A comprehensive study on the environmental structures and pressures of commercial nail salons vs. at-home practices

When you go to a nail salon, you go for a service, getting a little mani, a little pedi. And only that. However, when going to someone that you know more personally who has their own practice, you are usually going for more than the service that’s being provided: a chitchat or a movie.

 Maybe it’s the nail tech company or the atmosphere. Whatever it is, there are certain environmental factors that find themselves embedded within the walls. “While both Diva Nails and Susy’s Garage exist (in the context of me) to get my nails done Diva Nails relies on a elements of architecture location, and decor such as:  commercial building, convinent loaction, marble interior, trained and professionals, little to no intimate relationships and a language barrier to encourage an environment that commands professionalism, luxury, and a feeling of needing to stay only however long your service is, whereas susys garage uses comfortable seating, grounded decor, personable bbehavior, television, and conversation that flows to enforce a mood of relaxation and hope that you dont notice that youve been there for much longer than you would at someplace more commercialized ultimately revealing that Diva nails creates patrons that have little to no cnnection with the establishment and susys garage creates a friend and someone more likely to come back due to personality ammenidys and overall sense of place.

Getting your nails done is an experience for all; for a gay boy in the Deep South, it is even more of one. I started late in childhood when I was just coming into myself, and I went for the first time with friends. It’s great going to a nail salon that feels incredibly unwelcoming, 

-Now I know that may sound like I’m lying

But I’m not, because let’s face it, you’re not there to make friends with the sweet person who usually doesn’t speak your language; you’re there to talk with that friend, catch up, and get a specific service done. And that’s what I knew about this strange world: it was commercial, sterile, and a task you had to get done if you wanted compliments about the beautiful (usually minimalistic) nail art on your fingers.

 But this can all change when you discover that someone you’re close to has their own nail practice. 

When I first set foot in Susy’s garage, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into; all I knew was that she did nails. Yet, when I stepped into this new realm, I found a multipurpose room that she used for nails, her mom used for cutting hair, and her family used for storage or just chilling on the couch. It felt unprofessional, because to my posh standards, IT WAS. But that’s what I loved about it. I was used to marble countertops and people who couldn’t remember your name even if you’d come in the 5 times prior. 

I sat down and was informed that I could put on whatever I wanted to watch, or just talk with her, and after a couple of times going, I soon realized we could do just a bit of both. 

The two places I go to allow for such different things yet produce similar results. It’s the in-between that dictates everything, including who you are at the end. The wall and what’s inside of Diva Nails dictates that you must be just as professional as itself and sit there while you get what you ask for, ultimately creating patrons who have no care for the workers (other than who they think does the best work), and who don’t have any connection to the place, which means they can come back without caring what they’ve missed or leave with the reassurance that they’re not missing anything. On the other hand, Susy’s garage with the TV, lived-in decor, and intimate, personable connections dictates that you can stay longer, be comfortable, and chat, ultimately creating a friend and loyal patron who comes for more than just nails but for updates on lives and a movie they’ve been meaning to watch. 

And as I type this with outgrown nails, and you read this with your fingers on the words, let’s look at our nails together and reconsider where to go for a refresh, and more importantly, who we’ll be by the end of it all.