Types of Manicures

Manicures don’t fit all, and choosing one should reflect your lifestyle and goals for appearance and durability. Learning what’s available will enable you to ask more informed questions, reserve appropriate services and avoid damaging natural nails.

A healthy manicure depends on technique, maintenance and nail care rather than on product systems alone. This guide covers basic (regular), gel, structured or builder gel manicures (Gel-X), soft gel tip manicures.

Basic Manicure

Basic manicure services consist of simple nail grooming to leave nails looking clean and polished, cuticle treatment and hand massage which improve circulation while leaving skin soft and smooth.

Filing, shaping and buffing the nails to keep them healthy and strong are part of a manicure, followed by applying a base coat to protect the nails and help the polish adhere better; then color is added in one to two coats before sealing and shining up with topcoat to complete this step.

A regular polish manicure may not offer the same therapeutic benefits of spa manicures, but it does provide long-term care for nails and hands. This includes exfoliation to help combat dry, rough skin; hand mask or wrap to restore moisture; and relaxing massage that improves blood flow, decreasing tension. Regular trims or maintenance sessions may also help keep shape in check.

Spa Manicure

Spa or luxury manicures, also referred to as deluxe treatments, provide clients with a full hand treatment that extends far beyond nail shaping and polish application. Clients receive extra pampering including nail health maintenance, hand and cuticle exfoliation, intensive paraffin wax dips, massage therapy services and much more.

Experienced nail technicians offer luxurious hand and nail care to produce smoother, softer hands and nails with radiant, healthy-looking color – an experience which is both relaxing and rejuvenating, giving women who strive to look their best an uplifting boost of self-esteem.

Start by treating yourself and your clientele to a relaxing hand soak in warm, often fragrant water to soften skin and nail plates, followed by filing and shaping for a classic, elegant look. Cuticle care and hand/arm massage may follow, before additional services such as masks or paraffin wax are applied to nourish skin and nails further. Providing extra services like this elevates your salon offerings while elevating the client experience.

French Manicure

The French manicure is an iconic nail art style featuring a nude or pink base with clean white tips that provides a timeless, chic aesthetic that suits every nail shape and event. Reinterpreted versions such as reverse French, ombre and glittered party nails worn by celebrities like Selena Gomez and Gigi Hadid continue to make waves today.

A buffed manicure, also referred to as natural or traditional manicure, involves the use of various buffing and filing tools to shape the nail bed before prepping for polish without adding color. This method strengthens nails while stimulating blood circulation for healthy nail growth.

A gel X manicure uses preformed soft-gel extension tips bonded to your nail plate with builder gel and then cured under LED light, for an extremely low maintenance option that lasts up to two weeks before needing removal via soak and acetone removal.

Gel Manicure

Gel manicures offer an option that lasts up to 20 days with its glossy, chip-resistant finish, beginning with the application of a special base coat that protects nails while improving adhesion to colors applied later. After filing and shaping nails as appropriate before curing under UV or LED lights.

Gel nail polish provides long-term shine and durability that regular polish cannot match, while protecting and strengthening nails at the same time.

Though gel manicures offer many advantages, it is wise to limit how often they receive one. Overexposure to gel polish could cause weak and brittle nails; to help ensure the longevity of this service and look its best. Apply nourishing cuticle oil daily as part of a preventive strategy against this happening and lengthen its effects by prolonging it! This also extends its wear time.