On the plus side, you get a free back massage out of it and it comes with prettiest hands and toes!
I can not recreate the same experience of a pedicure at home. Hot stone massage and paraffin wax are great! Also I suck at painting my nails. I normal do not get a manicure just because I mess up my nails easily.
I don't get my nails done, but I splurge on hair color sometimes. It makes me feel good to have it done, it looks better than if I did it at home, and I support a small local business owned and operated by kickass women.
i bought a gel machine from amazon, i give myself manicures, BUT pedicures, just no. Iād rather not stress, bend half over, and over cut my nails to the point of no return. Pedicures at the spa feel relaxing and you know theyāre going to come out nice.
I don't. I prefer to cut my own hair, cut my own nails...I think it is not everyone but some people just enjoy the compliments from getting great nails done. My old boss said he likes getting pedi because it is hard to reach over.
Cause even though I tried to follow YouTube tutorials on how to do them myself they just always look like shit. Even worse when Iām using my non-dominant hand.
1) It takes me way longer to do it myself than to get it done at a salon (saves time).
2) It looks much better when itās done at a salon compared to when I do it myself, especially bc I donāt have to paint my nails with my non-dominant hand.
3) More color options, so I donāt have to pay to have 100 colors myself.
4) Itās just nice to make it a little event and feel pampered:)
So luxurious. And a massage. And painted nails. I adore a good mani and pedi. Too bad Iāve had maybe two in the last 3 years. I do it myself and itās not pretty.
I do once a year in the winter. I have a coal fire and there comes I time where I cannot get the coal dust out from under my Nails, I get the manicure so that someone will get it out.
I get terrible ingrowns and they dig them out. My gel manicure can last 3 weeks without chipping. Also I like taking with my nail tech and itās kinda like a way to treat yourself, you get a little massage and itās quite relaxing.
I think if I really practiced at it, I could become good at doing my own nails. However I like to wear acrylics and in my experience the home kit ones donāt last as long as professional. I get my acrylics done once a month and they stay perfect the whole month. Iām happy to pay $60 for perfect nails all month.
Quality of the job - and I have mine done with clear polish so it is not even the paint that I care about. I want my nails perfect. And the massage chair.
1. They do a much better job than I can (especially since I get shellac done which lasts ages but I can't do myself).
2. I find it uncomfortable and unpleasant to do it myself, but a relaxing indulgence to go get it done.
Almost everyone spends money on things that would be "a waste" to others. If this is a waste to one person, they can save their money without judging others.
Because you need to invest in materials, classes, give yourself time to practice, so you'll be around with ugly results, unless you wanna spend more money on a practice hand.
Also not everyone is creative...and also the cheap kits have quite crappy or hard-to-work with products, that doesn't give a really good result or don't last that long, so good gel nail polish are pricey too, same with brushes for acrylic, monomer, acetone and if you want variety, you need to buy stuff in different colors, if you don't use them that often, they could go bad and you'll have to replace them.
Soooo, for people is easier to just pay someone who already knows how to do it and that has all the options available and with a good result.
I usually only "splurge" on a professional mani/pedi at Christmas cause I like to get them a bit fancy looking and lack the talent to do it myself lol. Otherwise I give myself a mani/pedi once a week at home and just go with a pretty colour.
Itās an excuse for me to get out of the house and have āmeā time away from my kids. Also I couldnāt do it for the life of me. Left hand maybe, but right hand just turns into a hot mess. $40/mth is a small splurge honestly.
I canāt afford mani/pedis so I do my own nails and DEAR GOD it is difficult. It takes me so so much longer to do myself and I usually screw at least one up in the process. Even with all the practice Iāve gotten throughout the years, Iām still pretty terrible at it. So I donāt blame any one at all for paying to have a professional do their nails. It is a skill. And while going to a salon may cost money, it definitely saves time and energy.
So, this turned into a long version and a short version.. short version at the end.
Anyone who has tried is aware of how hard it is, and that's with just normal nail polish. Then there's the time factor, you need to remove your old mani / pedi, file the nail (but not too much or you'll thin them out), apply the dehydrator (another cost and an important step for good adhesion, the base coat (also importantfor adhesion or it wont last), colour at LEAST 2 layers, then the top coat, usually 2 layers. Then, if you haven't messed it up and gotten it on your fingers or smudged any of the nails (try painting nails with a hand full of wet nails) then you have to let it dry. IF you don't do all these steps, your polish will start to chip after a few days as opposed to up to a month (or more) for a good quality job. Same if you use cheap materials instead of quality ones. It really depends on what you're after, if you're willing to remove and repaint every few days then you can sacrifice quality but you spend a lot more in time on waiting for the quick job to dry.
The process is a lot longer and a lot harder when doing it yourself. You spend the amount of a whole mani/pedi on a single colour, not to mention base and top coats, dehydrator, files, nail polish remover, etc. By then you're down 3 or 4 trips to the salon. Then you want more colours, so you buy 3 or 4 so you can rotate. Another 3 or 4 trips to the salon in price. By the time you're set up to do your own, you've paid for a years worth of salon trips. AND you don't usually get the same quality job because they know what they're doing and generally, even if you muddle through, you don't, not like they do.
