FAQs & Policies

You can book an appointment with me anytime online through Fresha!

I offer structured gel manicures with nail art on natural nails, with the option for hand-sculpted extensions for those who are interested in extra length. I do not offer gel extensions a la Apres Gel-X/Kokoist Gelip as a part of my regular service menu at this time, but if you’re interested in being a model for this service at a discounted price, email me and we can set something up!

I do NOT offer acrylic, dip, or lacquer nail services. I also do not currently offer hard gel services, but this may change in the future!

A 20% deposit is required to book an appointment. Deposits are refundable for cancellations that occur at least 48 hours before your scheduled appointment.

Deposits are NOT refundable for cancellations occurring with less than 48 hours notice; however, if you reschedule your appointment at least 24 hours before your original time-slot, your deposit will be transferred over to your future booking!

Deposits for appointments cancelled or rescheduled with less than 24 hours notice are neither refundable nor transferable.

If you no-call no-show your appointment, you will be charged the full amount for the booked service.

Hot ghoul nails take time! As a fairly newly licensed tech, I’m still developing my flow with my service time; beyond your safety and comfort, my #1 priority is ensuring I give you nails that make your day! That means the time I budget for my appointments may be longer than you’re used to and is longer than the service time of my veteran colleague in the studio. My attempts at maximum estimated appointment times are provided when booking!

I do not remove work from other salons, so please bring your bare nails to your first appointment with me! There are a number of reasons for this, but one is that I cannot plan for the time it may take to remove an unknown product when scheduling appointments. The more time spent on removal, the less time spent on what you came for: really hot nails!

Other than that, just bring your lovely self! If you have ideas for your manicure, please feel free to bring inspiration, but keep in mind that I cannot guarantee we will have sufficient time for art ideas that are only provided at the beginning of an appointment. For more detailed work or to confirm an appointment time works for your inspo, please send me an email with details at least 48 hours before your appointment!

Although masks are not required in the Stay Polished salon, masks are required for Hot Ghoul Nails clients during our seated time together. My spouse is high-risk for COVID, and this is an important measure I take for the safety of my family. For that reason, I also require that all clients seeing me wear a KN95 or similar quality mask. If you do not have a KN95 or similar-quality mask when you arrive for your appointment, a forgotten mask fee of $2.50 will be applied to your service and one will be provided for you. This helps reduce risk for both my family and for you, so that we can keep getting fabulous nails, doing our jobs, and seeing the people we love!

In addition to masking, I maintain rigorous sanitation and disinfection standards in line with state guidelines. All implements are disinfected between clients with LUCA-SIDE, all single-use items are replaced, and all work surfaces are sanitized.

Pricing in the beauty industry is a fascinating—and often fraught—discussion, and pricing for nail services seems to be the next frontier of these conversations.

Simply put, my rates are what they are because my goal is to earn a living (hopefully even thriving!) wage from my business.

When you add up the costs of high-quality products, space rental, business expenses, licensing and continuing education, and a reasonable hourly wage, a manicure is not a cheap service. When it is offered cheaply, that comes at the expense of another person—most likely the technician doing the work, if not also the client.

If my rates are outside of your budget, I completely understand! If they aren’t, I hope you’ll consider supporting not only me and my small business, but also the work of re-framing what a manicure is “worth” when we consider the human cost of a cheap luxury.

(For more on this topic, check out @topknotnails on Instagram! She has some really great Reels addressing pricing transparency.)

The longevity of your new nails depends largely on how you care for them! I strive to give you the most enduring nail art possible, but there are a lot of factors at play. I recommend booking your next appointment in 2-3 weeks, but you may find that your nails last much longer than this.

When I had my first structured gel manicure, I was taught the mantra I now repeat to all of my clients: nails are jewels, not tools! The following recommendations will help you treat your art-covered keratin with the care it deserves:

💎 When handling chemicals or washing dishes, try to use gloves to protect your hands. Harsh chemicals can negatively impact your skin and nails, causing dryness, brittle nail plates, and breaks - all of which affect your manicure. The keratin in your nails also expands and contracts as it absorbs and releases water; your new gel, however, does not. The more your nails are submerged for extended periods of time in water, the greater the likelihood of gel lifting and chipping from the nail plate.

💎 Avoid applying unnecessary pressure to your nails when you need to open that soda can, tear into that box, or scrape off that tricky tape. There’s probably something better-suited to the task you could use, and your manicure will thank you!

💎 Oil those cuties! Cuticle oil applied to the skin around your nails helps to prevent hangnails, moisturize your skin, and keep your manicure going strong. Good moisturizing is a key component of longevity and healthy hands and nails!

As much as I love children, pets, and meeting friends-of-friends, your nail appointment is not the time or place for extra hands and paws. The exceptions to this rule are if you have a medically necessary reason you require another person present at your appointment or will be bringing your service animal - in that case, just reach out to me and let me know to expect an additional party!

While you can bring snacks and drinks to your appointment, please keep any food put away and do not eat anything while you are in my chair. Crumbs, oils, and moving limbs are the nemeses of a good manicure. If you need to take a quick break for a sip of water, let me know, and I can absolutely accommodate that. The exception to the food policy is if there is a medical reason you need to pause and have a snack; in this case, give me a heads up and we can plan accordingly.