Are professional manicures/pedicures worth it? Is it something you do regularly?
Pedicures, yes. Manicures, less so. I think with hands, they’re easier to yourself and maintain, but for me, feet are harder!
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(Christine, I think your answer is for the wrong question *g*)
I absolutely think professional mani/pedis are worth it. I get my nails done every two weeks and it’s my treat to myself. My natural nails are weak, they peel and break and chip and when they don’t do those things I bite them anyway, so I have gel enhancements and I use shellac polish so they look as good on day fourteen as they do on day one (except for the grow-out). I’d never be able to do this as well at home. I get pedis less often, usually just in summer unless I have a thing to go to, and I do it mostly because I have awful heel calluses I can’t get rid of but which my nail tech can. It’s an indulgence, but I love how my feet look (and I’m not a fan of feet in general).
Side note – if you do Shellac or other gel polish on a pedicure it will last for literally months. Totally worth it if you don’t want to get a pedi that often, or if you don’t want to change your toenail polish all that often.
I work with my hands so manicures aren’t really for me, but I swear by pedicures. Even though I’m very thorough in my footcare even in winter, a professional just does a more thorough job.
I don’t feel like it’s worth the expense. Between doing a lot with my hands, not showing off my feet all that much, and living on a student budget, I’d rather just do it myself. Plus that way I can do exactly what I want, and I get the relaxation that comes with the ritual (anyone else find it almost zen-like?).
As I get better at painting my nails I don’t worry too much about getting manicures anymore. My toes however, yes! I’m hopeless at doing my toes – not flexible enough!
Absolutely! Specially in our country where they don’t really cost too much 😀 😛
Wasn’t that a different day’s question response, Christine?
Yes they can be worth it. My mother has the worst feet of anyone I know, pedicures for her help to soothe her dry, cracked feet. Manicures are good for her hands in the same way!
Absolutely! My feet feel wonderful after a professional pedicure – even though I use a foot file and foot creams, etc., I can never get my feet as smooth as a professional can (and, let’s face it, it’s really hard to work away on the bottom of your own feet…I’m just not THAT flexible). While I’m not wild about manicures (my nails are really sensitive and I find it a bit uncomfortable), the polish application that a pro does last ages longer than anything I can ever achieve, even though I use the same products.
I don’t think they’re necessary, but I do think they’re worth it. While I can do my nails myself, the experience of having them done is relaxing. Plus they tend to put more effort into the skin, and the color comes out looking nicer (w/o polish on my cuticles, like it would be if I did them)
No, I think it’s way too expensive for what it is. $100 for some soaking, moisturizing, filing and a layer of polish. No thanks.
$100? Where are you going? By me a basic manicure costs anywhere from $10 to $30 depending on how high-end you go.
I would say, “They must live in Australia” but even then, it doesn’t cost $100!
Living in Norway. I actually went to a website to check prices before I posted my comment. I knew it was expensive, but didn’t know exact prices. I went so several different sites now to compare prices, so these are average prices.
Applying polish (solid color) alone is $40! About $50 if you want a french manicure. Gels/acrylics are $150-$200. Gel polish (like shellac) is $70-$80. Repairing broken nails are $30 for ONE nail!
I understand a bottle of nail polish has an average of $20 in Norway, so I can imagine the services would be very expensive.
A mani cost around $50 in the UK. So no… for me it’s too expensive and mani lasts me a few days anyway.
Lol clearly there are price differences across different countries. I live in Canada and there is NO WAY that acrylics or gel would cost $200, nobody would ever pay that much! Here, gel/acrylic nails are about $50.. And a basic manicure is $20ish.. I usually get a shellac mani/pedi and as a package deal I pay $45 🙂
Both are necessary and worth it and a weekly must for me.
It was a my routine procedure for about 10 years… till the moment I realized that I just can do it better than the manicurist 🙂
Oh… I forgot… my mani/pedi last much longer when I made them myself!
I feel the same way- my toes are kind of a pain, and since I work on my feet it’s worth 20-30 bucks to have it done. Manicures, not really at all for me. I do them myself 🙂
Definitely for pedicures! I just can’t paint my toenails myself I’m horrible at it. As for manicures, I’m a reformed nail biter. I need my nails perfectly painted at all times or else I’ll bite them. Since nail polish chips very quickly on me, I’m changing it at least every other day. Therefore, to me, manicures aren’t worth it because I’ll have to take the polish off after a day. Occasionally I will get one to maintain my cuticles though, which I also bite. I have a problem…haha
Same here!!!!
Pedicures are totally worth it. I can NOT get my own toes to look good on my own, but manicures are another story.
I used to have a girl that I went to for manicures religiously, and I trusted her 100%, but she has moved on to only doing skincare and facials now and I have yet to find someone who doesn’t file my nails too short, or a weird shape, so I have gotten really good at doing it myself…
Self pedicures are hopeless though, I just can’t get in there at an angle good enough to make them come out normal lol.
I love pedicures. They are a way I treat myself for working so hard during the week! I definitely think they are “worth it,” but I guess it depends on your budget and level of enjoyment. I even like to bring my own nail polish (because I have so many, and some colors I cannot wear on my nails anymore due to my job). I’m not saying I go every week or anything, but I probably would if I could. Great question Christine! Thanks for working so hard for your fellow make-up addicts. We appreciate you!
