Every time you take a look at your hands, your nails tell a story – of health, personal style, and hygiene. While some may say that getting your nails done isn’t as important as hair, makeup, clothes, or shoes, it still makes a difference on how you look.
There are many different types of nails such as gel nails, dip powder nails, and the most popular, acrylic nails. There are also a lot of different shapes like square, almond, coffin, sharp, and round. Sizes can vary from extra small to extra large, and some may go longer.
You can also add a wide variety of extra touches to your nails such as: stickers and decals, French tips, ombre nails, and expressive nail art. Though most people get charms/bling and Frenchies on their nails, as a normal set of nails usually lasts up to 2-3 weeks or sometimes a month. However, in order to make them look good you need to get a fill or a new set every month.
Maintaining your nails can vary in price. A simple nail fill can cost anywhere from $30 to $60. Many people will usually just get a brand new set of nails as it’s almost the same amount as a fill.
Prices vary from the size you’re getting, as smaller nails are cheaper than longer nails. The more popular they are, the more money they cost. Basic nails cost you around $40 to $50 and adding crystals, charms, and other designs boost up the price to around $60 to $100.
From the nails I’ve seen around school and the people I’ve talked to, a medium French tip set is around $70, plus tip. I asked a group of girls that freshly got their nails done and had extra long blinged out Frenchies with stickers and they said they were $120 with tip included at Z nails. They also mentioned that home based nail techs are way cheaper than actual nail salons and have better quality and take their time on doing them.
Some tips/advice I would give to keep a lookout for is products, hygiene, reputation, experience, and prices. High quality, non-toxic products are better for your nails and overall health. Make sure the salon is clean and that they sterilize their tools between clients. This is super important to avoid infections. Check out reviews online or ask friends for recommendations, a good reputation means quality service. Look for a nail technician with good experience and some pictures they may have online of their work. Compare prices, but keep in mind that cheaper isn’t always better. In some cases sometimes it’s worth paying a bit more for quality and safety.
From my experience I’ve been doing nails since June 2021 and I love it. I do my own nails as well as my friends and family. I think it’s cheaper to do your own nails and more affordable as not everyone has money to spend on nails. It just takes a lot of practice.
I started doing nails as it really helped with my anxiety. I also love being creative and I like making people feel good about themselves. It’s time consuming, but it’s worth it in the end as you see how the final result turns out.
The reactions I get from people’s faces is what motivates me to keep doing it as they feel good about themselves. I’m just happy as long as I made someone’s day a little better. That’s my accomplishment.
Some tips on doing your own nails or how to start is getting information on TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest. These websites have a lot of inspiration and different tutorials that really help you start off. You can also go to a nail school to get experience and learn how to do the different types of nails. It is pretty pricey and most people just learn at home like I did, but it may help you learn faster. Also it’s very important to have a positive mindset as it does take a long time to get the hang of it but at the end it’s worth every second.
