A hundred years ago, high society ladies retired to the “card room” after dinner parties… they ditched the men and headed to a girls-only sanctuary to chat, relax, and generally escape the pressures of hoity-toity socialite life. The Card Room was a societal acknowledgement that, at the end of a long day, girls just wanna have fun.

For us 21st century boss babes, that sanctuary is the nail salon. The nail salon is a place for (primarily) women to gather, meet up with our gal pals, perhaps sip a glass of wine, unwind, and generally get pampered…all within the space of an hour. And thankfully, we don’t even have to be all that hoity-toity. For anywhere from $15- $100, we ladies can leave this oasis of primping with a splash of pretty color on our fingers and toes, and that luscious girly-girl feeling that comes from knowing we’ve enjoyed a bit of self-indulgence…without breaking the bank.

My middle daughter Christi and I recently spent the day at the slightly hoity-toity Pinehurst Spa in the picturesque village of Pinehurst, NC to bond over fruit smoothies, dips in the hot tub, chocolate-covered strawberries and mani-pedis. (What in the world would I have done if I’d had burly sports-loving sons?!) Because the Pinehurst spa prides itself on high standards, I did a little impromptu research while my friendly and very knowledgeable nail technician, Olivia, transformed my nails from OPI’s neutral “Taupeless Beach” to the bright and bold “I Mainely Eat Lobster”. Olivia was meticulous, friendly and super-knowledgeable. Thankfully, she was also more than happy to dispense her top health and safety tips for me to share with you.

TIPS FROM A PROFESSIONAL MANICURIST

AVOID:

A blue bottle is a red flag: Steer clear of nail salons that pull your manicure/pedicure tools straight out of that jar of blue “Barbicide” solution. The reason? A Barbicide solution may not kill all the nasty germs - especially if the solution is diluted or isn’t fresh. A top-notch salon will not only clean manicure tools with a disinfectant rinse (hospital grade disinfectant is best), they will also sterilize them in an autoclave - a small oven-like container that heats or steams nail tools at very high temperatures to kill all the residual fungi and bacteria that can remain after the tool has been soaked in a disinfectant solution.
What to look for: A good sign is if the tools are brought out in a little packet or envelope, indicating that they’ve been cleaned through a more extensive sterilization process.
Protect your tootsies: Avoid nail spas that don’t line the pedicure tub with a disposable plastic liner. Sanitation is a big differentiator between conscientious nail spas, and those that are sub-par.
Don’t cut those cuticles: Your cuticle is to your nails what a hair follicle is to a strand of hair. If you keep removing the cuticle, you lessen your ability to grow long, strong, healthy nails. An occasional trim is fine, just to neaten things up, but there’s no reason to lop off your whole cuticle every visit. A good technician will push back the cuticles to tidy up your nails, and then trim excess cuticle skin here and there, only where it’s needed. Overly-aggressive cuticle trimming can lead to white spotting on nails and generally weaker nails.
Go for the grade: Don’t visit a nail salon with a health grade below 96. Just be safe. Also, although it varies by state, you should assume that your nail salon is only inspected once a year. Nail spas that are part of a hair salon might be a safer bet, because multi-service facilities generally are subject to stricter standards and/or more frequent inspections. But again, this varies by state.
See the (LED) Light: If, like me, you are partial to gel manicures, then LED lights are a bit easier on your skin than UV lights. Over time, UV radiation from those little drying machines can contribute to premature aging of the thin and delicate skin on your hands (think age spots, wrinkling etc.)

Also Handy to Know:

Those unsightly white marks on your nails can mean a few different things:
- They may be a sign of a zinc deficiency. This is usually accompanied by other symptoms like loss of appetite & unintended weight loss, a weakened immune symptom, slow-healing wounds and some other symptoms you can Google.
- They they may be harmless calcium deposits caused by repeated use of nail polish - in which case they are easily buffed away.
- They can also be a sign of injury to the nail matrix (where the nail meets the skin) that shows up days or even weeks after the injury. This is a likely culprit if like me, you’re a habitual mani-pedi gal, as the chemicals, cuticle clipping and grinding could all be considered traumas to the nail.
- Finally, the white marks could be a sign of a fungal infection, but this is usually accompanied by other symptoms, like flaking of the nail or cuticle, slight odor, yellow spots on the nail and crumbling of the nail tip. If you have any of those things, head over to your dermatologist for a diagnosis and anti-fungal treatment.
My manicurist, Olivia, recommends a product called Dazzle Dry, available online, for a “hybrid” gel polish that dries in 5 minutes, lasts longer than regular polish, and nourishes and strengthens your nails in between manicures. I haven’t tried this yet but plan to, and will report back with an update!
Olivia also recommends OPI cuticle Oil - in her experience, it works the best to hydrate dry cuticles. She also noted that OPI has recently reformulated its line of gel polishes with ingredients specifically aimed at nourishing and protecting your nails, which may put the OPI brand a step ahead of its competitors.
Give your mani or pedi a quick refresh before heading out: to revive your polish, rub cuticle oil all over your nails and cuticles and gently blot the excess - this will give your nails a glossy refresh in between nail appointments.

Bonus Tip!

During the pandemic, I discovered the best dupe for a mani: a press-on nail that actually looks natural and lasts!

I’ve never actually tried press-on nails because I figured they’d look… fake. But a few friends told me to try some $8 drugstore press-on nails that take only a few minutes to apply and can last a week or more.

I’m wearing these as I type right now and they feel very natural and look great! It only took me about 15 minutes to apply them. I’ll see how long they last on me, but for anyone wanting to give your nails (or pocketbook) a rest from professional manicures, I highly recommend this product. Just make sure you choose from the Ultra-fit collection - it is slimmer and has better adhesive than the regular collection (Ultra-fit is the kind I tried and like!)

That’s it! There’s something so fresh and pretty about a mani/pedi. It just makes you look like you tried, even on those days when your outfit is more sweats-and-a-tee than haute couture! It just makes you look (pun intended) “polished”.

What tips do you have? I’d love to hear them - please share them in the comments below!

Til next time!

xoxo

Susanne