The questions people are most embarrassed to ask a nail salon have short answers. Tip the way you would at a hair salon, with 15 to 20 percent of the service price as the common American norm. You do not need to shave your legs before a pedicure, and your technician genuinely does not care. Bringing your own polish is normal at many salons; ask when you book with us and we will tell you exactly how we handle it. And if you dislike a color two nails in, say so. Changing course early is a small favor to everyone.
Every one of these questions gets typed into a search bar at some point, usually the night before a first appointment, because asking out loud feels like admitting you do not belong there. You belong there. Here are the answers, and where something is genuinely our call rather than a general rule, we say so instead of guessing on your behalf.
How Much Do I Tip, and On What?
The common norm in American salons is 15 to 20 percent of the service price, the same as a hair appointment or a restaurant. Twenty percent of a $50 pedicure is $10. If the service was long, technical or rescued a set you arrived unhappy with, people often round up.
Tip on the full price of the service, and if a promotion or a gift card covered part of the bill, the kind move is to tip on what the service would have cost. The person doing the work did the whole job either way.
Do I Need to Shave Before a Pedicure?
No. This is the single most common source of pre-appointment stress and it is entirely wasted worry. Technicians see every kind of leg, every day, and a little hair registers exactly nowhere. Come as you are.
There is one practical wrinkle worth knowing, and it runs the other direction: freshly shaved skin has thousands of micro-nicks, which can make a soak or a scrub sting. If you were shaving purely for the appointment, skipping it is the more comfortable choice, either way your technician does not mind.
Nobody at the salon is grading your legs, your calluses, or how long it has been since your last visit.
Can I Bring My Own Polish?
At many salons, yes, and there is one situation where it is close to required: if you want to touch up a specific color at home later, owning the exact bottle is the only reliable way to match it.
How we handle outside polish here is our call to make, and the honest answer is to ask when you book rather than have a blog post promise something the front desk has to walk back. Call (801) 909-8989 and you will get the real answer in ten seconds.
What If I Hate the Color Halfway Through?
Say so, and say it early. Two painted nails are a preview, and technicians would far rather switch at nail two than watch you leave unhappy at nail ten. Nobody is offended. Color regret is the most ordinary event in the building.
Worth knowing alongside that: our 10-day guarantee covers lifting, chipping and breakage on nail services. It does not cover changing your mind about a color after the fact. That is exactly why speaking up mid-service is the free option and the after-service redo is not.
Do Pedicures Hurt?
They should not. Parts of a pedicure are strange the first time, the callus work especially, and ticklish is common. Pain is not part of the deal. If pressure is too much anywhere, from the massage to the file, say one sentence and it changes. Technicians calibrate to feedback, and silence reads as comfort. If you have diabetes or reduced sensation in your feet, that is a conversation for your doctor before any salon visit, which we cover honestly in the pedicure guide.
How Early Should I Arrive, and What If I Am Late?
A few minutes early is plenty, enough to pick a color without feeling rushed. If you are running late, call. What happens next depends on the day's bookings, and the front desk can actually tell you, which a webpage cannot. The same goes for bringing children, phone calls during services, and anything else that is really a house question: call, and you will get a straight answer instead of a guess.
Can I Just Sit in Silence?
Yes. Chat is entirely optional, and technicians take their cue from you. Answer in short sentences, close your eyes, or scroll your phone with your free hand, and the message lands without a word. An appointment where the guest decompresses in silence is a perfectly good appointment. Some people book a pedicure precisely because it is an hour where nobody needs anything from them, which is a use of the chair we endorse in which pedicure to book.
Where To Find Us
Aloha Beauty Lounge is at 10509 S River Heights Dr #104, South Jordan, UT 84095, a short drive from Daybreak, Riverton, Herriman, West Jordan, Sandy and Draper. Call (801) 909-8989, and current pricing is on our service menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I tip at a nail salon?
The common American norm is 15 to 20 percent of the service price, the same as a hair salon. On a $50 pedicure, 20 percent is $10. If part of the bill was covered by a promotion or gift card, tipping on the full normal price is the kind move.
Should I shave my legs before a pedicure?
No. Technicians see every kind of leg every day and genuinely do not care. Freshly shaved skin can actually sting more in a soak or scrub, so if you were only shaving for the appointment, skip it.
Can I bring my own nail polish?
Many salons welcome it, and it is the only reliable way to match a color at home later. Our own policy is a call-and-ask: (801) 909-8989 gets you the real answer rather than a promise a blog post should not be making.
What if I do not like the color once it is on?
Say so as early as possible, ideally within the first nail or two. Switching early is quick and nobody is offended. A color change after the appointment is a new service, and the 10-day guarantee covers workmanship, not a change of mind.
Is it rude to be on my phone or not talk?
Not at all. Technicians take their cue from you. Silence, a book, or a phone in your free hand are all normal, and plenty of guests treat the chair as an hour off from being needed.
What about kids, lateness, or other house rules?
Those are genuinely our call rather than general etiquette, so call (801) 909-8989 and ask. A straight answer from the front desk beats a guess from a webpage.
