Hi-Tech Nails

I was in a rush to get a gel mani about a month ago, so I stopped in on my way home from work. I’ve gotten gel manicures for the past three or so years at various salons throughout the city, so I’m pretty familiar with the process. I do bite my cuticles, so I expect some sort of comment every time I get a manicure. Most of the time, nail techs know when not to touch a hangnail, but not the techs here. The women was ROUGH and kept pulling at already irritated skin– like oh, maybe if I keep trying to cut this, it’ll magically fix itself? Wrong, so so so wrong. I didn’t bleed, but I did notice that all ten of my cuticles were extremely itchy for the next few days. Like an itch I couldn’t scratch. They’re also seriously inflamed, which probably isn’t normal.
So, the gel manicure looked great. She used an additional base coat, which seemed odd but without knowing what it was/​does, I wasn’t complaining. I’m guessing whatever this base coat was is the reason that six of my ten gels literally peeled off within days of getting the manicure. I know that as you get closer to the two week mark, gel can start to peel and chip, which is expected. But I mean, these things peeled entirely off my fingers in one full swoop. I’ve never seen anything like that before, and I was shocked, given the $ 30 price tag (versus the $ 25 at pretty much every other salon I’ve been to).
So, silly me goes back to show them what happened, and asks for a regular manicure (guessing my nails need a breather at this point anyway). I mentioned that my cuticles were really inflamed and itchy after my last visit, and was basically brushed off. Then, I watched as the waxer (because the chair is literally in the middle of the salon) USED THE SAME WAXING STICK FOR THE ENTIRE EYEBROW WAX. I was literally staring in disgust, and she kept making eye contact with me, but clearly didn’t care. I’m not entirely sure of cleanliness policies or laws or whatever, but I know this is a huge issue. My nail tech saw me staring and asked if I was interested in getting my eyebrows done, which I obviously responded «no, not after watching that». Again, I was brushed off.
This is definitely one of the dirtiest and unclean salons I have ever been to. I wouldn’t recommend going here unless you’re looking to catch something.

Solid place to get your nails done. No frills, no fuss-​you will be in and out quickly, which is good if you are in a rush. Solid job with acrylics, polish, and pedicures. Price is reasonable. All of the people working here are nice and friendly. Much better than other nail salons nearby. I come here often when I need my nails done in the city.

I do gel nails twice a month there. Good prices, stuff is always helpful and takes you right in. I like the quality of work they do. Always helping to choose the color and style for my nails. I like going there and would recommend this salon to my friends.

So i went here to get a set of acrylics (not something i do but im a big nail biter, my nails have always been fragile which causes me to bite them every time they break, more so OCD) anywho, I enjoyed the first time i got them done here, they were nice and not too thin but thin enough to look so natural. The place isn’t the most appealing but you get what you pay for. After a week or so, i noticed how the woman who did my nails didn’t really clean up very well, meaning the edges were all a mess. When I went back yesterday for a fill, I was put with a new woman, hoping she’d be able to fix them. She looked at them and asked me where I got them done, and i told «here!» She told me she could fix them for me and have them look much much better. I was relieved but at the same time worried for my nails because of them being so fragile, to have them removed, shaved down and applied again i was scared for my nails, but I did it anyway. I had to use acetone for one of my hands, and once they were dipped in there for about 5 minutes she removed them and then proceeded to fill the bottle back up with that used acetone… yeah, thats not appealing at all. She did a well enough job, but she was definitely rough on my nails & maybe it was my mistake but I didn’t know i would have to pay full price for the set again as she came across as just fixing them for me since she saw the horrible set i had before. They are a little too thick for my liking, but the shape is perfect. Anywho I left this place paying more than i needed to & ended up paying for the other woman’s mistake. I didn’t even want to go here but it was the closest to me and figured i’d give them one more shot. Maybe for regular mani’s they’re good but im all set here !

I went here on the recommendation of a coworker and I’m happy with my experience. The technician I had was extremely efficient and did a great job on my pedicure. There was nothing special about it and I was in and out of the chair in less than 30 minutes. The manicure was just as efficient, and she did a fine job on the polish for both. If I was looking for a flawless nail job I would probably go elsewhere, but for a quick trip during a late lunch (for a manicure and pedicure, no shellac, I was in and out in 45 minutes) it’ll do just fine.

If you want quick professional job, go here. I got acrylic fills and French shellac while in town. They got me in and out. Great job. This is not a foo foo nail salon. It’s very crowded and rush rush which is exactly what I needed. Nothing spa like about this place. BUT girls were great, nice and my nails are gorgeous. Great for nails, your in and out! The girl gave me a back rub when I was waiting for nails to dry. It felt good but it was strange. Never had that before. I had Kim! She was so sweet!

I go here when I am in really a jam, just because it is easy to get in and out. Nothing to look at. It’s a very busy salon, so realize there is no glam or relaxation. Go in, get it done, and leave. They own the salon a couple of doors down too. First of all, depending on who you get, they move fairly quickly. I do not get my Pedi’s here. In any nail salon I have been to, I always check to see how they sanitize their tools. I always ask politely if they can wipe down their utensils with alcohol just as a precaution.
They do great eye brow waxing. I will give them that!