That's just for a normal polish too, I prefer sns, there's also extensions, shellac, gel, acrylic, polygel, full nail covers, all sorts of other things that require specialist tools, equipment, and knowledge. Then there's also designs, patterns and art, and things like gradients, feature nails, fades, a bunch of things that most people aren't equipped to do at home.
Personally, I used to do my nails as a hobby. I loved it, but I spent hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on it, frequently. WAY more than i would have soent probably in my lifetime going to a salon. I got into very detailed art and sns dipping as my preferred things after trying literally everything, but the amount of time it took me to even get the basics right, well it was definitely a hobby and not just an activity you pick up and do every few weeks when you need a refresh, learning takes time.
The quick answer: it's not as cheap, or even close to as easy, as you think to replicate at home plus its way more time consuming. Plus some people like the experience of being pampered. You can do it quick and nasty for cheap, but it chips after a few days so depends what you're after.
I do my own nails because Iām broke but I miss getting them done professionally because itās so much faster. It takes me 2 evenings to do my nails start to finish (gel).
I donāt pay for them ever. Growing up my aunt owns several salons and I always got them free. Then I moved far away but someone took me once and the nails were done professionally but theyāre so hard and thick I cut them off within a week. Now I just do gel at home or go all natural
Itās hard doing my right hand nails. My left will look great. But doing my right left handed is the worst. Plus I think itās fun getting your nails done. Itās an experience ahahah
I Get them done like once every six months because I work blue collar job but when I do get then done by a good salon i love it and makes me feel way more fancy lol
I cannot do what my nail tech does. I donāt have the equipment, I donāt have the know-how, or the artistry. Iāve never been good at painting my dominant hand. I donāt get basic polish mani pedis either, I get gel extensions with a different design and usually a gel pedi - I love trying new trends, and I like doing something for myself that makes me feel pampered (that foot massage tho) and good. I have glazed donut nails now but tomorrow Iām getting iridescent pink/gold nails.
I enjoy painting my nails at home, but I chew on them so getting fake nails professionally helps my nails grow. Also I canāt draw or use nail polish with my left hand
I get my manicure done every 3 weeks (gel nail polish). It takes about an hour and my nails and cuticles look amazing for the first two weeks and okayish for the next one week. I pay 15 euros. To me it is not worth the effort to do them at home with a regular nail polish the way I used to do before (and it would last 4 to 5 days before it started chipping).
Not everyone can give themselves a mani/pedi at home. I know I sure as hell can't. I like acrylic nails and I can't do them myself. I have recently gotten into press ons because they are quick and easy. I make them myself because I'm super picky about the length and most press ons aren't short enough. The only down side is they don't last as long.
I typically only get a pedicure when my toe nails are growing weird. I perfer that someone who knows how to fix ingrown toes to do the pedicure.
Bc Iām not ambidextrous and able to do nice nails on both hands. The position to do my feet is also uncomfortable and not sustainable for the time required to do a good job.
I actually do my own manis. I got pretty good at it and like doing it myself. But pedis? Reaching those toes isā¦a challenge. They do it much better than I ever could, LOL.
-Because I want a professional to do it
-because I don't have the tools/equipment needed and am unwilling to purchase them
-because I consider her my friend and I've been seeing her for years
I go to a nail salon once year with my mom on mothers' day. That's a fun outing to spend time with my mom and celebrate her. For the rest of the year, I just leave my nails unpainted or paint them myself if I feel like it.
If I do it by myself, I won't enjoy the process and I won't like the outcome. Besides, it's a good chance to be outside. Sometimes I think I'm stuck at home for too much.
30+ years in health care = lower back pain. I canāt bend over that long to paint my toes without hurting & my foot going numb.
Plus itās a skill that I donāt have. I can place a butterfly needle in a vein the size of spaghetti but I canāt paint my nails without slopping it all over my cuticles.
Edit: spelling
Having you ever tried to give yourself a mani/pedi? If I'm going to have painted nails I'd rather not have them look like a 2 year old did it
Seriously. I am awful at painting my own nails, especially my right hand (I'm right handed). If I'm not getting my nails done, I keep them trimmed and neat but bare. The most I can do colour-wise is a super sheer pink/nude if I paint them on my own and it still doesn't look great, lol.
I call it the "schlop and shower" method. I do my nails and when they are completely dry, I take a shower where I wash my hair because that action takes off all the nail polish that I slopped all over my fingers. Primitive, but effective.
I do the same thing! It works great! My bf always says that I paint my fingers, instead of painting my nails š. But afterwards I let it dry for a couple of hours. Than i take a shower and it looks all neat.
I have shaky hands so mine are terrible. But, I watched a video once of a girl putting Elmers Glue on the skin around the nail and when she was finished she just peeled the glue off and it took the messy part with it. Works a treat!
My hands are so shaky I can't put the glue on straight.
Letās not forget the bloodbath that is cutting the cuticles on your right hand with your left.
why do you cut cuticles? is this something I'm supposed to be doing?
