Would you pay more than you already do to get your nails done?

[RiderofRohan]

Article on the BBC. Sad to hear nail technicians are making so little (£7 an hour). I guess all the profits are going to salons and suppliers? It makes me wonder if being a nail technician is a sustainable career path.

As someone who had got their nails done for the last decade but recently stopped, I just don't see myself going back to regular manicures if the price was to further increase. I was spending £50 every three weeks for a take off and new gel manicure, which lasted an hour each time.

At the end of the day, it's hardly a necessity.

I'm comfortable financially, but the recent COL crisis has highlighted how expensive things can become at the drop of a hat. It seems a lot more sensible to take that money and put it towards savings or the mortgage.

During Covid I taught myself to do my own gels so that they rarely chipped, wasn't really rocket science. Much more likely to go back to this than the salon.

Wondering if others would keep getting their nails done if the price went up.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cld404v6lkeo

I've always done my own nails and have never spent money on salon nails.

I stick to a basic french or coloured manicure, which means I change it as frequently as I wish.

So no, I wouldn't pay more.

I've never paid to have my nails done.

In fact I never 'do' my nails. Just file with an Emory board now and again.

I do my own fingernails, just use regular polish and a cheap nail file to keep them smooth. I do pay how every, 2-3 times a year, mainly in the summer for a pedicure as it’s worth it for the foot scrub/ exfoliation. As I’m getting older it’s harder for me to do a good job on my feet plus it’s nice for that bit of pampering

My nail tech has just put up her prices & I'm more than happy to pay. I love my nails & I have no desire to do them myself. Paying her is worth every penny

I've never paid and never would.

I get my nails done generally for holidays, I see someone who is a one woman tech, so she should be seeing all the revenue (although of course will need to pay rent etc). She's crazy reasonably priced, so yes, I'll continue, but I do my own nails in between.

I go to an independent so happy she is paid enough. She isn't expensive and I would pay more.

I get my nails done two or three times a year by a friend who has her own business.

I am surprised at the news nail technicians are only making 7 pounds an hour.
I have always been concerned by the widespread people trafficking problem in that sector and before I met this friend, tried to choose my salons carefully.

If you are paying £50, your nail tech is probably earning over £7 per hour.

Where I am, people are charging £20 or £25, which I think is way too cheap. I used to run a salon and we charged more then.

I'm in a related industry, but with fewer costs, and if I was to charge £25 I would just about get minimum wage - and that would only be client focused hours, and wouldn't take into account things like costs of insurance and training, or the fact that we don't get holiday or sick pay included, or the fact that being self employed I can't do 35 to 40 client hours per week - I need time to do admin and bookkeeping and cleaning and setting up between clients.

If someone doesn't turn up, I still have to pay for the room. You'd be surprised how many people don't think they should pay anything when they don't turn up, or cancel last minute. When a new client did this to me recently, I was very kind and only asked them to cover my costs - and they still refused to pay.

How rude of them. Are you able to make them pay at least a deposit before the appointment?

I'm surprised people are still paying £25 in some places. Paid this many years ago. Also recently had a pedicure by a trainee beautician at the local college (she was still learning so it wasn't the best job) and that cost me £25 alone.

It’s £28 for me and I’m in the SE. £30 if you need soak-offs.

They’re all Vietnamese and do it in 20 mins.

I'm another girly who's never had her nails done, not even once 🤣

I've always been surprised at how ubiquitous having your nails done is but how expensive. Obviously they need to make a profit so I don't begrudge the nail techs what they charge but when I looked into it 10 years ago I couldn't get over what everyone was paying monthly. I think I earn reasonably but would just really struggle to justify it even though I'd love lovely nails!

I think the prices are kept artificially low because of the number of people working from a spare room in their house.

Just ten miles away, prices are more reasonable.

I do usually take a deposit. On this occasion it was a bit more complicated. Honestly though I feel like maybe I avoided a client I didn't want in my life anyway. They won't be back - I have told them if they book again they'll need to pay the costs plus a 50% deposit towards the session. I'm not going to hear from them again 😁

Surely £7 per hour is well under national minimum wage so the owners are not paying them properly and probably fiddling the system.

These are self employed nail techs.

They are often young women with little experience in finance, and haven't worked out their actual costs (which isn't straightforward). On the face of it £20 per hour seems ok - unless your costs mean you are only getting £7 per hour.

I have mine done every 3 weeks and pay £25, it's been that for 2 years. I'd carry on if it went up say £2.50-5 but not if it got to £50.

I pay £30 .. it’s my friends salon, I pay salon rates (not mates rates), and she’s doing fine

There is a lot of modern slavery that goes on in the Vietnamese salons, some are of these people earn a lot less than £7 an hour.

I've never had my nails done and never would, but there are loads of beauty places in our small town so it's clearly very popular and they seem to make good money off it.

The lady in the article charges £30. I'd pay £40 sure.

I do my own shellac, DD used to do them for me but I started doing them myself, it's cheaper and I'm a bit of a dab hand at it now after a lot of practice.
I usually do a french tip but with a pink tip not white, right now I have a pink glitter tip.
I only get my nails done professionally for holidays, my lash lady does them for me as she has a lot of nice colours.
I can't afford lashes and nails every three weeks so I just get my lashes done.

I pay 30euro for my fingernails to be done every 3 weeks and 50euro for finger and toenails every 6. My little luxury to me in life.

It’s been well known for years that these sorts of industries don’t pay their staff well. Paying more will just mean more money goes in companies pockets

Not many people will pay more anyway, OP. This is mumsnet where not paying your cleaning NLW is a badge of pride.

I’ve had my nails done a handful of times for special occasions, but I can’t fathom people that have them done regularly (partly because of the cost and partly because it’s often really inconvenient having thicker nails that won’t function as normal nails!)

I wouldn’t be paying money on the regular for something as pointless as colours on my nails.

I genuinely don't understand nails. I like to look as good as I can, but have never thought that painted nails made me look better/more polished/put together/attractive etc. So for me it falls into the very minor take it or leave it category of life. If i fancy it i paint them myself old school style. There is no way I'd spend £50 on it, but equally no way I'd want to be part of an industry that exploited women. So I think if it was important I'd have to look for an independent technician, as there would be no guarantee paying more in an exploitative salon would mean the money would be passed to the women anyway.