This is my go-​to place for manis, pedis, and waxes. Kelly and Tracey do such a good job in all three areas. They are meticulous, skillful, and sweet.
I don’t think I’m an easy customer, and they are good about attending to my whims. I like to have seasonal nails and will bring in pictures of designs which they generally do a good job of replicating. It seems their goal is to make my nails pretty and to make me happy, and if that means redoing a nail that got slightly messed up, or adding on another coat, they will go that extra mile to achieve perfection.
My eyebrows are also pretty difficult and easy to mess up. The half closer to my nose grows vertically and the rest diagonally– this means that if you accidentally pluck out one of the vertical ones, it will leave a gap in my eyebrows (highly unattractive). Tracey knew exactly what she had to do with them right away (she explained to me– you have to trim the vertical ones and pluck the diagonal ones) and she makes them beautiful every time.
The reason I’m giving four stars rather than five is that not all the nail techs know what they’re doing. I have had bad experiences here with a few of the other women, but I now usually just make appointments with either Kelly or Tracey to guarantee good service. My advice would be to do the same… just don’t book them when I need them XP

I joined Unilocal so that I could post a picture of the manicure I can’t believe I paid money for. I’m not exaggerating when I say I could have done this better myself.

I love this place. I’ve gotten my nails done here probably around 20 times, and I’ve never had a bad experience. The women are so kind, quick, and really go the extra mile even though their prices are very reasonable ($ 11 for a manicure). I got a normal manicure 10 days ago and it still looks totally perfect as if I got it yesterday. I also appreciate the massage chairs they have for pedicures. You can treat yourself here without breaking the bank.

I miss this place like crazy! They are the best, correction kelly is the best. She does wonderful nails and eyebrow waxes, she is literally a saint and would make my lunch breaks when I worked downtown!

Decided to explore Boston since I had hours to kill before my layover… my nails started to chip over the weekend and I needed a new gel mani ASAP for the wedding I’m traveling to. The woman did a fantastic job, got rid of all my cuticle snags and issues, and did a great job on the paint! Gel removal w a new gel mani only cost $ 30. I’ll take it!

I work at Empire Beauty School and my director was a nail tech for 17 years. I know the do’s and don’ts. Most places don’t do gels to make them last. Kelly does! She listens to how I like it (water free/​buffer on the nail bed free). They look great and stay! Love her!

OK so I was really happy with this place. It’s not Elizabeth Grady or anything fancy but it’s perfect for what I needed, so yea I am a fan!
Your typical cheap nails salon in the Boston area. I went before the lunch rush around 11a and was done and out before 11:45a, which is what I was hoping for. Tons of OPI an Essie colors to choose from. The women working there were really nice and efficient! Cost for a pedi was 23 dollars which was only three dollars more than my usual place at home. Totally worth it for a working mom who has NO time to do this after work or on weekends! I will be back!
Quick tip — the women who did my toes said that they do get busy during the lunch rush, so if you can swing it earlier is better!

If I could give this place negative stars I would. DO NOT GO HERE. This place needs to be shut down. I went here with very very low expectations just based on the storefront and dirty interior-​I was prepared for a half assed quick job. All I was looking for was a decent paint job on my toes and about 20 mins of semi-​relaxation for a pedicure, so let me repeat I was not expecting to be wow-​ed in any way.
Well, for starters I had to literally climb over someone else to get into the pedicure chair since they wouldn’t move out of the way (weird). That should have been an omen and I should have walked out, but nope I was in a good mood and thought naively «how bad could it be?»
Horrible. Painful.
The water was cold. Not tepid. Not not-​warm. But ICE COLD. In my nicest of voices I must have politely indicated that the water was freezing and that it needed to be hot about 8 – 10 times. I refused to even put my feet in because it was basically an ice bath. I was met with hostile stares and a very small attempt to turn some knob that would make the water go from basically ice to a little less icy. This went on for the first ten minutes or so… I actually had my feet out of the tub the entire time because she wouldn’t change the temperature. I even had her put her hand in to understand, but nope, still no changing it… I was pretty much just befuddled at this point.
Little did I know the worst was yet to come. The filing and scraping was the usual kind of awkward affair that is always a little uncomfortable so I just took out my kindle and tried to float away in my head after a long work week when suddenly I literally UnilocalED in pain-​this woman had cut my cuticle pretty bad. No apologies were offered even when I said: «you just cut me really bad» and pointed at the blood. Now at this point my polite voice was gone. I was just pissed off-​much like I am now.
Moving on to my second foot I am now watching like a hawk, in actual fear for my toes since my right foot now has blood dripping down it. And whaddya know-​I literally SHRIEKED in pain-​because she managed to cut me WORSE on this side, like WTF ??? She is now shoving both my feet into the icy water to rinse the blood off. Like some freaky horror movie I am watching, while in pain, my feet make a murky bloody tub. People are noticing. Two of the other salon workers come over (FINALLY) after I make a small scene-​because this woman basically is ignoring the fact that I’m gushing blood from not one, but both feet and am now soaking in my own blood.
After a few measly attempts to put like one little gauze pad and squirt some alcohol on the toes (um, ouch…) she kind of sort of acknowledges it’s bad since blood is still running down my ankles.
SO MUCH FOR RELAXING.
Fast forward about 6 long minutes of her unsuccessfully stopping the bleeding to even paint the nails-​someone finally steps in and mercilessly squirts that blue liquid on my cuticles and I promise you I am actually an extremely quiet person who hates more than anything calling attention to myself, but god help me the pain that caused: I once again pretty much Yelled at the top of my lungs. I had also had enough at this point.
More bleeding, more waiting for an apology, more expecting not to be paying for this. A beyond shitty paint job was half heartedly applied… I have never been happier to be sitting under the drier away from this butcher.
She comes over with the bill (!!!). I say, «I don’t think I should have to pay for this-​pointing to my still bleeding toes «(no joke). She then bends down and applies the top coat that she had forgotten to put on earlier… calls another woman over and they just keep giving me the bill. I pay it because I am at this point all out of stamina for aggressiveness.
But clearly I awoke at 6:30 AM today literally still seething with anger. I hope everyone in the downtown area reads this and avoids this place like the plague.
It’s worth noting that even though I sat under the drier for a good 4 run throughs my big toe smudged completely off within five minutes of leaving the place.

