Common Gel Nail SCAM!

About 6 months ago, I got what I thought to be "gel nails" at a nail salon for a special event. However, I completely got scammed! Gel nails are fairly new to the beauty world and are becoming popular because of their more natural look, feel, and wear.

Many "discount" salons have been taking advantage of the fact that they're new and something many people don't know the specifics (such as the application process) of. Basically what happened to me, and many others, is this:

I went into a discount salon and asked for gel nails. After applying the tips, the nail tech brought out a liquid and a powder and started applying it to the nail by dipping a brush in the liquid first, and then the powder to create a thick consistency. When I mentioned that it looked a lot like the same process being used on my friend's acrylics, the nail tech said it was a "special gel powder". After the nails were done, the nail tech applied a UV topcoat that was cured under a UV light.

What happened is the nail tech applied acrylics to my nails but finished off with a UV topcoat (that made no difference) and called them gels. They also charged me $20 more than what is charged for acrylics at that salon.

Another thing they did is use a drill on my nails. They didn't drill mine as much as usual because I asked them not to, but drilling your nails in order to apply any fake nails is actually completely unnecessary. The drill commonly used is a Dremel and is actually often used with woodworking. It is widely used in "discount salons" because it is cheap and fast. These drills are actually illegal to use on nails in many states. All that is needed (and some say this isn't even needed) when it comes to "drilling down" nails is to lightly run a file over the nails to give them a little texture.

So how do you not get scammed?

-First, get informed. Gel nails are applied just like they sound--with an actual gel. A gel tip may be sculpted or regular plastic tips can be applied. The nail tech will use a gel from a pot on your nails-- if the nail tech starts using a liquid and powder, it is NOT gel. There is no such thing as gel powder.

-Try to avoid "discount salons". If there is a huge language barrier, you may want to be careful. Many times, not all the people working in these salons are licensed. These are often the salons that scam you.

It is said that any damage done to your nails after having fake nails is caused by the nail tech, not the fake nails themselves.

Finding a reputable salon can be hard but is so useful! Even if you do your own nails or generally don't get your nails done, its nice to have a reputable salon in case you have a special event to go to or you just want a change.

I really hope this was helpful and informative!

Thanks for reading!