Is this normal for a shellac nail varnish removal?

[Drizzledrozzle]

Went into a nail bar to get old shellac removed.

The man soaked my nails in a big tupperware full of some chemical, presumably acetate.

He then checked if the colour was ready to come off by scraping my nails with his own long index finger nail. He scraped off about a quarter from each finger, then soaked me again. Then scraped with his claw again. Repeat twice more.

Then sanded down my finger nails with the little spinny machine.

Then told me to wash my hands, took my money then I was done!

No foil wraps for fingers, no oil painted on after, no cream rubbed into my hand.

It was only £5 but I wasn't offered a deluxe version which didn't involve him scraping at me repeatedly with his own long finger nail.

Is this normal anywhere or did i get unlucky? I'm not grossed or easily but this was v weird. Obv I just sat there semi smirking with oddness and semi cringing. I was starting a new job the next day and couldn't go anywhere else in time to get nails sorted. My nails are still thin and weak where he sanded them down lots too, nearly 3 months later.

Should I sue?

that last bit was a joke

Every time I've had it removed, they file the surface (to remove the shine) with a manual emery board. Then soak cotton wool in acetone and put that on the nail, then wrap them in tin foil and leave for 10 mins. Normally after that the polish just slides off. Sometimes the odd bit needs a bit more soaking.

I have never had anyone come near me with one of those spinny mechanical files 😱

What about a man's long finger nail scraping the first 90% off then the spinny machine finishing it off for you? Weird right?

Your way is how it's always been before for me

It’s not professional or the proper way for it to be done but not totally abnormal, have seen it done this way umpteen times. And for £5 you’re not likely to get much better.

Don’t think I’d fancy that at all OP! And leaves serious hygiene questions...

Spinning machine, yes. Scraping with finger? Nnnnnooooo. Scraping with metal instrument, yes.

You get what you pay for!

I would be leaving an awful review, simply to warn others not to waste their cash.

Mine are removed almost the same way as sakuramiyagi except mine get gently heated before the wraps are taken off and costs £3

The cheap places near me do it, they pour the acetone back into the bottle afterwards too and destroy already thin nails with the spinny thing.
Shellac re-hardens when the air hits it which is why they are individually wrapped and scrapped/filed.
It’s just a cheap lazy way of doing it.

It's how the horrible, cheapie nail shops do it and it it horrendous Professional beauticians will usually only charge £5 - £10 for a removal including foil wraps and buffing away any remaining shellac.

I'm a gel nail tech. Whilst his technique sounds gross, it is a basic removal and the e-file, although perfectly safe when used correctly, sounds like it has been over used. It should never be used on the natural nail plate. So he's gone too far. You could try to sue, but these nss salons (Google it, I'm sure it's one) usually aren't insured. The UK is one of the least regulated countries for nail technicians and beauty therapists. Any credible beautician or nail tech will be happy to show you proof of qualification and insurance. PS always best to go back to the place you've had it done, especially if it was Shellac the brand as their removal is the easiest and tries no filing. Any questions please just ask.

If you want to look after your nails then I would go to a beautician. I used to get my nails done in one of these nail shops where they use the drill to take it off and it fucks your nails- I would avoid now.

Bit strange your nails haven’t grown out after 3 months. Even if he did damage them, they should be back to normal by now. Have you continued to have shellac. Or did you give them a rest.
And yes I think it’s probably normal. Not that nice, but not unheard of.
My local guy has creepy long nails and uses them! It freaks me out. But he’s really good and cheap.

I buy my own acetone and remove my own and that’s the method I use!!

Mine are very lightly filed first, then soaked in acetone (warmed over a bowl of hot water) then scraped lightly with a scraper if need be, followed by filing, if need be. Decent salons don't use electric sanders (or so the two good salons I alternate between tell me), but file off residue manually.

we use a file to remove the top layer, then pads soaked with acetone and wrapped in foil and left to soak for a bit. its then removed with a scraper and any stubborn bits may need a file, if really stubborn its rewrapped to soak some more. we then offer a top coat of gel polish and a coat if nail/cuticle oil if the client wants it. we charge £5, and thats including acrylic soak off too not just a polish soak off.
i tend to find its the chinese ones and the ones where its like a conveyor belt that do it your way

I do my own Shellac removal at home with foil and cotton pads soaked in nail polish remover. Provided you buff the surface of the polish first and leave your nails wrapped up for 10 mins or so, the polish should virtually all come away by itself with no harsh scraping.

I find salons are often impatient, so they try to speed things along by not letting your nails stay wrapped up long enough, and then going to town with scraping off the polish

I pull my own off after 3 weeks.

Well, now you know which salon to never go back to!

Nails are made of lots of layers of keratin. Some people have many layers (lucky dogs)and some have fewer (me). Any buffing will remove layers unless done very, very carefully and the Dremel-type machine can be quite difficult to control, even if the operator cares to. Too much can give the dreaded "ring of fire", a thin pink line around the cuticle.

Nail grow an average of about 3mm a month so it'll be a while yet, depending on the length of your nails, before all the damage is grown out. For now, if you can't use a gel because of work all you can do is baby them by using rich hand moisturiser or cuticle oil. You can buy brands like OPI, Solar or Nail Envy, but plain jojoba oil will do the trick. Or buy a few nail oil pens like this one or this one and keep one everywhere you usually sit down for a few minutes, then get into the habit of using them.

If you want to remove your own in future you can buy artificial nail remover from high street chemists or plain acetone from eBay. Get a nail buffer block too for the left-over bits too, but don't over use it.

No- you went to a cheap nail, bar- possibly illegal workers or modern slaves.

They should never use a machine. File lightly- soak, scrape with metal tool, buff, oil.

I remove my own, it's really easy and much better than having to find a nail bar. I get a bit of cotton wool with some remover, put foil round them, wait 5 minutes then scrape it off with the metal remover (which was about £2 in boots).

Much more convenient as I can do it of an evening at home.

I don’t understand why people go to these dodgy nail bars? Our local one is always full!

The correct removal in Shellac is on youtube hosted by the daughter of the founder of CND.

It's 100% soak off. No scraping. You only use the orange stick to flick the shellac off you never actually scrape a nail with it because that causes damage.

The new shellac soaks off much quicker than the old.

I know Fluffycloudland77 is a nail epxert, but I'd also like to echo her - I've only ever had proper soak off (not in a tub of acetone either) for my Shellac - I'm suprisied at how many have their nails buffed as part of the process (other than once it's off and having a more normal manicure experience).

I avoid those nail bars like the plague and only go to proper beauticians. Mine charges £20 for Shellac off and on, £30 for fingers and toes - very reasonable.