Beautician trips

Like Loopyloo I find that milk bottles help my nails stay strong. But I prefer Bassetts and also their jelly babies are equally as good.

Like Loopyloo I too I find milk bottle gums help my nails stay strong, but I prefer the ones from Bassetts and Marks and Spencer.
Bassetts jelly babies are also excellent for nails.

Sorry I've posted two replies, it's been a long day, with having family over and a few glasses of mead to wind down.

I suspect that we could do with a thread totally about poor nails! I'm currently trying the vitamins sold specifically for nails and hair but have noticed no difference after two months.

I have a full massage most weeks, with a facial. Because I'm a regular it costs just £25 for an hour and a half. Also visit the podiatrist/chiropodist every six weeks or so, I think it is really important to look after your feet well as you get older, it would be so awful not to be able to get about. I did have painful fallen arches but now have insoles and no problems.

I'd rather spend the money on this than a meal out in a pub, not for vanity's sake but because the gossip is great and my dry ("mature"?) skin loves the scented oils and face masks.

I've never thought of going to a beautician. A quick hair trim is all I do. And I cba with that am growing it, at the moment.

When my nails split it is because I haven't bothered to put on rubber gloves for washing up. So I cut them very short and start again.

Our health centre offers a toenail cutting service for £15. I find this helpful as I can't easily reach my right foot (hip replacement), but I go to a salon in the summer to have my feet prettified and nails polished for sandals. I do my finger nails myself, and have, for the past 18 months, used a Nailtiques preparation which cured my splitting, peeling and breaking nails. Got it from Amazon and it looks like colourless nail polish though you can put colour on top of it as well.

I go to get my eyebrows and my moustache waxed every 3 weeks which cost £12.

I am a retired beauty therapist, and a lot of my clients were 'mature ladies' who loved having manicures and pedicures. I always Shellac my toe nails myself, but go to another therapist for leg and underarm waxing each month, and manicures for special occasions. I also go to a waxing specialist for a high bikini wax which is amazing. She uses special hot wax for this which a lot of beauty therapists don't have, only warm wax. Oh and reflexology every month.... brilliant for relaxation !

As for hair, I have a trim every six weeks at the hairdresser and a blow dry most weeks. I touch up my grey roots with a box colour, and occasionally have a colour or highlights at the hairdresser. If I had to choose just one thing it would be a weekly blow dry because if my hair looks a mess, the rest usually does!

I my beauty salon every 5/6 weeks depending how my nails are for a manicure and pedicure she also does my eyebrows and facial before any holidays I go and have my legs waxed and shellac applied to toe nails,absolute bliss.

^^ should read "I go to my beauty salon" oops!!

I have my hair cut and coloured every month and the in house beautician does my eyebrows, lip and chin wax at the same time. I used to have a monthly facial but it felt rather extravagant once I retired so I have one a couple of times a year. They are so lovely and restful though. Pedicure in the summer only - chiropodist quarterly. as I'm wriring this I am thinking that's not much what shall I have done. I have tried spa days but I don't have anyone to go with and its a bit lonely on your own - nice idea for a Granset meet up though - anyone game?

Wow I am sooo low maintenance compared to lots on here.

All I have is a hair cut and the lady comes to me at home very cheap. Although 68 I still have a lot of colour in my sparse hair so don't colour it. Because it is thin, I wash it each day as to try and do something with it, is more trouble. It is dry in thrice.

Eyebrows, well basically, I haven't got any to speak of so no point in having them plucked.

Nails I paint myself occasionally, I did have false ones a few years back, can't remember if they were gel or not and to my horror one came off and it was in the DGS's cot, thank goodness he didn't swallow it. That was it, no more after that.

As regards massage, I couldn't think of anything I would like less, someone running their hands all over you, no thanks.

I go to the hairdresser for a wet cut about four or five times a year. A few years ago I was given vouchers for my local beauty salon and had my first manicure with a shellac polish. It's been a revelation as until then my nails had always been weak and easily split and now that I have my nails done every couple of months or so they're much stronger. I have also had two back massages, again they were gifts, but I actually felt quite uncomfortable and didn't really enjoy them.

I've never had a facial and wouldn't know how to choose from all the different types on offer. Maybe next time I'm given vouchers I'll be brave and have one.

