[Photo: Flickr]
Pedicure "spa" treatments.
The promise of a special mango, green tea, or lavender pedicure treatment seems like a sweet delight at first--until you realize salons sometimes charge double the cost of a traditional pedicure and provide little in exchange other than a hydrating essential oil foot bath and a few extra minutes of foot rubbing. Read the details of your treatment carefully before you commit to make sure it's worth the extra money. Often times, you can add on specific perks like callus removal and the added charge is significantly less than what you'd pay for a spa treatment.
Gel polish removal.
Many salons charge $15 to $20 to do something that you can essentially accomplish at home with a small bowl of nail polish removal and a lot of patience. Sure, gel polish is a pain to remove, but it can be done without professional help. Simply soak your hands in polish remover for a good 15 minutes (this would be an ideal time to cue up a Netflix show) and, whatever you do, don't try and rush the process by scraping it off with a harsh abrasive.
Nail art.
Let me be clear: beautiful nail art created by a professional who really knows her or his stuff is worth a few dollars more. But in some salons there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason behind their pricing for nail art--you can be charged $15 for the simple painting on of a few random vertical lines or $5 for a sprinkling of rhinestones. Your best bet is to ask for examples of previous nail art work your technician has created to get a sense of whether it's worth the extra money.