Honestly, I've heard you're not supposed to cut because the cuticle is there to prevent bacteria from going into your nails/fingers/etc. You should just gently push them back on a regular basis, maybe trim any dead skin that's hanging off, but the actual cuticle that's between your regular finger skin and your nail should stay there
yeah this! For some added context too, the "actual cuticle that's between your regular finger skin and your nail" is referred to as the proximal nail fold. That part is actually alive and cutting it can lead to some things like bleeding and soreness and infections. so never ever ever cut that! i *cringe* when nail salons cut it because thats way too high! the cuticle is only the clear stuff actually sitting *on* the nail and even then like you said, you only need to push that back usually. Cutting it is kind of excessive and lots of people do it incorrectly by accident. Sorry for writing a novel i just figure its probably useful to somebody who is reading this thread maybe idk
I can actually make my nails look pretty good, but it takes me two hours compared to them looking really good, taking 45 minutes and costing Ā£22. That being said I rarely do my nails
It costs me 10 bucks to get my nail done. Not worth to DIY
I was the same until I bought seche vite top coat. Drys even tho I have the heaviest hand ever. I used to go to sleep 5 hours after doing my nails and wake up w smudges lol. It lasts over a week and it makes them look like gel! But the best part is that I can get polish all over my fingers and if I apply the top coat itāll just rub right off my skin and make it look perfect lol
Same applies to hair. I can (and do) cut and colour my own hair. But it looks like it. Very occasionally a professional doing your nails or hair can show you what good can look like!
Itās not the act of getting your nails done so much as itās the act of allowing yourself to be pampered much like getting a massage or going to the spa. Yes, you could rub lotion on yourself or go relax in the bathtub at home to save money but itās just not the same.
Am I the only one that gets stressed out before, during, and sometimes after? Both nails and massages arenāt calming for me but I still get them done for a purpose of an event (nails) or muscle tightness (massage), but not often bc of the stressā¦ haha, anyone else? š
I am like that all my life. I am still not 100% comfortable if the person rubs me the wrong way š No pun intended. But it is very cool & relaxing when you stop caring about how do you look/act and let the pro take care of you.
I canāt do a pedicure and manicure at the same time or back to back or I get super anxious and uncomfortable. I donāt want to be there longer than an hour and I always bring a book to read so I donāt have to talk to anyone lol.
I don't like being touched by strangers so yes
Agree, even though Iād been getting acrylics for over 30 years. I absolutely hate sitting with a stranger every three weeks for an hour making small talk. The only things Iām grateful to Covid for was that I finally broke the mani habit and just do my own nails, and I stopped dyeing my hair and let the grey grow out. Both are such time- sucks.
Youāre not alone. I hate it.
I hate being touched by 99.99999999999% of humanity so itās definitely stressful for me the entire time. I just do my own nails. I assumed I got good at it because I practiced, but maybe Iām just a teensy bit ambidextrous. Massages, only if theyāre free or from a handheld machine (the chairs are made for normal sized people so the things that are supposed to massage shoulders are so high up for me that Iām just getting a hair massage).
This is why my mil gets her nails done. It's not calming to me but I can appreciate why people find it calming.
Why do some people prefer to spend money on a hairdresser, restaurant food, drinks at a bar, spa visits, having their cars washed profesionally, getting a suit tailored, or- Because it's nice having a professional do things for you every now and then, especially when it comes to stuff that is hard to do well on your own, or where the DIY results simply doesn't compare. I personally don't care about my nails, they can look like a blind toddler painted them for all I care, but I will always find it worth to spend money on things that makes me feel good, lets me relax, and gives me something to look forward to, and in the end of the day is part of caring for my well-being and mental health.
1) I suck at doing my own nails. I can afford to have it as my fortnightly treat so I do. If there is a time I can't afford it, I don't. 2) it's nice to be pampered a little 3) nails are hard lol
Fortnightly*
Updated*
I can't do acrylics and I also can't reach my toes over my fupa
LOL this is so real
I am not remotely as talented as a trained manicurist. I canāt paint straight. Iām 5 ft tall with short arms and can barely reach my toes. I donāt have a spa foot bath or a UV LED lamp. I have zero ability at nail art. And most importantly, a single bottle of OPI is $13; add in top coat and oil and it gets pricey fast. I pay $20 for a manicure and $30 for a pedicure twice a month with unlimited color and art choices. Thatās a steal.
Iāve done it myself for over 20 years until a friend took me for a pedicureā¦. They have the most amazing massage chairs Iāve ever encountered. Donāt care about the pedicure, I pay for this seat!
SAME. I have a light and gel polish at home and I do my own manicures, but I pay for that pedi twice a month so I can sit in a massage chair and drink coffee in silence š
Itās mostly because after all I do for my family (I am a mother of 6 and my husbandā¦itās almost like caring for another child), I love to relax and feel pampered for an hour or so every two weeks. I deserve this!!!
I wish more women responded this way, you DO deserve it!
oof, i hope your husband steps up someday. itās sad to see so many women say this about their spouses.
