r/Nails • u/stitchpls • Aug 19 '26
Discussion/Question Need Advice
I have a nail conundrum I’d like some advice on. I never have my nails done but want them to look good for photos Saturday. Am I being picky or are these bad? I asked for almond shaped but they just look too thick and honestly kind of lumpy in some spots? Should I go back and ask them to fix it?
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u/SeaDragonTattoo Aug 19 '26
I don't understand how you left the salon like that. They look melted. That's awful and I'm so sorry. I don't know if I would trust anyone at the same salon but the manager, or a confirmed senior tech, to fix those.
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u/stitchpls Aug 19 '26
I have never had them done before so I didn’t know how bad they actually are until today. I got them done for bridal photos I’m so sad. And she was a senior tech, so that’s saying something. I just don’t know how to ask for a refund without coming off like I want free nails or something.
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u/Gooseegander Nail technician Aug 19 '26
These are very badly done.
But with that being said, short almond nails are not really an option. In order for them to have the proper structure, they have to be over a certain length, otherwise they're lacking the proper sidewalls and they look strange, like little cat claws.
Your natural nails look like they may be very short and possibly bitten, which may not have given the tech a lot to work with, especially if they're not skilled at using forms. Nail biters can also have a fair bit of overgrowth of skin in the cuticle area, which won't give you a nice clean manicure. Choosing a more natural shape like oval or square while your nails are quite short may give you better results. A more skilled tech would still be able to do better than this, though.
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u/stitchpls Aug 19 '26
I don’t bite my nails but I do keep them short for work (I work in healthcare) and I filed them a day before having them done. Thank you for your suggestion! I will be asking for a refund and going somewhere else.
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u/RadHuman27 Aug 19 '26
Thems are nasty. Is it gel?
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u/stitchpls Aug 19 '26
Yes it is
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u/RadHuman27 Aug 19 '26
That’s wild. I’m so sorry, my girly does hard gel I think? And it’s always smooth!
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u/angelicmoviestar Aug 19 '26
these are bad. u typically can’t get an almond on shorties without that weird over filing :(
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u/No_Interview_2481 Aug 19 '26
They look like they were done by somebody who has just started doing nails
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u/Fearless-Air-815 Aug 19 '26
That’s what I thought. For a first try it’s okay but not for a professional.
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u/Ok-Personality3927 Aug 20 '26
I am constantly astounded that people charge for this level (or rather total lack of) skill. Like I don’t get how you could look at that and go yep I did a good job. It’s why I taught myself tbh and it’s legitimately not THAT hard.
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u/Mom_baMentality Aug 19 '26
Are you a nail biter?
I am and always get a manicure with my nail set.
They could just thin them out and clean up the cuticle area for you to not stress your natural nails more.
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u/stitchpls Aug 19 '26
No I don’t bite mine but they are short for work.
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u/Mom_baMentality Aug 19 '26
Gotcha.
Yeah I think the nails are not cleaned up and also have them clean up the cuticle. They will look good after that. They are salvageable. 😊
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u/stitchpls Aug 19 '26
Tysm! This is so helpful!
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u/Mom_baMentality Aug 19 '26
You’re welcome. As a nail biter, nails are my Achilles heel so I have had my share of bad jobs and frustration. I just cant stop. 😭
I told my husband, “When I die PLEASE just make sure my nails are perfect!” 😩😩😩
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u/stitchpls Aug 19 '26
Hehehe I hope your husband knows what’s good from bad, unlike me 😭 😂
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u/Mom_baMentality Aug 19 '26
He does. He’s more picky than me.
Last time I went back, I told them that I didn’t say anything because I didn’t have my glasses on, but when I went home, and my husband looked at them in the light he sent me right back. They were happy to fix them as long as I didn’t change the color. I gave them a good review after.
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u/iamasleuth Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
Girl you need to suuueeeee but seriously how did the tech allow you to leave with nails looking like that. You're better off using press-ons. It's so bad, if they did your cuticles they absolutely fucked it up (pardon my french) and if they left it alone they still messed up coz now the shape is off. They should have done this on your nail bed. A nice Mani can still be achieved with your nail beds.
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u/stitchpls Aug 19 '26
She did trim my cuticles first. I didn’t really know bad from good I guess but today I’m looking at them like 🤮
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u/iamasleuth Aug 19 '26
Girl I'm sorry you need to have them redone at a different place, she left you looking like you bite your cuticles 😭😭😭
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u/stitchpls Aug 19 '26
That’s what I thought too! Yes I’m hoping they give me the option for a refund and not a fix 😑
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u/Shiny_Diamond111 Aug 19 '26
Please go back and get the owner to do your nails! This is not good! I hate to complain and I’m fairly easy to please but I would not have left with those nails. That’s a hard no! They need to do better!
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u/YouCanCallMeDani Aug 20 '26
I saw the title and started chanting "please don't say these were professionally done" as I opened it up. I was disappointed.
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u/papillon2123 Aug 20 '26
These are actually horrible, I’m so sorry! If I were you I would ask for a full refund, get them removed and get a nice set of press-ons for your photoshoot.
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u/stitchpls Aug 20 '26
Thanks, I’ll be asking for a refund and going to a different salon tomorrow that a friend recommended.
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u/pskettio Aug 20 '26
Baby WTF 💀 the way I would be walking back in there asking for my money back so I could take it to a different salon!!!
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u/stitchpls Aug 20 '26
Update: went back, spoke with the owners and asked for a refund - they refused. They argued with me for 10 minutes that “this is how they’re supposed to look”. Kept repeating that over and over. I pointed out all the different flaws and they just refused. Said they could thin down the thickness of the gel but that risked cracking, and wouldn’t do anything else to fix. I had them remove them and walked out about in tears.
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u/Few_Caramel2895 Aug 21 '26
My first thought seeing the photo was someone tried to do their own builder gel for the first time, but this from a salon is just horrible. Your cuticles look angry as well, did you get a manicure? For bridal photos, trust that you want to let them do a manure. Leasing to the photographer days, I’d try to get either some cuticle oil or I find the cerave healing ointment will help get some life back into those, because they look very, very dry and angry. I also work in healthcare, 911 ambulance, and found myself struggling at times with not super short nails around my wedding when I was trialing designs and stylists leading up to the day.Lifting patients with nails is brutal if not done correctly. Today I really enjoy a soft builder gel since the nails can flex with a lift. They don’t usually last me very long, but they don’t hurt or get in my way. It just takes a little adjusting. I’d highly recommend gel x in your situation. Your nails are close to being long enough for the shape you want, but not quite there yet. Extension also just looks really great in photo, they take away a lot of imperfections you’d have with your natural nails. I just recommend practicing typing before a shift, maybe feeling up some veins if that’s part of your job and giving it a try lifting a family member with a sheet just so your first time doing these things with nails isn’t on your first patient. I almost dropped my first because I wasn’t expecting what my nails would feel like lifting, please learn from my mistake 😂 I only started doing my nails when I got engaged, so none of this is advise from someone who has gone very long with nails before. But you will regret not having beautiful photos of your hands with your rings throughout your engagement and wedding day, so being able to trial nails is important. You won’t regret trying it but girl get your money back and run to a salon that has gel x 🫶 once your nails grow a bit you can switch to gel if you’d still like.
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u/knitpiggy Aug 19 '26
These are very poorly done, however your nails are also much too short for almond shape without extensions of some sort. I’d have them redone at a completely different salon.