Kids' Manicures and Pedicures: What Age, and Gel or Regular

Parents ask us two things about kids' nails: how old does my child need to be, and is gel all right for them. The first has a plain answer off our menu. The second is a real choice, and we would rather walk you through it than pick for you.

What the kids' menu actually is

Our kids' services are for children under ten, and each one takes around 30 minutes. That is the whole age rule.

There are six things on it. A kids' polish is color only: $10 in regular polish or $20 in gel. A kids' manicure is $15 and a kids' pedicure is $25, and those two come in gel for $25 and $35. A manicure or pedicure means nails trimmed and shaped and the skin around the cuticle tidied before the color goes on.

What is not on it matters as much. No tips, no extensions, no acrylic, dip or builder gel. Nothing on the kids' menu sits on the nail except polish.

How we handle small hands

On a child, cuticle work stays light. For a kids' manicure or pedicure we trim and shape the nail and tidy the skin around the cuticle; that is the extent of it. The American Academy of Dermatology's advice for home care is blunter still: cuticles protect the nail root, so avoid cutting your cuticles or pushing them back. On a child who chews, picks and digs in sandboxes, we see no reason to argue with that between visits.

The same AAD page says fingernails should be cut almost straight across with the corners rounded slightly, and toenails straight across to reduce the risk of ingrown nails. That is how we trim kids' nails, and it is how we would suggest you do it at home, ideally right after a bath when the nail is soft.

Every implement is cleaned, disinfected and sealed between guests, files and buffers are single-use, and the pedicure spas are disinfected between guests and logged daily. That is our routine for everyone. You are welcome to ask to see it.

Gel or regular: the honest trade

Regular polish air-dries, so there are a few minutes of keeping still before socks and car seats. We quote adults five to seven days of wear; a child who washes their hands a lot and uses them hard will usually see chips sooner. When it chips, or the birthday is over, it comes off with ordinary remover at the kitchen table.

Gel is painted in thin coats and each coat is cured under a lamp, so it is hard and dry before your child stands up. On adults it keeps its shine for two to three weeks; on a child, expect the shorter end. Two things come with that. One is the lamp. The other is removal: gel has to be soaked off with acetone, either back in the chair or carefully at home. Peeling it takes the top layer of the nail with it, and that is the one thing we would ask you to keep a child from doing.

About the lamp

Gel lamps, whether labeled UV or LED, emit UV, mostly UVA. The Skin Cancer Foundation's expert puts the risk in proportion: even the most intense of these devices presents only a moderate UV risk, far lower than a tanning device. Their advice is to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to the hands 20 minutes before the lamp, and with regular polish, to skip the lamp and let it air-dry.

A kids' gel service is a few short cures on small nails. That page does not discuss children, so we will not claim more than it does: the lamp is the one part of gel that regular polish does not have, and sunscreen beforehand is a cheap habit. If you would rather avoid the question entirely, regular polish avoids it.

A first visit for a nervous child

If your child has never been in a salon, book the polish, not the manicure. It is the shortest thing we do, there is no trimming, and the whole event is picking a color and sitting for a few minutes.

Let them choose the color themselves, even if it is the one you would not have picked. Sit next to them rather than across the room. And if they decide halfway through that they are done, say so; we would rather finish eight nails on a happy child than ten on a miserable one.

Birthday groups and parent-and-child visits

Small groups are welcome. Because kids' services are about 30 minutes each, a party of four or five works best booked ahead so we can plan the chairs and keep the wait short. Tell us how many children and their ages when you book, and whether the grown-ups want a service too.

A parent-and-child pedicure is the easiest version of a shared visit: a pedicure for you, a kids' pedicure beside it, and a complimentary drink from the drinks menu with yours.

When to see someone other than us

We are licensed nail technicians, not medical providers. The AAD says a change in a nail's color, texture or shape is a reason to see a dermatologist; for a child, start with the pediatrician, or a podiatrist for toes. The same goes for a nail that is red, swollen or sore after a visit. We will not work over a nail that looks infected or damaged, and we will tell you plainly if we see one.

What to ask for

For a first visit or a party, ask for a kids' polish, regular. For a child who will pick at chips, or for a holiday week, ask for a kids' gel polish or gel manicure, and plan to come back or soak it off at home when it is done. If you are not sure, say so at the desk and we will look at your child's nails and tell you what we would do.