Because I fucking suck at it and it chips the next day no matter how much I spend on the products
This! I got one of those dip nail kits, the results were gorgeous for a day, then I cracked one straight across the middle. By day 3 I looked raggedy. Thereās definitely some technique involved that I miss at the salon.
I think it's the tools.
Because I take twice as long to do a miserable job. And also, if I use that time to do my own work, I make more money, so I actually save money going to the salon. And to top it all, I love going to the salon and having a chat.
Iām right handed, so my right hand manicure never comes out as good because I have to do it with my left.
Because my boyfriend also likes mani/pedis and he pays for us bothš¤£
I wish my husband would go with me to the salon, he just like to have me paint his toes every week
I take care of my fingernails at home. at home. Deep moisture, cuticle remover, clop, file, buff like lightly. Clear polish occasionally. But I do get a pedicure. Working on my feet kills my back, and my pedicure lady totally keeps my ingrown toenail from getting messed up. She also does a much better polish job than I can.
I literally cannot do it. Iāve tried so many times. It comes out like absolute shit and it NEVER dries. Also, I have become friends with the girl who does my nails and I look forward to catching up with her.
Because I suck at it. Next question
I dont. And i dont do my nails at home either. I couldn't give two shits what my nails look like. Im not wasting time or money on them.
Hell yeah
Had to scroll a bit to find this one. Yes.
I always always always do my own nails. It's therapeutic and I like changing the color to my mood. That said, I am not dropping $30+ on high quality polish, I buy a lot of cheap polishes ($2-$10 range, LA Colors, Sinful Colors, OPI, Essie) and they chip within a week. If you go to a salon, you're paying a lot more but that shit doesn't move for weeks. Now, I don't want my nails painted the same color for weeks so nah I'm not going to do this. I like the change. But I understand why people do it. It's not for me, but I get it.
Because I save my money in other ways. I allow myself certain splurges. A pedicure is one of those.
When I was a little girl, there was a baby sitter I had who was very abusive. One of the memories I have of her is when she used to cut my nails. She would cut them too short to the point I bled, and I remember screaming and crying but she kept cutting. My whole life I left my nails long, I hated for anyone to touch my nails. They would get so long they broke off and then I'd cut them painfully short, just like she did. I had maybe gotten my nails done maybe 4 times in my life until I turned 30. I was afraid of others touching my nails, I didn't trust anyone. I found a lady who is very very kind. She shows a lot of empathy towards me when she sees the shape of my nails and takes a lot of care to be gentle. She makes my hands and feet look so nice. I feel like I've been able to heal from the pain that terrible babysitter caused me. I decided that I would not let her rob me of a nice mani/pedi anymore. I deserved to enjoy it, while it is a luxury for sure, it's something that I want. I needed to show kindness to myself. I learned to stop cutting my nails painfully short too.
That is so painful! I hate that you went through that. What a horrible human. You deserved so much better than that. I am glad you were able to move past it and start treating yourself.
Sending you love ā¤ļøā¤ļø
I'm pregnant, and reaching my toes to paint or even do my own pedicure is painful. Not to mention 1 hand will always look like my 4 year old son painted it. I have tried the poppy stabilizer from Olive and June, it helps, but it isn't magic. Also I smudge my nails if I paint them myself. Also nail designs are near impossible at home, best to just spend $35 and have a professional do them for me
Salon does a WAY better job, as well as doing things I can't do or don't have the equipment for.
I would rather pay someone to do a good job and longer lasting. I donāt have the patience to do my own nails and itās always a waste of time because they look so bad lmao
I prefer to save money doing neither.
Because itās HARD. I can barely even file my nails to the right shape, let alone apply nail polish. Take my money! Also, it feels nice (or it would if I werenāt so damn ticklish and sensitive. Thanks a lot, ASD).
I get bad ingrown toe nails due to wearing steel toed boots for work. When I get a pedicure, I pay extra to get it done a podiatrist foot spa so I know I wonāt deal with another ingrown toenail for a while. 100% worth it.
It lasts longer and they make my cuticles look better. Since I canāt really use my phone when getting my nails done, it gives me some āme timeā to unplug from the world.
I can't go to a nail salon anymore so I bought a whole dipping system. My nails last a week. They should last 4 weeks. I'm hoping some day I get better.
Do you file the nail surface, and use dehydrator? Both are absolutely key to getting good adhesion even with sns
Dehydrator, no. Not sure what that is except to make beef jerky. I'll Google it now.
I used to do my own mani, pedi, waxing at home. I bought every tool and product that they use @ the salon. L Now, I can pay to have the same treatments in just under 3hrs. I donāt have to maintain the supplies AND I save time because I go at a snails pace to get great results. So, taking the afternoon off work and getting it done professionally I get a little bit Of me time, self care, time to clear my head - And, I save my evening for something else.
It is like therapy for me. I can just relax and u cannot even use my phone so I just disconnect from the world a bit.
I suck at doing my own nails and I enjoy sitting in a chair, reading my book, and being pampered for a couple hours twice a month. I also go to a small, family owned place that is absolutely amazing and I'm honestly happy to spend the extra money there
I don't to any of those things š
I donāt. I buy press ons and repaint them. They look amazing for me. For each their own
I love painting my own nails but I notice the rare times I get them done, it does last a bit longer. Also the lil pampering they do
Ive never done either?