Pedi= yes for sure. Mani= depends. If you are just getting nail polish , then no. On me, my hands chip within a day. Also, my nails break very easily. Sorry not paying 15 bucks for you to paint my nails for me. However, I think if you are getting a full set , say gel or something, then yes. The fake nails do not break as easily and the polish lasts longer.
Professional pedicures are always worth it.
Yes. For the last few months, I’ve sworn of mani-pedis to save money (since it’s winter anyway). I miss them. I can do my own nails fine, at least as well as a cheapo-quickie place. But a spa service by a very skilled technician is something else entirely. I miss the surreally perfect look of a fresh mani-pedi.
For me they’re not worth the expense. But since I have no interest in fake nails or services like shellac it seems weird to pay someone to just paint my nails. Plus I like to change my nail color 2-3 times a week so it the costs would really add up.
No!!!! I’d rather spend the money on new nailpolishes or new makeup 🙂
I think they are too expensive where I live. But in the NYC area, you can go to cheap places and both cost around $20-$25 combined. So I try to get it done when I’m visiting my family up there. Manicures are nice but not something I think is worth the expense. I to think regular pedicures are necessary in sandal season. I need one desperately, but it’s winter, so I haven’t had one in a while. I paint my own nails regularly and my nails can look good for 5-7 days when I do them myself. As for a pedicure, as others have said, I can never be as “intense” as a professional and I can’t see what I’m doing very well either.
Pedicures, yes. Assuming you go to a quality salon that does more therapeutic services (I’m not talking about a bubbling foot bath being their sole version of “therapeutic”). Pedicures last longer even with regular nail polish versus manicures so you can go 3-4 weeks unless you are somehow extra harsh with your feet. I can do my own feet…and I have been as of late due to scheduling conflicts but I get a much better pedicure when it is done at the salon by my best friend lol. Plus the salon I go to gives you a bottle of the polish used on you….just in case you need it for repairs. It’s a small bottle (about half the size of a full sized bottle) but it lasts for a long time (honestly, how many of us go through a bottle of polish quickly…even with regular use?)
Manicures I don’t think are worth the expense unless you opt for extra services like Shellack (?) or if you do acrylics. Otherwise, you can do a great job at home on your own. If you get regular polish manicures then you may only get a week of wear.
I agree with most others.
A good pedicure to keep everything in tip top shape is a must. But I think I use my hands so much that it’s hard for me to keep even a professional manicure from chipping.
Plus, painting my nails once or twice per week is my excuse to sit still. It’s the only way I can get myself to stop running around doing a thousand things. The patience necessary to do your nails well, totally my stress reliever. It’s like meditating…while smelling acetone.
I do my own nails and toes. I have good luck with pedicures and can sometimes get at least two weeks out of one polish without retouches.
Huh, I’m the opposite, I’d rather pay for a manicure than a pedicure. I get pedicures about twice a year to get rid of dead skin but am fine maintaining my toes on my own most of the time. But I get my nails done about every three weeks, I think it’s more important to have my nails that I see everyday look perfect than my toes.
I have a different opinion. I get my nails professionally done because I love the look of acrylic nails, French tip to be specific. I tried to get into nail art and do it at home and I bought a kit online and once it arrived I was so disappointed because I cam to the realization that I am not gifted in nails! I tried so many times but I am not good with my left hand so for me it is much easier to do my toenails rather than my nails. How do you feel about acrylics Christine?
I’ve never worn acrylics, sorry!
They’re not really worth it for me. I do Taekwondo 6 days a week, so I’m constantly kicking and punching, and my nails get chipped and break all the time. It lasts a lot longer on my toes, but I can give myself a mani/pedi no problem. I don’t *need* to pay anyone to do it for me.
Over the past few years I’ve gotten much better at giving myself manicures, so I do them myself usually. Occasionally I’ll get them done with friends if I feel like it! However I adore getting professional pedicures. I find it really relaxing, and the results far exceed the longevity of a manicure. I am however interested in shellac/gel nails…just afraid I’d have to keep up with it for years once I get it done? Is that a valid excuse? Haha
Shellac and gel nails aren’t like acrylics of old, you don’t need to keep getting them done, which is great! The downside with both is that you do need to get the gelpolish professionally removed, as you can’t do it yourself very easily.
I have gel nails and use shellac polish, and I do keep it up by going every two weeks. But if I ever wanted to stop, I’d just go and get htem taken off. If you don’t keep them up, you’ll have to get gel nails redone every time you start again–they are the sort of thing that’s easier to maintain than go back and forth with. But shellac polish is easy to remove and lasts a while, and if your natural nails are in decent shape you might not even need gels.
Not regulary for me. I like to change my polish several times per week. I used to go regularly for mani/pedi’s when I worked closer to a salon that did a great job. I’ve actually gotten very good at doing my own pedicures, my feet look almost as good as they did when I went to the salon, due to all of the YouTube videos. I’m really into nail stamping now and get regular compliments on my nails. Mostly due to the designs I’m sure. I actually enjoy doing my own mani/pedi’s, it’s relaxing for me.
