7 Polite Gestures Manicurists Actually Hate

During the manicure, the manicurist will move and rotate your fingers, and perhaps if you have been going to the salon for several years, you will be tempted to help her and move your fingers in advance. Do not do this – as manicurist Karina Medrano explains, such movements in 99.99% of cases only interfere with your work.

Correct: “Relax and wait for guidance. Don’t try to guess how to act, we will tell you ourselves. If you really want to be polite, turn down the music on your headphones so you don’t miss our request,” Karina says.

During a manicure, you’re literally face-to-face with another person, and it’s kind of pressure—it starts to feel like you’re obligated to communicate with them. But, Medrano says, don’t worry about talking points: They’re not necessary, and a conversation that both the client and the therapist don’t actually want to engage in will only be boring.

Rightly so: “Just say that you prefer to remain silent during a manicure, because making the process pleasant is our job. Believe me, if a master likes to chat, there will definitely be a client with whom he can share this pleasure, and there is no need to force yourself to keep the conversation going,” says Medrano.

There are not only a lot of nail polish colors, but also not many: we always choose from dozens of options. It is easy to make a mistake in such a situation: as soon as the artist starts painting your nails, you may realize that the red you asked for is “too orange” or simply too bright for you.

According to Karina, many clients do not immediately say that they do not like the varnish – they give it a second chance and hope that the second layer will change everything. As a result, either you have to redo all the work when 10 fingers are painted, or the girl leaves the salon dissatisfied.

Correctly: “Say right away that you have doubts, we will try to help you. No master wants you to grimace for two weeks looking at the results of his work,” explains Karina.

According to manicurist Braelynn Frank, some clients think they’re doing the technician a favor and saving time by removing the gel polish themselves — especially if it was applied at another salon. But doing so is a bad idea: You can damage your nails, which can take a lot of time to restore.

Rightly so: “We are willing to remove the coating. If you consider your case to be ‘serious’ for any reason, just let us know when you make your appointment so that extra time can be built into your schedule,” Frank says.

“Customers think that this is a gesture of trust towards a professional. But in fact, you leave us perplexed – we are not telepaths and we do not know what you like and what you do not like, or what result you expect. Even in the case of regular visitors, these instructions do not work well – after all, a person does not always want the same thing,” says Medrano.

Correctly: “Describe roughly what you want or don’t like about your nails at the moment. We will explain the possible options to you and decide together which one to choose,” advises Karina.

If you prefer regular varnish, you know how long it takes to dry. Any unnecessary movement – moving a bag or trying to remove a wallet from it can damage the coating – and not only you, but also your master does not want it.

Correct: “No professional wants to see scratches on their nails a minute after they’re done working on them. Don’t hesitate to ask for help—we’re happy to help you unzip your purse or take it somewhere else,” says Brelynn.

Read also: ‘We Hate Them’: Manicurists Explain What Nail Art They Don’t Like to Do

Arriving early may seem like a polite gesture, but manicurists only hinder such acts. “Seeing a client waiting for us, we involuntarily start to rush and get nervous, which can ultimately lead to mistakes that will take time to correct,” Frank says.

How to do it right: “Arrive 5-10 minutes before your appointment – ​​we really appreciate that,” advises Brelynn.

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