7 Reasons Not To Get A Mani Or Pedi This Summer

Manicures and pedicures are the bane of my existence. As much as I love the look of glossy polish peeking out from my cute sandals, and pretty finger nails to match pretty rings, there are so many reasons not to get a manicure or pedicure this summer. Because frankly, no one wants to stress in the summertime, and why would you let a pesky hang nail get in the way of your vacation?

Sure, most of my reasons have a lot to do with laziness, relaxation, and going au naturale. But like I said, having to worry about something as small as nails, polish, cuticles and top coats is not ideal — especially when all you’re looking for is a little peace and quiet from your everyday life. You should be enjoying the shining sun, spending time outdoors, and planning a big vacation excursion. Not stressing about how well your top coat will go over in the Bahamas. Focus on the Bahamas, not your top coat.

But I realize that’s easier said than done. Maybe it’s because I used to be a chronic nail biter, or maybe because I hate having to pay unnecessary attention to something totally and completely unnecessary, but manicures and pedicures are a major nuisance on vacation.

So, in an effort to convince you not to worry about manis and pedis this season, and to open your eyes to a whole world of natural and unpainted/untreated nails, here are seven reasons not to get a manicure or pedicure this summer.

1. Save Money

Vacations are not cheap. Whether you’re traveling to Australia, or just taking some time away from work, a vacation is a time to treat yo self, and that takes some extra money.

Instead of spending your dollar on a pricey mani/pedi, why not use that money for a lavish meal, or that pair of shoes you’ve been lusting after for months now? I’m not here to tell you how to spend your money, but I would much rather treat myself with something that will make me happy rather than something that will disappoint me within a week’s time.

2. Save Time

And as that saying goes, time is money. So save your time, too. A manicure and pedicure appointment can cost you some precious, valuable minutes, and those minutes can easily add up to hours. So instead of procrastinating packing your luggage, or cutting into your alone time with Netflix, stay out of the nail salon. You’ll be amazed at how much time you actually have when you’re not wasting away in there.

3. Less Worrying

When you get a manicure and pedicure, you’re essentially also signing up to be a worry wart. Because everything you do will be dictated on whether or not it will ruin your nails. While you could make that argument for most services, nails are especially sensitive because you can’t really disguise them, and taking care of them yourself is just an unnecessary hassle. Worrying gets you nowhere, so leave your nails all natural and you’ll have nothing to worry about at all.

4. Let Your Nails Breath

Ever noticed how your nails turn yellow and brownish when you’re taking off your nail polish? When nails are covered by nail polish too long, they turn colors because they’re not getting enough air. While the unsightly color might only encourage you to cover your nails with more polish, it’s best to let them breath and give them time to turn to their natural pink hue. And what better time to do this than on holiday? I admit, it’s not ideal. But you’ll be distracted so the odd coloring won’t bother you too much. Or at least, it shouldn’t.

5. All-Natural Is “In”

The no makeup makeup look isn’t just for your face, you know. Summer is a great time to strip your face of heavy makeups, let your hair air dry, and leave your nails without polish — just in their natural state. As glamorous as bright pink toenails might look in the sand, and however good an Instagram photo might be, the sand and other outdoors activities will give your polish all the more reason to chip and disintegrate, thus ruining your vacation. OK, ruining is a bit of an exaggeration, but you don’t want to have to worry about it. Right? Right.

6. Little To No Up Keep

With manicures and pedicures, the deal is hardly done when you step out of the nail salon. That’s only really the beginning. No matter what kind of nail you got done, or what kind of process you put your nails through, something will always goes wrong.

So when you’re relaxing on your vacation and suddenly realize your nail polish chipped, or a fake nail is loose, I’m sure the last thing you want to do is stress about getting it fixed as soon as possible. Unless a spa day or a day at the salon is your type of vacation, an elaborate mani/pedi is probably a bad idea.

7. Your Toe And Fingernails Will Thank You

You know, if humans were meant to have colored and polished nails we would have been born with them. No, your life does not depend on finding the perfect shade of blue for your toe nails, and your nails look beautiful without any kind of paint over them. If not for all the reasons listed above, leave your toes and fingers alone just because they will appreciate it. Sometimes no treatment at all is the best treatment you can give your body, and letting your nails just be for a few weeks will make them stronger.

Images: Instagram; Giphy