How do I book an appointment? Do you accept new clients?

Yes, currently there is limited availability to new clients and you can book here. Please read the booking information carefully.

Do you do BIAB?

In short, yes. BIAB is an acronym for builder in a bottle. It is a soft gel (soak off) overlay that is laid on top of natural nails to give it structure and added strength that happens to come in a gel bottle. Here at Clara H Nails, we call it a natural nail gel overlay. Depending on the condition of your nails and your lifestyle, We will prescribe the best kind of gel to use as overlay on your natural nails rather than just using ‘BIAB’ across the board. Some clients may need more structure and strength on their nails (especially if they are trying to grow long natural nails) that may not be achieved by BIAB. Generally if you just want to maintain a short, neat length with added strength then ‘BIAB’ will be suitable.

Do you only offer gel services?

Yes, we are a gel service only salon. We do not offer SNS or acrylic services with the exception of certain nail art elements that might require acrylic. All polish, enhancements and nail art are done and sealed in gel.

Do you replicate other nail artists’ work?

Ideally no. Mainly because each nail artist has a different style and technique. Nail art is as unique as a handcrafted product, if your expectations are of an exact replication then we are not right for you. If you are flexible and are open to our creativity and putting our own unique spin on it, then we will be able to offer that option to you. This is only if you are able to trace the original creator of the nails for credit purposes. If unable to identify and credit the original nail artist, then your nails will not be posted on social media out of respect to the creator.

How long will my nails last and how do I remove them?

Generally with any gel nail service, the recommended time frame for maintenance or removals is between 3-4 weeks, ideally not pushing them past 4 weeks. When your nails are freshly done, we would have ensured that the structure created on your nail gives them optimum support. Once your nails start growing out, the apex (strongest point on your nail) pushes out and becomes off balance. The likely consequences of leaving your gel nails on for too long are painful breakages or cracks, lifting and getting them caught in your hair or clothes and the temptation to pick at them that will cause nail damage. If you are a regular client, make sure to book your maintenance sessions in on time. If you are a one-off client and we are unable to fit you in for removals, please seek a qualified nail technician that will gently remove your gel nails and not rush to pry them off.

I am a nail biter/picker, rather self conscious about my hands and nails but would like to grow them out, what can we do with them?

First of all, please do not feel self conscious about your hands! We are here to problem solve and help you to kick a habit. However horrible you think your nails look, we PROMISE we do not think nor feel the same way. We have rehabilitated countless sets of nail biter/pickers hands and helped them to kick the habit by giving them a reason not to, awesome nails! We find that once clients have committed to growing their nails out and invested time and money into the cause, they tend to feel highly motivated not to pick their nails when it’s done beautifully, simply because they can’t bear to! Our main piece of advice is, when you start your journey with nail enhancements, make sure you keep on top of your maintenance. This might mean coming in sooner than 3 weeks to keep them in tip top condition. If you leave them on for a moment too long, and you have a chip/crack/lifting/damage, you will feel more inclined to pick them all off. The key is to maintain them BEFORE they start showing signs of falling apart.

What kind of nail extension services do you offer?

We offer 2 types of gel extensions should you want additional length. One is sculptured gel extensions, meaning we sculpt the extensions from scratch using nail forms as a guide. These are more time consuming but you will have natural looking, strong extensions that will not ache or feel tight from ill-fitted tips, they can also be infilled as they grow out for long term maintenance. The other is full-cover tip soft gel extensions, these are preformed full cover nail tips made of soft gel, and adhered to your nails with gel. The wearability and lastingness is the same as sculpted nails, they also take slightly less time to apply which allows for more room for artistic freedom should you want a full set of nail art, however we do not infill full cover gel tips.

Why do you not service walk-in clients?

We are a strictly appointment-only boutique nail salon. This means that every session is dedicated to you and your nails. In order to give every client the best experience, we have to operate on a schedule that ensures the appropriate time for each nail session is planned and booked accordingly. We do not believe in highly rushed in-and-out jobs, if that is the experience you are accustomed to and expect from us, we are unfortunately not the right salon for you. We care for each client and have created a relaxing, sensory friendly space to provide the best possible experience. Please do not ring our intercom if you do not have a scheduled appointment with us. We do not have a reception desk, and are often busy with clients so we are not able to answer your enquiries in person. We also do not take phone enquiries for this reason, please contact us via email and we will get back to you within a reasonable time frame.

Do you do private events or bookings?

Yes! We are selective with the events we partake due to our busy schedule but are always open to discussions should you need a vendor for a private or corporate event. Please email us via the contact page for more information.