Oohh! I love my hairdresser - she does a wonderful job and I go every six weeks or so. I also adore having a pedicure and go quite regularly for this. Sometimes I have a sauna etc which leaves me feeling ultra-relaxed. Also get eyebrows and lashes tinted. Am thinking of having brows lightly tattooed as they are now quite fine. Has anyone else had this done?

I love a good facial .The massage does seem to improve my skin .And find massages really good for undoing the tension in my back .Our local FE college does both very cheaply .I think about £12 last time I went .They sometimes ask you if a student can practice another technique on you too and you get that for free .They can take a couple if hours but I book when I'm in no hurry .You fill in a feedback form after
I think you can request the same therapist if you find a good one I've had better treatments there than at my local Clarins salon
Their 'bedside manner'can be a little underdeveloped but I have daughters and can chat for England so I like to think I'm 'contributing'to their training
Must make an appointment.Going through stresful period which will hopefully ease back week From experience that's when I'll get a humdinger of a headache

I love having shellac but the growth shows every 10 days so it is too expensive , but my nails are so weak now

i have acrylic nails on my fingernails and go every four weeks for "infills". so every four weeks i also have my toenails painted to match my fingernails. can't grow my own fingernails as they split very easily so acrylics is the only way i've got to get pretty nails.

and every seven weeks i have a mobile chiropodist come to sort my feel out - i can't get down far enough to sort out things like cutting nails and removing hard skin from my heels so i think £22 worth of pampering is worth it ................. and i get some lovely cream rubbed into my feet at the end too which apparently you can't buy anywhere!

don't bother with facials and i leave my eyebrows to nature - well they're hidden behind my glasses so they're not on view!

I had very weak, splitty nails until a beautician told me about Solar Oil, which made an immediate difference. Any oil will do - I get any that are on special offer - but you must persist and keep it by your bed so you can rub it on before you go to sleep and just remove the surplus before you switch off the light. If I put varnish on my finger nails they seem to dry out and go splitty again. I do my own pedicures and put bright nail varnish on my toes, but I do have an occasional professional pedicure if there is a trainee at the local health club where I am a member. I also have the occasional massage and/or facial and get my hair cut every 6 weeks and my colour done every couple of months. I think it's money well spent as I look much younger than my age. I also have acupuncture for my various health problems every 6 weeks and would recommend it to anyone.

Victoria08
Have you tried Imedeen Hair and Nails? Takes quite a few weeks to see an improvement but, together with 'Nailtiques Nail Treatment' I have definitely seen an improvement in my very dry, brittle nails.
I buy both of these products on-line as the price of Imedeen bought from Boots is prohibitive !
I also have a tin of 'Bag Balm'! (Google it), which I use every night to massage my cuticles which get very dry. It all helps.

PS. My daughter asked 'Was it called bag balm because it's for old bags?' She also said 'Mum you're an ad mans dream!' But I just think that we have to look after what we've got.

I go to hairdresser for cut/colour every six weeks-it's my friend who's now working from home so that keeps costs down. I also have gel nails/infills done every 3 weeks and eyebrow/leg wax as needed. It's my treat to myself as I have difficulties in buying clothes due to my spinal problems.

Lupatria
The foot cream the professional s use is CCS foot care cream wonderful stuff! Is possible to buy ,try on line.

this thread has reminded me that i still have vouchers worth £200 which i won in 2010! i completely forgot about them, and will have to sort them out and use them. there is no expiry date on them, so i will have to make an effort to use them. they are for spa treatments, and i know there is a place in Sunderland which takes them. apart from getting my hair cut every few weeks i have never tried anything. can anyone tell me if you have to give a tip when you go to a spa?

Reading the "high maintenance" treats I'm aware that I never really treat myself but I would love a pedicure. I can't bring myself to go for one because my feet are purple, blotchy and have loads of patches of broken thread veins, anyone know of a way to get rid of the veins and the blotches? I've used fake tan in the past but it's not a good look any more!

Aitch just go for it, I did. I used to have awful feet with corns and reddened skin on my toes. After having gone to the chiropodist 2 or 3 times I noticed a marked improvement and I can even wear sandals in the summer now with nicely painted toe nails.

Just say to the chiropodist 'I have awful looking feet can you try and smarten them up a bit'. I look forward to hearing that you went ahead and overcame your fear.