The quiet art of beautiful hands.

Gel nail extensions typically last 3 to 4 weeks before needing a refill. With regular cuticle oil, gentle hand-washing, and gloves during heavy housework, most guests at Salomé Atelier comfortably stretch their appointments to the full month.

A Russian manicure is a dry, e-file-based technique that removes dead cuticle and side-wall skin without water-soaking the nails. Because the nail plate stays oil-free throughout, gel polish bonds significantly better — lasting up to two weeks longer than a traditional wet manicure. Every Russian manicure at Salomé uses hospital-sterilised bits and single-use sanding bands.

Yes, nail extensions are safe when applied by a trained technician using sterile tools and professional-grade products. At Salomé Atelier, all metal implements are autoclaved between appointments, e-file bits are single-use or sterilised, and we only stock products free of MMA (methyl methacrylate). The most common cause of damage is peeling extensions off at home — always book a soak-off removal with us.

Gel nails do not damage healthy natural nails when applied and removed correctly. Thinning and ridging almost always traces back to over-filing the nail plate during prep or forcing extensions off rather than soaking them. Our prep protocol removes only dead surface cells, and our soak-off service uses foil wraps at the correct acetone concentration — leaving the natural nail plate intact.

Bridal nail extension sets at Salomé Atelier start at ₹3,500 for a refined French or solid-colour gel set and go up to ₹8,000 or more for full chrome, 3D nail art, or hand-painted temple-jewellery designs. We recommend a trial session two to three weeks before your wedding day so you can test the length, shape, and design under real conditions.

Most guests return for fills every 2 to 3 weeks. Natural nails grow roughly 3–4 mm per month, so by week three the gap at the base becomes visible and the balance of the extension shifts. Waiting beyond four weeks increases the chance of lifting and stress fractures — and makes the refill appointment longer.

We recommend consulting your obstetrician before booking nail extensions during pregnancy. The main concern is prolonged exposure to acrylic monomer fumes in poorly ventilated spaces. Salomé Atelier uses low-odour HEMA-free builder gels and our studio has HEPA-filtered ventilation — but the decision should always be made with your doctor's guidance. Hard-gel and nail-polish-only services have a lower exposure profile than liquid-and-powder acrylic.

A hygienic nail salon should use autoclaved or single-use metal tools, individual sealed pouches per client, HEPA dust extraction on e-file stations, and hospital-grade disinfectant on all surfaces between appointments. At Salomé Atelier, every implement is either autoclaved or opened fresh in front of you. We welcome questions about our sterilisation process — a good salon will always answer them without hesitation.