Salon visits can be wonderful, but with prices that run anywhere from $12-$100 for such basic services as manicures, waxes, massages and facials, it's an incredibly expensive routine to maintain. Especially when you consider that a short week after a salon visit you're already in need of some touchups. Your nail polish may be chipped, and is that a blemish blooming? Two weeks after your visit and even more signs of disrepair are appearing. Your brows are begging for a touchup and your shoulders feel permanently clinched! But who can afford to go back to the salon on a weekly or even a bi-monthly basis? 

The reality is that maintaining a top salon look simply is something most of us cannot comfortably afford. This doesn't mean you still can't look well cared for. It just means you might need to become a bit more proficient at doing your own beauty treatments between salon visits. 

This may sound daunting at first - but practice makes perfect and the money you will save makes it well worth the effort. An additional benefit is that self-pampering can improve your mental outlook as well as your physical appearance by giving you an often much-needed break from hectic schedules and demanding loved ones. 
 
 

Getting Started
A good way to get started with at-home care is to first receive the services professionally a few times. During these visits, instead of just letting yourself drift off in dreamland, be sure to take careful mental notes about the procedure. For example, when receiving a professional manicure, note such things as the order that products are put on your nails, what kinds of products are used, and how long the manicurist waits before applying the next layer. This new knowledge will certainly come in handy later when you embark on your own do-it-yourself adventure. And even if you aren't able to purchase the identical brands used in the salon, do-it-yourself products abound in the retail market place and you should be able to find similar products designed to accomplish the same end results. 
 
 

Realizing the Savings
Purchasing the essential equipment and products does require an initial financial investment, but remember that you will be enjoying the savings from fewer salon visits for years to come! For example, say you currently go to the salon once a week for a manicure that, with tax and tip, costs you $15 a week. With 52 weeks in the year you're spending $780 a year on manicures. Let's say you cut down to monthly manicures and start giving yourself at-home manicures between your salon visits. Your expenses now consist of 12 salon visits ($180) plus the cost of at-home manicures ($60) putting your new yearly total for maintaining your nails at $240. That's a savings of $540! Think of the shoes you could buy with that money. When you consider other salon services like deluxe manicures, waxes or facials, where the cost is easily $30 to $70 or more per visit, the savings with at-home care can be even greater. Best of all, since buying refills for your at-home kits is often cheaper than the initial investment of buying the equipment, your savings will go up every year! 
 
 

Taking Care of Yourself
Once you've invested in the proper tools and products, your next step is to start practicing. And remember, these are skills that you're not born with but that you can learn. So if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. And just like making a salon appointment, set aside time in your schedule for this activity where outside distractions like phone calls are not allowed. Also make the most of these at-home salon experiences by creating a relaxing environment with music, candles, and soothing scents. Taking care of yourself in this way will not only make you look better, it will make you feel better. Who knows, you might find you actually prefer this alone time over your salon visits, especially when you consider there's no commute and you can wear your pajamas! 

Of course the salon still has its place in life. And for those special occasions there's still no replacement for receiving a professional's expert touch. But with your newfound skills, you'll no longer have to let yourself go between those special-occasion salon visits.