The constant upselling at this salon is aggravating- if I go in for a manicure only, I need a "fill in", meanwhile they filled my nails less than a week ago, or I need "a massagee, you try", or "what color gel you want ". I don't want gel color. No one who cares about their health would ever get a color gel.
http://www.skincancer.org/media-and-press/press-release-2013/nail-lampshttp://www.teenvogue.com/story/gel-manicures
http://www.webmd.com/beauty/nails/gel-manicure-safety
https://alphaskincare.wordpress.com/2015/03/25/why-i-gave-up-using-gel-nail-polish/
Don't even ask for a polish change, no, you need a manicure (manicure was 3 days before, had to change color, funeral). If I need a manicure after 3 days, you did not do your job correctly.
If you ask for a basic pedicure, you are constantly being upsold, "try this one, more massaggee, you need callous remover, oh, foot so rough".
Making an appointment does not guarantee they will get to you at that time- they will take walk-ins before you. Even though you made an appointment and told them you had to get back to work in a certain time frame.
I had an appt 2 days before my wedding, had given Leah, the head honcho there,photos fm my Pinterest page 4 months previously as we tried to see if they could replicate, she took photos, said it was easy. It was an American manicure. Simple, easy, basic. When I got 2 Chester Nails, Leah insisted upon using gels (they can charge more), told me it wouldn't work with regular polish. What? Essie marshmallow for white, Essie worth the wait, then top coat. I brought polish with me. Leah said she never heard of the colors, they must be so old. Essie 2015 bridal nails, I got married early 2016.
I wound up w/the ugliest nails ever for my wedding, Leah would not even make the white part of my nails white with the gel she insisted upon, so my nails were a thin line of white, a thick line of gray-ish dirty looking nail as opposed to the ludicrously white gel, then not the natural color I wanted. Tri-color nails? I was so embarrassed, wish I had time to go to a real nail salon to fix it.
I had paid for my girlfriend and her girls who were in wedding party to get their nails manicured, and for Chester Nails to glue on the starfish nail art I bought.(Got to love it, I pay for nail art, they charge $3 to put some glue on and stick it on a child's finger). First Leah tried to tell me one of my best friends had called and wanted an upgrade, wanted gel nails with extensions and pedicures for all. Texted gf, she said absolutely not. I asked for my nail art back, Leah then tried to tell me that none of my 50 pieces of nail art (starfish, shells, mermaids, my wedding theme) were left, said my gf took them, then kids knocked them on floor. When I started texting gf, Leah suddenly found them, gave them back to me. She told me "we make lot of $, don't need your nail bling". Don't need it, so why didn't you give it back to me when I asked?
I've been getting the gel version of acrylics for years, they call it pink and white, it's the only way I can keep polish on. Recently I've read a great deal about the possible carcinogenic effects of the ingredients, decided to take them off, I knew I would have to cut my nails super short because they would be weak, breaking and peeling from the removal process. Went to the place I've been going to for years, Chester Nails, only because hours are convenient for me, but they did not want to take off the gel coating they put on, Leah, who runs the place, keeps telling me "just keep it on, if take off, must put on color gel". I explained to her I wanted to go back to my natural nails. She told me "I'll be sorry".
Yeah, I'm sorry. Sorry I ever put the gel on my nails, sorry I went to this salon. Instead of dissolving the gel in acetone, they ground off the gel, along with several layers of my natural nail. What was left when they were done was thinner than paper, and it hurt. The women who ground it off left patches of gel on my nails. I now have pink and white blotches on my uber-thin nails from their removal technique. Dermatologist said they should have removed them properly, with acetone (which he said is not great to have on your hands either). So now, I just have to wait for them to grow back, and go see dermo again if there is not any improvement, or my nails continue to hurt.
When I first had Chester Nails remove my gels, with their harsh tools (seriously, they take a small dremel-like device to your nails), what they left me with was nails so weak and peeling, they were shorter than my nail bed. And I have to keep cutting and filing as layers of my nail lifted off. Thank god my nails grow quickly, they keep hitting the ends of my fingertips, I keep cutting. And I will till all of the nail they damaged is gone.
Run, don't walk. read more