Shellac manicure price: why it can double from one salon to the next

What is the shellac manicure price near you?

A simple question. An answer you cannot find.

From one salon to the next, the prices shown can double. And you never know what is included. The manicure? Removal of the old polish? A mystery.

A word on vocabulary: shellac is a brand name that many people use for any gel polish, the kind cured under a lamp. That is the treatment this guide is about.

You would simply like to know the price before you walk in. That is normal.

In this guide, you will see what makes the price vary: the treatment that goes with it, the removal, the area, the options. Then the actual prices at SIMEHA Institut, taken from our booking system.

We carry out these treatments every week. The prices quoted here are the ones you pay at the salon, with no added fees.

What is the price of gel polish?

The price of gel polish depends first on what the treatment includes: polish on its own costs less than a full manicure followed by the polish. At SIMEHA Institut, gel polish on its own on hands costs CHF 35 and the manicure with gel polish costs CHF 55.

Here are our prices for hands, with removal included in the list:

And for feet:

These prices are in Swiss francs. They come from our price list: if a price changes, this page changes with it.

Why does the price vary so much? Five reasons

Five things make the price of gel polish vary from one salon to another: the treatment that goes with it, the removal, the area, the nail art options and the location. Knowing them lets you compare two prices without getting it wrong.

1. Polish on its own or a full manicure

This is the first cause of the gap. And the most common.

Polish on its own assumes that your nails are already in good condition: the beautician prepares them quickly, then applies the polish. A full manicure adds shaping the nails and working on the cuticles before the polish.

At the salon, polish on its own takes 30 min and the manicure with polish takes 1 h.

2. Removal of the old polish

Gel polish does not come off with ordinary remover. It has to be removed with care, without tearing the surface of the nail.

This is where the trap lies: some salons include removal in the price of the new polish, others charge for it separately.

At SIMEHA Institut, removal is a separate treatment, at CHF 20 for 30 min. Remember to add it if you are already wearing gel polish.

3. Hands or feet

Polish on toes is not the same price as on hands.

At the salon, polish on its own costs CHF 30 on toes and CHF 35 on hands. Combined with a pedicure, it costs CHF 65.

4. Options and nail art

A single colour is the basic treatment.

A French manicure, an ombré or nail art take more time and are generally charged as an extra. Do you want something other than a single colour? Ask the price before you book.

5. The location

Rents and wages are not the same everywhere.

The prices of a Swiss salon cannot be compared with those of a salon on the other side of the border or in another region. Compare salons in the same area.

How much does gel polish cost over a year?

The yearly cost of gel polish depends on how often you renew it and on what you book each time. A simple sum lets you estimate it from our prices.

Here is how to think about it.

At each renewal, you generally pay for a removal and a new polish. With the prices at SIMEHA Institut, that gives:

All these amounts are worked out from our price list.

Multiply the total by the number of visits you plan in the year. The time between two manicures varies from one person to another: it depends on the growth of your nails and on what your hands do every day.

Does this budget seem high to you? Alternate.

Gel polish for the times when you want flawless hands without thinking about it, regular polish or bare nails the rest of the time.

How do you compare two prices without being caught out?

To compare two gel polish prices, check four points: what the price includes, the length of the treatment, the price of removal and the price of options. A low price that includes neither nail preparation nor removal is not necessarily the cheapest.

Ask these four questions:

1. Does the price include the manicure, or only the polish?
2. Is removal of the old polish included? If not, how much does it cost?
3. How long does the treatment take? A proper application is not done in ten minutes.
4. Is a single colour the only treatment at this price? What do a French manicure or nail art cost?

On the SIMEHA Institut website, each treatment shows its duration and its price before you book. You know what you are paying before you choose your time.

Gel or regular: is the price gap justified?

The price gap between regular polish and gel polish is justified by how long it lasts: gel polish generally lasts longer, without chipping. At the salon, the manicure costs CHF 40 with regular polish and CHF 55 with gel polish.

So, which one is made for you?

You change colour every week: regular polish remains the simplest and the cheapest.

You want a colour that stays neat with no touch-ups: gel polish works out cheaper in use than it seems.

We compare the two in detail in the guide shellac vs regular polish.

Where can you have gel polish applied?

SIMEHA Institut applies gel polish at Rue Caroline 41, 1227 Genève, Suisse, in the Acacias district. Polish is applied on the natural nail; we do not offer gel nail extensions or nail tips.

All hand treatments, with their duration and their price, are presented on the manicure page. There you choose your treatment, then your time, and you pay at the salon.