Nails cost ridiculous?

[Questions124]

I never get my nails done. I found a place right near my house and had a pedicure and manicure. Gel polish. Cost me £84! It’s my real nails no acrylics etc. surely this is too much? I just looked at another salon and it would have cost me £50 for same treatment. Why is this so much? Is this a quality thing such as if I go to the cheaper place will I be able to tell it’s cheaper or does it not matter?

looking at my nails I feel guilty getting them done. Nearly £90 is too much, that’s a weekly shop I could have done.

Just booked for a upcoming holiday and it's £80 for gel with removal. £70 without removal. That's a good rate in zone 2 London, not a fancy place but she does good quality nails. I think the more expensive place you might be paying a nicer salon experience - i just looked and the equivalent in a posher salon near me is £110!

So not too bad if it was a nice salon!

I get acrylics. For a brand new set it's £30 & for an infill it's £20. She charges £20 for gel polish. I go to a really good technician in her own salon so not some cheap nail bar

£35 here for a new set of acrylics, then £25 for infills. £5 off every 6th visit.

Out of interest I just had a look at other salons in this area and theyre all £20/£30

I’ve always liked having my nails done but not the cost of it so never really done it. I’ve just started using a diy set called sassy saints. Been on two weeks and still looking good. Haven’t taken off yet so can’t say how easy that’s going to be, but so far I recommend for cheap good looking nails! Can be used on real or fake nails (I used on real).

This is near me, South East.
Gelish Pedicure£24.00
Includes soak, file, buff, cuticle work, exfoliation, foot rasp, foot & leg massage & choice of colour
Gelish Manicure£17.00
Includes soak, file, buff, cuticle work, hand & arm massage & choice of colour

Some nail bars don't pay minimum wage, some have higher overheads like rent.

OP- was there not a price list to check beforehand?

I've never paid more than £35 including BIAB and any nail art added if you want a design in addition to colour.

I'd never pay anywhere near £84, if my local prices went up to that I'd just stop having them done.

Did you not ask the price before they started?!

If it’s a full mani/pedi and not just gel application then I think that’s quite reasonable.

You could get it cheaper yes. In the same way you could get a cheap hair cut or an expensive one

So buy some nail polish and do it at home.

And yes lesson learnt OP - check the price first

IME cheaper places wont look as nice and last as long - sometimes even the most expensive places are not that good - you would need to try lots of techinicians until you find one you like.

I absolutely cant stand the lady who does the best nails ever (she is rude imho) and tried to replace her but nobody is as good - her prices are in the middle.

I’ve been getting my nails done professionally since forever and way before gel was a thing. Yes nails are expensive and they are a real treat. I like the look and the ‘me / pampering’ time and cant never replicate it at home - plus my nails are not very nice when natural (shape x colour) so it is important to me especially now as my hands look older.

Maybe try to learn and DIY at home or cut expenses somewhere else if you want to keep getting nails done.

a pedicure and manicure. Gel polish. Cost me £84!

So thats £42 per treatment? Probably your foot treatment was more expensive than your hands but why didn't you ask how much before booking (and comparing with elsewhere)? I would never book anything without asking about the price.

My nail tech charges £30 for a gel polish manicure. I pay £35, and that includes builder gel. Then it's a bit extra if you want any nail art rather than just plain colour, like 50p per nail.

That is expensive-I’d always ask roughly how much something was going to be before asking though.

I get my nails (acrylic) done very 3 weeks (£25) and bought a gel lamp and do my own toes.

Depends on the process and the environment. If you have a private little room with mood lighting, whale song and naice tea / coffee it's obviously more. I treat myself to that occasionally but for everyday nails I get gels done at a hair salon.
The woman who dos it rents a little sauce for a desk.and it's £20.
She uses the drill to take off the polish, no soaking or any long winded processes. Which is handy because I'm in and out after work and can get on with my evening.

They've destroyed my nails, I loved the look of them but my nails are like paper now.

Don't use rice to take them off either, I wish I'd never bought them.

Full mani / pedi and gel? That would be £68 at my local place, SE London so it does seem toppy

That seems excessively expensive but they get away with it because people pay it! Did you ask about cost before you had it done, or ask any fire for recovery?
Businesses charge what people will pay

I got fed up paying too much so I bought my own lamp and gel colours and I love them

IME cheaper places wont look as nice and last as long

My nails always look great & although I get an infill every 3 weeks they last longer. I cant see how paying more would improve them at all

It's very normal for "pink" services to first become widespread/normalised, then the prices spike like fuck. Whilst equivalent men's services rise in line with inflation, if that.

My husband can still get his hair cut for a tenner.

It's either way put or ask around for a good service. That would cost you around £25-30 here, but word of mouth would mean I know who to avoid going to.

I get custom press ons. £15 for a set. Send the technician my measurements and the shape I want, and I have a professional set of nails that I can apply myself for less than half the cost

Jesus. My lady charges £25, I have them redone every month with a different design and she takes off any gel left for free.