No way. It’s too much money for something I can do myself.
I had a professional manicure and pedicure done once, and it was terrible. The woman was really rough and I ended up with an infection. It took me six months to get that nail back to normal.
She also wouldn’t lay off about wanting to pluck my eyebrows.
i agree! my friends and family don’t understand why I don’t like manis… I’ve spent countless hours doing my own nails and frankly unless I’m paying a lot of money, I can do them better myself! Pedi’s however… I can’t get very close to my own feet so someone else can do it!
For me, definitely yes. I’ve been going religiously every 2 weeks for wraps and pedicures for years. My hands are shaky so I can’t do my own nails. My natural nails are very thin and grow with a strange curve, so without wraps they wouldn’t even look normal and I’d never be able to wear polish. I buy my own polish (if I said how many bottles I have I’d be committed, LOL), so I have plenty to choose from and don’t rely on the salon for that. I don’t think I could go back to ever NOT having my nails done, haha!
YES! I can’t do as good a detailed job on my feet as a professional, plus you can’t beat a good foot massage. And I’m too shaky with my hands to do a good job of polish application, plus I get silk wraps on my nails because they are so thin and peel like an onion.
I hate have my nails professionally done because I feel like I can more easily control the quality of products and sanitation of tools when I do them myself. I do get a pedicure once or twice per year to be pampered and to get anything I missed or can’t reach.
I have been going every two weeks for pedi/mani for over 6 years now….completely worth it! And a gel mani that you cannot replicate yourself that lasts two weeks? I’ll take it! I can always tell when people do their own nails versus a pro-manicure…it just looks cleaner profesionally done! 🙂
With the amount of money I spend on nail polish… definetely not!
No. Except when pregnant and can’t reach my feet.
I have always done my own pedicures/manicures and feel happier with the results than I have on the few occasions I had them done in a salon.
My first pregnancy I went for two pedicures when I couldn’t do it anymore and I noticed the next time I could do my own, my toenails where growing funny because of how they cut the sides at the salon. They also nip my tender toe cuticles and I bled, both times.
Nope. I keep my nails short for work and have done them for years myself anyway. And I don’t like people (other than hubby)touching my feet.
And “Rescue My Nails” by Ji Baek is a awesome book for anyone who cares about their hands and feet – my teenager loves it and she no longer bites her nails because of it!
I think mani/pedi’s are nice for a break, but I don’t pursue them unless I absolutely *MUST* splurge. I keep my nails ridiculously short at all times, can’t stand false nails (to the point I chew them off, so bad!), and like to keep them simple (although bright/interesting). I think for girls that can handle falsies it could totally be worth it, just not so much for me.
I have never had a professional mani/pedi in my life. There are so many great tutorials online to learn to do it yourself. I do a much nicer job on both than any nail salon around here. People think I have fake nails and I don’t. The only problem I have is seeing well enough with my toes. I always manage though. As far as dead skin, etc, on feet I apply Aquaphor ointment to heels and toes after every shower so I never have any dead skin or cracks on my heels even in winter. Vigilance and consistency is key and much safer than getting your skin ground off in a salon.
I think they’re worth it for a treat. I have carpal tunnel syndrome and some nerve and joint damage in my hands from an autoimmune disorder, and getting a hand massage feels so good. The polish is pretty much an afterthought, LOL.
I never get my toenails painted because I have such a problem with people touching my feet. I don’t know why but it just makes me uneasy. But I do get manicures because I am really crap at applying polish myself and I find my polish to always chip very easily when I’m doing dishes etc. The gel polish manicures last for 3 weeks which is amazing for me!
I used to get pedicures every two weeks no matter what. But like everyone else, I needed to cut costs and that was one thing I could cut. I am convinced, after a year of doing my own manicure (and getting pretty good!) that if I actually DID my own pedicures on a weekly basis or so, I could get just as good on my toes. #project2013
I’m quite good at doing my nails myself and I really enjoy doing it. I love buying new polishes and trying new things. Also, for me, going to the salon to have my nails done is too hard, I’m rarely without my children. And I can’t stand the smell of some of those places!
I love doing my manicure. I do think professional pedicure are worth it every two weeks, but I don’t like having nailpolish on my toes. I just like to have them cleaned and polished.
I’m surprised at how many commenters equate manicures and pedicures with getting your polish changed. I’m a nail technician by trade, and it’s definitely necessary for most people to get mani-pedis on the regular to take care of dry, rough skin and weather-worn cuticles. Most people are able to get by painting their own nails, but not many people can perform a full manicure or pedicure on themselves.
I’d rather spend $ on nail polish and do pedicure and manicure myself. One manicure is around $30 and pedicure $54, so I can buy 8 nail polishes for that amount. All the professional products and tools are readily available in beauty stores to archive the same results as you would in the salon.
Professional mani’s and pedi’s are DEFINITELY worth it! Nail techs are educated and trained on the esthetics of your nails, hands and feet. I may know what colors look best on me, but I tend to get a little clipper happy and wind up with ridiculously short and uneven nails.