Getting nails done is a universal experience for many girls. Having your nails done can make a girl feel confident in little ways, and make them feel unique; having these nails can be fun and exciting, but what about the cost, and is that draining students’ pockets?

Nails can range from many different prices; in Grosse Pointe, it can be about $30-90, depending on what you get and where you go. That may not seem like that much, but when students with low-income jobs go every two or three weeks, that can add up over time and take a toll on their limited money. Abiah Kroshus ’27 has been doing her own nails for a couple of years now and has found it cheaper to buy her products in bulk and do them herself.

“I think it’s worth it if you can get nails that can last three or four weeks, but if you go every week or two, I don’t think it’s worth it,” Kroshus said.

Getting your nails done can be beneficial, but not when spending that bulk of money every two weeks. Overall, taking out that much money for a nail set that doesn’t even last you about a month can affect a student’s spending money limit. Lily Ozar ’27 is a student who always has her nails done with an acrylic set with a solid color, which can range from about $50-85. Ozar also goes about every two to three weeks.

“I love supporting our local businesses and my nail salon always does a good job, so I don’t mind paying that price,” Ozar said.

If Ozar went to the salon and got her nails done before coming back twice to get them filled and then get a new set, she would spend about $210 in about a month on nails. Michelle Grats, owner of local business Girlie Girl Salon, explains how she uses a more expensive product, called CND shellac, and more high end equipment, making the cost of the product an influence on pricing, but there are more factors in pricing.

“We make sure we’re competing with everyone else around us,” Grats said. “It’s also more about the experience of going to a salon.”

Grosse Pointe can be a competitive market with high prices, so are the prices fair, or should students take a new approach to their nails? Kroshus has explained that she believes nails are cheaper to do yourself, and to spend about $200 once a year to do so instead of spending that once a month.

“I definitely think it’s cheaper to do nails yourself,” Kroshus said. “But it is definitely more time consuming.”