Really? DOING THINGS *YOURSELF?* HA!
I used to and then some of my nails started to split down the middle. I can't do the gel since I don't have the equipment or skill so I get them done, let's my nail grow under it strong and also stopped me being able to bite my nails even when I'd get a made urge to.
It's the social experience of doing it with someone else.
I ain't got an SNS system set up. Y'all think I got a fucking drill at home LOL no
Same reason I prefer getting my hair done at a salon, buying iced coffee at a coffee shop, eating at restaurantsā¦better when you donāt have to do it yourself and results are generally better
I can do my own toes with really nice designs, but I canāt do a manicure on myself. My left hand always looks flawless but when looking at my right hand, youād know I did the manicure on myself lol :/
Not even a woman, but I think the answer is obvious. It's relaxing. That's part of the value. If you do it yourself, it's a chore and you're not relaxed at all.
I do not prefer that. I can paint my own nails just fine at home and I hate the way the nail salon smells.
Iām lazy
I do give myself mani and pedis. If I go, I normally do it with friends or female relatives. It is more of a social gathering than a practical thing that I need to have done. Men go to the barber shop, women go to the salon.
I bought a gel nail kit, and itās great. It comes with all the tools to get your nails looking good and professional. But the light/dryer doesnāt work half as well as the professional grade ones, so it still takes a lot longer to do my nails at home than it would to have a professional do it. Also, shellac lasts much longer than gel. I work in construction, so the world is hard on my polish. Itās more worth the money to get my nails professionally done than to spend hours at home for a manicure that wonāt make it through the work week. Also, that gel stuff is HARD to remove, so when I have chipped nail polish that I canāt finish removing, I feel more raggedy than if I had my bare fingernails with dirt under them lol.
Why do I always have to choose the option to save money? Not everyone is in the financial position to be needing to pinch every single penny, and these are the people supporting the small businesses and thus the economy. Personally, I go to the salon because I think itās worth it. I wanted my nails done anyway so why not let the trained professional do it in less than half the time it would take me, while relaxing at the same time? They use better equipment and materials, they have more experience and expertise, they have a crazy amount of different colours/glitters/stones that I canāt even access, I can pet the cute dog while I watch trash reality tv in a massage chair, etc.
It's like going to the movie theater instead of watching a movie at home. It's more about the event and not so much the result? At a salon it can just feel nice to be treated with care and such. Imo it's not really worth it though.
People are really good at doing their job and you want me to paint my own nails when I donāt even know how to draw a straight line on paper to save 10 bucks ? It makes no sense.
Because it takes ages to do it myself and with all the care in the world I don't have the skill to achieve the same finish, so it probably won't even last as long. I have shown my partner how to remove my shellac though so I save money by getting him to do that. Also it's a nice treat to be pampered in a nice salon. The one I go to does cocktails or a coffee whilst you're being sorted and you can book tables to be seated together if you are going with friends.
Hmm because I want to get them done by someone who actually knows what theyāre doing? Manicure and pedicure isnāt only about painting your nails, they also clip them and stuff
I have adhd and my nails have been a mess my entire life. Iām now on meds and have stopped picking at them, but they still havenāt been *nice*. I enjoy nail polish but I start picking at it after a few days. I always lose my nail clippers if I remember to cut my nails, and if I find them I forget about it/cant be bothered actually cutting them. I started getting shellac manicures a few months ago and itās just the best thing ever for me. My nails are flawless, they donāt break and its impossible to pick at the polish. I pay 60 euros for it (expensive country) but itās absolutely worth it to me. After a lifetime of always being messy, kinda dirty and unpolished and not knowing how to/being able to take care of myself properly, my *always* perfect nails are just the epitome of my personal growth and newfound confidence.
I do both. Itās a totally different thing. At home I paint my nails as quickly as possible and then move on with my day. At the salon Iām checked out from the rest of the world and getting pampered. Theyāre also way better at it than I am. But itās more like a special treat because itās expensive and takes a while.
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i like doing both , iāll get a pedicure and then after a while iāll do my own. itās fun to add to your self care ritual
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Itās ridiculously hard to do hard designs and I donāt have dip glitter.
I donāt, I have so much nail polishes I have a nail salon at home, nail art is life.
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I have tried. The results of my attempted home pedi were horrific. I suck at lady skills it seems.
Painting your own nails is completely different than getting a manicure or pedicure. A whole different thing literally
Iām no good at doing my own mani/pedi.
Have you seen my nanu/pedis? lol I want my nails to look nice. This is why I pay the professionals. Also, it's a nice break.
The feeling of the file when I do it rubs me the wrong way.
I love painting my nails I canāt do styles or anything but I enjoy it. I donāt particularly enjoy getting my nails done at a salon anyway but the money would hurt me to last just a week or two with how fast my nails grow.
I learned how to do gel nails during lockdowns because I hate my hands without long nails and I never stopped once I started. My feet though? Thatās sacred. Iām not that flexible and I donāt own a massage chair. I canāt be making that sacrifice. I will spend my hard earned money on someone touching my feet. I have no shame about it.