I’m torn.
Quality — eh. Saying «So-​So» would be generous.
Price — pretty good.
So what do you sarcifice? Getting nails done before a date on short notice because there is always someone who can take you — right away!!! — and paying next to nothing for it? Or having your nails stay pretty for roughly 24 hours, if you neglect all kinds of chores (and even working, if rigorously typing on the keyboard is in your job description).
The techs were friendly enough, the selection of nailpolish is vast enough, the establishment is clean enough. I suppose that wins me over, and the next time I want to pay $ 11 for a quickly done manicure on a day my regular manicurist is unavailable, I will be coming back.

After trying this place over and over again, spanning a few years, this place is only good if you want a manicure that isn’t perfect, people won’t be looking at them a foot away and you want a polish to last a night. Admittedly, I’ve gone here just for a quick polish if something last minute comes up and I want the nails looking a little more dapper than mid-​work-​week wear and tear. I’ve repeatedly gotten my cuticles cut, the polish is never even or looking fresh.
This is the perfect place for a mani if you want to be in and out in 20 minutes, without caring what they look like. Although the price ($ 11) for a mani is pretty darn good, I’d go with paying the extra five three or four bucks to make it a more decent-​looking and feeling job.

My First visit to Hi-​Tech went very well. Great pedicure and nice french manicure.
Went back for a fill & pedi. The pedicure was great. The french manicure fill is horrible. I am getting married on Saturday and needed the french for the wedding. My nails are a disaster. They are bumpy and you can see the fill line. Its horrible. I have to go back to see if they will fix what they messed up on but I’m not sure it will go well.

So since I wrote my last review, I have definitely become a ‘regular’ at Hi-​Tech nails. A few things I would like to note:
They continue to give me beautiful, long-​lasting manicures. I get the gel tips, and I have no complaints. I will mention though, that the lady that appears to run the salon has a tendency to burn your cuticles with the sander. Like, REALLY burn them. It hurts for a few days :\ I don’t know what her beef with cuticles is, but she really DOES NOT WANT YOU TO HAVE CUTICLES. That being said, she probably works the fastest of all the ladies, and that’s saying something.
I have now had a pedicure here, and I cannot recommend it enough. Again, they work quickly, pampering your feets and expertly applying nail polish evenly and beautifully. The chairs are modern, comfortable, and the ladies just super friendly and attentive.
There are a few nail places on Bromfield Street, but I wouldn’t trust my nails and toes to anyone else!

After a fun day of shopping and trying on Derby hats with a friend, we wanted to stop in someplace for a mani/​pedi before heading out for the night. Sadly, this was not a good choice for us. I’ve been here once before (many years ago) and I figured — it wasn’t a place that stood out as being bad, so let’s just go over there rather than chance it with a place I didn’t know.
My experience wasn’t particularly horrible, but it was lackluster. My nails are peeling just two days later… and to boot, as I was sitting in the cab on my way home, I noticed that the undersides of my nails were covered in purply/​grey nailpolish and my nailbeds were super dry. The technician didn’t give me a hand massage and I barely got a foot and leg massage that’s worth mentioning. For $ 33.00, I expected a little more.
What was so bad that I am willing to rank this place so low… my friend and I were chatting in the chairs and in the middle of a sentence, she just screams Ow, ow, OW! and jerks her foot away from the lady. The woman was like, «I was pulling a hang nail» and my friend was like, «I’m bleeding!!!» If that wasn’t enough… when she got up the courage to offer the woman her other foot… sure enough, the woman made a second toe bleed as well. Due to this, my friend decided that she didn’t want the cuticle cutter used during her manicure and asked such. The technician didn’t seem to understand and tried to use it before my friend was able to convey that it was NOT happening. After redoing her thumb THREE times with her first choice of color, my friend switched to a light pink because she just couldn’t handle it anymore.
That was the worst nail experience I’ve ever witnessed and I will not recommend this place again.