Your first manicure at a salon: what happens, how long it takes and what to know before you go

At your first manicure at Anni Nails in Meidling, Anastasia files your nails to length and shape and looks after the cuticles and the skin around the nail, and if you would like colour, your nails get a polish in the colour of your choice. The manicure itself takes about 50 minutes, nail polish adds about 20 minutes, and if there is still gel on your nails, it is taken off first in a separate treatment, for which you should allow about an hour. There is hardly anything you need to do to prepare, apart from not cutting your cuticles yourself in the days before, and do mention before the treatment if you have allergies, a skin condition or sensitive skin.

What to expect at a professional manicure

The details of a manicure vary from salon to salon, especially when it comes to the cuticle. A dermatology paper on nail cosmetics, for example, describes a routine in which the hands are soaked in warm water, a cuticle softener is applied, and the cuticle is then pushed back and cut off with cuticle nippers (Madnani and Khan, 2012). The other kinds of manicure are covered in the article Russian, Japanese, file or classic manicure.

At Anni Nails, the "Manicure (File / Classic)" includes the following:

• Your nails are filed to the length you want and shaped.
• The cuticle is not cut but gently smoothed and shaped, and a small, natural rim is left in place because it protects the nail and the skin.
• The cuticles and the skin are cared for with cream and nail oil.
• If you have booked nail polish as well, your nails get a classic polish in the colour of your choice.

How the cuticle is smoothed with fine files is explained in the article File manicure. Every treatment also includes a personal consultation on caring for your nails and the skin on your hands, and you can use it to ask what you might do differently at home.

At Anni Nails, the instruments are sterilised and disposable materials are used. If you would like to know how a salon cleans its instruments, feel free to ask, which is also what the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the US professional association for dermatologists, encourages you to do (the AAD on manicure and pedicure safety). Other signs of good hygiene are covered in the article Manicure hygiene.

How long a manicure at a nail salon takes

How long a manicure takes depends mainly on whether your nails are only filed and cared for, whether colour is added and whether old gel has to come off first. At Anni Nails, allow about 50 minutes for a classic manicure with files and nail care, and classic nail polish adds about 20 minutes.

If there is still gel on your nails, allow about an hour for "Gel Removal". This treatment does not include a manicure, so if you would like one afterwards as well, book it in addition.

What to mention before your first appointment

If there is still gel on your nails

Book the removal at the same time so that time is set aside for it, and until then do not pick or file the gel off yourself, even if it is already coming loose. According to the AAD, this can seriously damage your nails (the AAD on removing gel polish), and once the colour starts to come off, it advises against using other nails or tools to help it along and recommends having the gel removed at an appointment instead (the AAD on gel manicures). How gel is taken off gently and what helps the natural nail afterwards is explained in the article Gel nail removal.

Allergies, skin conditions and sensitive skin

In its terms and conditions, Anni Nails asks you to mention any allergies, skin conditions or health concerns before the treatment. Also say if your skin reacts easily to cosmetics or if you have ever had a rash after a manicure with polish, even if it was not on your fingers, because according to the paper by Madnani and Khan, allergic contact dermatitis caused by nail polish often appears elsewhere, mainly on the face and neck, and especially on the eyelids and around the mouth. Have a reaction like this checked by a dermatologist.

If a nail hurts or the skin is inflamed

If the skin around a nail is red, swollen or has pus in it, if a nail hurts, or if it has changed colour or lifted off the nail bed, see a dermatologist first rather than going to a nail salon. The AAD writes that changes to the nail, swelling or pain can be signs of a serious nail problem (the AAD's tips for healthy nails), and Madnani and Khan also advise having swelling, pain and redness around the nails looked at by a doctor. If you have a contagious condition, Anni Nails may decline the treatment for safety reasons.

Why you should not cut your cuticles yourself beforehand

Leave your cuticles as they are before the appointment, even if they have grown far onto the nail or look rough, because caring for them is part of the manicure. The AAD advises never cutting your cuticles or pushing them back forcefully, to prevent infection, and according to Madnani and Khan, cutting the cuticle often leads to small cuts and hangnails, which can be very painful. If you cut them yourself shortly before the appointment, you may end up with a sore spot like that on the very day your hands are meant to be looked after.

If you would still like to do something beforehand, put cream on your nails and cuticles in the evening, and if you really want to push your cuticles back, do it only gently after a shower or bath, as the AAD recommends. Do not pull off a small piece of skin sticking out at the edge of the nail, and what you can do instead is described in the article Torn cuticles and hangnails. There is more on what the cuticle protects in the article Cutting your cuticles or not.

After the manicure: care until your next appointment

In the consultation, Anastasia talks you through what is good for your nails and hands at home, and her recommendations depend on your nails and your skin. In general, the AAD's dermatologists advise keeping your nails clean and dry, wearing gloves when cleaning and washing up, and putting cream on your hands after washing them, because too much water can weaken the nails so that they split, peel or break. After removing nail polish, put some cream on your nails, because according to the AAD most nail polish removers contain substances that dry the nails out. Why nail polish chips and how to make it last longer is covered in the article Nail polish chipping.

Your first manicure at Anni Nails in Meidling

For your first appointment, book "Manicure (File / Classic)" for €40, and if you would like colour, add "Nail Polish" in the colour of your choice for €10. If there is still gel on your nails, add "Gel Removal" for €25, in which the gel is taken off gently and a nourishing serum goes on the nails at the end.

Anastasia has been doing manicures for more than ten years and works with short nails and without aggressive techniques. Appointments are booked online in advance, and if you need to cancel or reschedule, please do so at least 24 hours beforehand, because a cancellation fee may be charged for late cancellations or if you do not turn up. Payment is made after the treatment, at the prices shown when you booked.

The studio is at Schönbrunner Straße 253, 1120 Vienna, and is open from 9 am to 8 pm Monday to Saturday and on Sundays on request. You can also reach it by phone and WhatsApp on +43 677 61407186. You will find all treatments under Services and prices, and a free slot under Book an appointment.