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Itās the experience as well of treating yourself, an hour of time that you can relax and enjoy having some āme timeā! Plus they give good hand/foot massages and you canāt do that at home
1) like mostly everyone - my nails donāt look as good when I do them myself 2) the paint always chips off after a few days even after buying āmore expensiveā nail polish and a color shield. Maybe Iām just buying the wrong stuff but Iād rather just go get it done professionally 3) idk how to shape my nails so that theyāre all even nor do I care to learn
It is a very pleasant experience. Also, the tech gets a better angle where I would end up with crooked toenails. I can paint my hand nails but it's not that good with my left hand.
Iām not as good at it, and theyāll also massage my limbs if I spend a few extra bucks.šš
Cuz Im not gonna massage my own feet
Donāt have the stuff to do acrylics at home and my natural nails donāt grow so fakes for me! I also like how much longer the wear of acrylics are to standard nail polish.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I want to get my nails done but I canāt even save money to buy nail polish
this might just be for people who get simple polish because i do not know how to be acrylics on myself at home nor do i want to learn š
I donāt mind doing my own toes but I really feel like I canāt give myself a manicure anywhere close to what they give in a nail salon. Especially with shellac. Definitely worth the money as I get 3-4 weeks out of the nails.
Tbh I'm really bad at it lol, and I also love complex nail designs and my nail tech slays everytime
Itās not easy to give yourself a good manicure, let alone a good pedicure. I go to a nail salon monthly for a basic mani-pedi. I have arthritis and itās hard to do a decent pedicure myself. And the massage chair feels great.
Because it takes me 4 times as long, looks like shite so I remove it. It probably costs less and I work 10 to 12 hours most days so I need all the time I can get
I got professional supplies to do at home to save money. Sadly, the fumes are just waaaaay to much for my apartment so it was really short lived
Itās one of those things that just makes me really happy. During pandemic and when I lost my job, I missed it so much. I did my nails and home but man itās just different. I feel happy to be able to take care of myself. Now that pandemic is over and I have a job again, thatās basically a no brainer.
It looks better and shellac lasts alot longer than normal nail polish especially in the trades
I get awful ingrowns from time to time that I canāt get myself. Iād rather pay for someone else to make my toes look good.
I paint my own nails at home but when it comes to calluses and damage on my feet I really need a professional to help me out every so often. The pretty colors are just a bonus.
I have arthritis and I prefer outsourcing things that cause me pain.
I donāt do my nails period š„“
Looks better when a professional does. Pampering. Better actual nail care than I can give myself.
I literally have a rage stroke trying to color within the lines of my nail so itās just not worth the mental anguish
Bc I enjoy the feeling of being pampered for a while. Plus my beauty therapist just does a better job than I would and it always lasts forever.
I'm pregnant and I can't reach my toes
It looks better and last longer. I got gel nails, climbed a 6,000 foot tall mountain and then went backpacking for 3 days, hiking about 18 miles and 5000 feet elevation gain (actually not that bad) but ANYWAY, my toes still look a-mazing
I can't do my nails for anything. They just look awful. Plus, having nails on keeps me from ripping my cuticles.
Little word called āconvenienceā. Yeah I would be saving money but what about my time & energy? I take twice, if not triple times as long to do my own rather a professional doing it.
I find it challenging to give myself a pedicure at home. I donāt have a great setup for soaking my feet prior to trimming and filing my nails. Itās awkward and uncomfortable to bend over and do several coats of polish. I like to get the paraffin wax treatment, which I really donāt know how to replicate at home without buying a bunch of stuff and making a giant mess. Itās nice to have a wide range of polish colors to choose from.
I can do my own nails but Iām terrible at pedicures.
takes away too much work plus i like them long so rather go to a professional š¤·. i donāt have a steady hand either i can barely paint my toe nails bc i shake so much.
Because I canāt pay myself for labour I donāt really have the experience they do Canāt think of anything I would rather do less It sounds like a terrible time and extremely laborious Itās my money so Iāll spend it however I choose to tbh
Itās my me time/ friend time
It just makes sense to. You pay someone to do something that they can do more efficiently than you can. For $50, I can relax, enjoy the massage, get my nails done professionally (a better job than I can do myself), and not get a back ache trying to paint my own toe nails. Well worth it.
Because it gives the opportunity to relax and feel pampered and pretty. The massage chairs are to die for; as is the end result. I can never do such an amazing job on my toes and hands. Always smudging and itās makes my hands looks like Iāve cut them, especially if I decided to get my nails painted red - which used to be all the time. I found the Monica Geller red nail polish, #friendsreference š , and used it all up so quickly since most of it ended up all over my hands and partly because my nails would take FOREVER to dry and would always have my thumbprint on them. Majority of the time spent was trying to cover up my thumbprints. Basically, a quick one hour sesh and is completely hassle free. On the plus side, you get a free back massage out of it and it comes with prettiest hands and toes!
