Manicure is not only a way to decorate your hands but also an important procedure for maintaining healthy nails. To ensure long-lasting results and keep your nails strong and well-groomed, it’s important to prepare properly for the appointment. Here’s what not to do before visiting your nail technician.

A few days before your salon visit, it’s recommended to avoid saunas, pools, and home hand-soaking baths. These procedures saturate the nail plate with moisture, which can make the technician’s work more difficult and affect the quality of your manicure.

The day before the appointment, you should also avoid using oils or heavy hand creams. Greasy products interfere with proper nail degreasing and buffing, which can reduce the adhesion of nail polish or gel.

Trying to cut your cuticles at home can result in uneven results, creating extra work for the technician. There’s also a risk of infection, which could require long-term treatment.

You should also avoid filing your nails without proper skills. Doing so may ruin the shape carefully created by the technician and cause nail splitting.

Some people prefer to remove old gel polish on their own—whether due to nail growth, damaged coating, or simply to save time. However, inexperienced removal can damage the nail plate and complicate the next manicure.

Most nail technicians use a pusher or an orange stick for this procedure. But if used incorrectly, these tools can damage the nail plate. When cleaning nails at home, many people fail to treat the thin layer of the nail properly, which increases the risk of injury and infection.

We understand that you don’t want to appear untidy in front of your favorite technician. But try to see it another way: imagine that the person in front of you isn’t a nail technician, but an ordinary doctor—someone it’s hard to surprise.

Read also: Client habits that annoy nail technicians — take note and stop doing them!