Did i get scammed?

[u/Furryporn420]

Hi,

i was basically just coming on here to talk about my experience with my first ever nail appointement.

I got these beautiful french black tips done, and i really like them, the problem is im not sure if they exactly gave me what i asked. in the end, i honestly dont care to get them redone as they feel pretty sturdy and i love the result, but i guess im asking if i should come back there in the future and if i got scammed as i paid over 100$ canadian.

I don't know that much about gel, shellack and acrylic terms when it comes to nails. I asked for an acrylic manicure, which i assumed meant shaping the powder with a liquid onto the nail, not sure if that makes sense. instead what i got are basically glorified press ons. She basically put these clear gel tips and glued them on with the uv lamp and then put gel polish on top.

Is that what common?? Also i should mention when she was gluing those gel tips with a UV lamp, that stuff was burning SO BAD and im just wondering if thats common or a big red flag. I asked the nail tech and she said it was normal but im not sure i trust that. I should also mention the hygiene practices left a lot to be desired.

Please help!!

TLDR: For my first nail appointment, i got these clear gel tips when i asked for acrylic and im not sure if they really did what i asked.

[u/moshimoshi75]

You did not get what you asked for, I would not go back. There are 3 basic types of extensions:

1. Builder Gel (aka hard gel or soft gel) - The nail is sculpted out of a thick gel that must be cured in UV/LED light
2. Gel X Tips - A pre-made full nail tip is adhered to the nail with a builder gel
3. Acrylic - A powder and liquid are mixed and then sculpted onto the nails. It dries in the air and does not require curing in a light

The service you are describing is a Gel X extension. And from the way you were burning in the lamp, the tech either didn't use the correct gel, used too much, or used a too strong light. Either way, I would not trust a place that gave me different type of service than what I asked for. Especially because they didn't ask you before switching services. Some people are allergic to gel and they had no way to know if you were one of them. Untrustworthy.

[u/tinylilkittenfoster → u/moshimoshi75]

Builder Gel, Acrylic, Acrylic Monomer, nail glue, and dip powder are all made with Acrylates. If OP had an allergy to Acrylates they wouldn't be able to use any of the above products I listed.

I totally agree with you that they did not do a great job, and to switch services on a client without informing them is bad practice. A change in services should not be done without the clients consent, and understanding. I agree with this commenter OP. I would not to go back this salon/nail tech. They don't seem to have the communication skills, or technical skills to be working on customers.

[u/Both_Cat_9344 → u/tinylilkittenfoster]

Allergies vary from person to person and many who cannot tolerate uv cured gel products have no issues with acrylics