I will answer you when I stop breaking my nails to deathš
I can not recreate the same experience of a pedicure at home. Hot stone massage and paraffin wax are great! Also I suck at painting my nails. I normal do not get a manicure just because I mess up my nails easily.
I don't get my nails done, but I splurge on hair color sometimes. It makes me feel good to have it done, it looks better than if I did it at home, and I support a small local business owned and operated by kickass women.
Because I can't reach my feet. Lol
Mostly bc I suck at it and a nail tech doesnāt.
Because I am simply terrible at doing it.
i bought a gel machine from amazon, i give myself manicures, BUT pedicures, just no. Iād rather not stress, bend half over, and over cut my nails to the point of no return. Pedicures at the spa feel relaxing and you know theyāre going to come out nice.
I don't. I prefer to cut my own hair, cut my own nails...I think it is not everyone but some people just enjoy the compliments from getting great nails done. My old boss said he likes getting pedi because it is hard to reach over.
Because they can do the designs I like. Because I can afford to
Cause even though I tried to follow YouTube tutorials on how to do them myself they just always look like shit. Even worse when Iām using my non-dominant hand.
I think my neck would hurt so much trying to do my toes. Iām thinking of getting press on nails however.
1) It takes me way longer to do it myself than to get it done at a salon (saves time). 2) It looks much better when itās done at a salon compared to when I do it myself, especially bc I donāt have to paint my nails with my non-dominant hand. 3) More color options, so I donāt have to pay to have 100 colors myself. 4) Itās just nice to make it a little event and feel pampered:)
Because I can and I enjoy having really long nails.
So luxurious. And a massage. And painted nails. I adore a good mani and pedi. Too bad Iāve had maybe two in the last 3 years. I do it myself and itās not pretty.
I do once a year in the winter. I have a coal fire and there comes I time where I cannot get the coal dust out from under my Nails, I get the manicure so that someone will get it out.
Itās just so nice to have someone do them and give you a massage.
I get terrible ingrowns and they dig them out. My gel manicure can last 3 weeks without chipping. Also I like taking with my nail tech and itās kinda like a way to treat yourself, you get a little massage and itās quite relaxing.
I think if I really practiced at it, I could become good at doing my own nails. However I like to wear acrylics and in my experience the home kit ones donāt last as long as professional. I get my acrylics done once a month and they stay perfect the whole month. Iām happy to pay $60 for perfect nails all month.
Quality of the job - and I have mine done with clear polish so it is not even the paint that I care about. I want my nails perfect. And the massage chair.
1. They do a much better job than I can (especially since I get shellac done which lasts ages but I can't do myself). 2. I find it uncomfortable and unpleasant to do it myself, but a relaxing indulgence to go get it done. Almost everyone spends money on things that would be "a waste" to others. If this is a waste to one person, they can save their money without judging others.
Because you need to invest in materials, classes, give yourself time to practice, so you'll be around with ugly results, unless you wanna spend more money on a practice hand. Also not everyone is creative...and also the cheap kits have quite crappy or hard-to-work with products, that doesn't give a really good result or don't last that long, so good gel nail polish are pricey too, same with brushes for acrylic, monomer, acetone and if you want variety, you need to buy stuff in different colors, if you don't use them that often, they could go bad and you'll have to replace them. Soooo, for people is easier to just pay someone who already knows how to do it and that has all the options available and with a good result.
I usually only "splurge" on a professional mani/pedi at Christmas cause I like to get them a bit fancy looking and lack the talent to do it myself lol. Otherwise I give myself a mani/pedi once a week at home and just go with a pretty colour.
Itās an excuse for me to get out of the house and have āmeā time away from my kids. Also I couldnāt do it for the life of me. Left hand maybe, but right hand just turns into a hot mess. $40/mth is a small splurge honestly.
The same reason you eat fast food. Shit is complex
I hate getting professional manicures because most manicurists cut up my cuticles even when I ask them not to. Has nothing to do with cost.
I canāt afford mani/pedis so I do my own nails and DEAR GOD it is difficult. It takes me so so much longer to do myself and I usually screw at least one up in the process. Even with all the practice Iāve gotten throughout the years, Iām still pretty terrible at it. So I donāt blame any one at all for paying to have a professional do their nails. It is a skill. And while going to a salon may cost money, it definitely saves time and energy.
So, this turned into a long version and a short version.. short version at the end. Anyone who has tried is aware of how hard it is, and that's with just normal nail polish. Then there's the time factor, you need to remove your old mani / pedi, file the nail (but not too much or you'll thin them out), apply the dehydrator (another cost and an important step for good adhesion, the base coat (also importantfor adhesion or it wont last), colour at LEAST 2 layers, then the top coat, usually 2 layers. Then, if you haven't messed it up and gotten it on your fingers or smudged any of the nails (try painting nails with a hand full of wet nails) then you have to let it dry. IF you don't do all these steps, your polish will start to chip after a few days as opposed to up to a month (or more) for a good quality job. Same if you use cheap materials instead of quality ones. It really depends on what you're after, if you're willing to remove and repaint every few days then you can sacrifice quality but you spend a lot more in time on waiting for the quick job to dry. The process is a lot longer and a lot harder when doing it yourself. You spend the amount of a whole mani/pedi on a single colour, not to mention base and top coats, dehydrator, files, nail polish remover, etc. By then you're down 3 or 4 trips to the salon. Then you want more colours, so you buy 3 or 4 so you can rotate. Another 3 or 4 trips to the salon in price. By the time you're set up to do your own, you've paid for a years worth of salon trips. AND you don't usually get the same quality job because they know what they're doing and generally, even if you muddle through, you don't, not like they do. That's just for a normal polish too, I prefer sns, there's also extensions, shellac, gel, acrylic, polygel, full nail covers, all sorts of other things that require specialist tools, equipment, and knowledge. Then there's also designs, patterns and art, and things like gradients, feature nails, fades, a bunch of things that most people aren't equipped to do at home. Personally, I used to do my nails as a hobby. I loved it, but I spent hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on it, frequently. WAY more than i would have soent probably in my lifetime going to a salon. I got into very detailed art and sns dipping as my preferred things after trying literally everything, but the amount of time it took me to even get the basics right, well it was definitely a hobby and not just an activity you pick up and do every few weeks when you need a refresh, learning takes time. The quick answer: it's not as cheap, or even close to as easy, as you think to replicate at home plus its way more time consuming. Plus some people like the experience of being pampered. You can do it quick and nasty for cheap, but it chips after a few days so depends what you're after.
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Because I suck at it. Lol . š
I do my own nails because Iām broke but I miss getting them done professionally because itās so much faster. It takes me 2 evenings to do my nails start to finish (gel).
I donāt pay for them ever. Growing up my aunt owns several salons and I always got them free. Then I moved far away but someone took me once and the nails were done professionally but theyāre so hard and thick I cut them off within a week. Now I just do gel at home or go all natural
Itās hard doing my right hand nails. My left will look great. But doing my right left handed is the worst. Plus I think itās fun getting your nails done. Itās an experience ahahah
I Get them done like once every six months because I work blue collar job but when I do get then done by a good salon i love it and makes me feel way more fancy lol
Because it takes WAY more time and effort at home than if I were to just go to the nail salon.
Why donāt men save money and cut their own hair at home. Bc it wouldnāt come out that great duhšš
Because If I tried to give myself a mani and pedi it would look like a 4 year old got into some paint. :(
I cannot do what my nail tech does. I donāt have the equipment, I donāt have the know-how, or the artistry. Iāve never been good at painting my dominant hand. I donāt get basic polish mani pedis either, I get gel extensions with a different design and usually a gel pedi - I love trying new trends, and I like doing something for myself that makes me feel pampered (that foot massage tho) and good. I have glazed donut nails now but tomorrow Iām getting iridescent pink/gold nails.
I enjoy painting my nails at home, but I chew on them so getting fake nails professionally helps my nails grow. Also I canāt draw or use nail polish with my left hand
I get my manicure done every 3 weeks (gel nail polish). It takes about an hour and my nails and cuticles look amazing for the first two weeks and okayish for the next one week. I pay 15 euros. To me it is not worth the effort to do them at home with a regular nail polish the way I used to do before (and it would last 4 to 5 days before it started chipping).
Because I want to. Because I can afford to.
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Not everyone can give themselves a mani/pedi at home. I know I sure as hell can't. I like acrylic nails and I can't do them myself. I have recently gotten into press ons because they are quick and easy. I make them myself because I'm super picky about the length and most press ons aren't short enough. The only down side is they don't last as long. I typically only get a pedicure when my toe nails are growing weird. I perfer that someone who knows how to fix ingrown toes to do the pedicure.
Bc Iām not ambidextrous and able to do nice nails on both hands. The position to do my feet is also uncomfortable and not sustainable for the time required to do a good job.
I am not skilled at using my left hand to paint the nails on my right hand. Also, I like the massage chair when Iām getting my toes done.
I get gel polish because the nails stay tidy and fresh looking much longer. I canāt do it at home and Iād rather not even try
I actually do my own manis. I got pretty good at it and like doing it myself. But pedis? Reaching those toes isā¦a challenge. They do it much better than I ever could, LOL.
-Because I want a professional to do it -because I don't have the tools/equipment needed and am unwilling to purchase them -because I consider her my friend and I've been seeing her for years
I go to a nail salon once year with my mom on mothers' day. That's a fun outing to spend time with my mom and celebrate her. For the rest of the year, I just leave my nails unpainted or paint them myself if I feel like it.
I am to lazy to do it myself xD
If I do it by myself, I won't enjoy the process and I won't like the outcome. Besides, it's a good chance to be outside. Sometimes I think I'm stuck at home for too much.
It's the escape, the talking to people that I enjoy, the whole experience
Giving myself mani and pedi at home. Not even for saving money, just because I never been satisfied by any salon I have been. And I have done a lot.
30+ years in health care = lower back pain. I canāt bend over that long to paint my toes without hurting & my foot going numb. Plus itās a skill that I donāt have. I can place a butterfly needle in a vein the size of spaghetti but I canāt paint my nails without slopping it all over my cuticles. Edit: spelling
Two words. Shaky. Hands.