Questions and answers

Melina works by appointment in the Vienna and Tysons area of Northern Virginia, a short drive from McLean, Oakton, Falls Church and Fairfax. The exact address and parking details come with your appointment confirmation. See Vienna and Tysons for getting there.

Send a request through the booking form with the service, the days that suit you and, if you like, a photo of the look you want. Melina replies personally to confirm a time. You can also message @melix_nailart on Instagram.

No. Every appointment is one-on-one and planned ahead, so there is time for careful prep and the design you asked for.

English, Persian (Farsi) and Turkish. You are welcome to write your request in any of the three.

A dry manicure done with an electric file. The non-living cuticle is removed from the nail plate and gel color is set close to the skin, so the finish looks crisp and grows out neatly. The Russian manicure page explains the technique and its safety.

It depends on the finish. The natural finish takes about an hour, gel color about an hour and a half, and builder gel about an hour and three quarters, and the price follows the time. Each finish is listed on this page with its price once the list is published; until then, Melina quotes it before you book.

By level, not by the nail. Level 1 covers simple accents on a few nails, Level 2 is detailed hand-painted work across the set, and Level 3 is sculpted 3D art, which is quoted from your photo. Art is added to any base service.

It is the starting price for that option. Fills depend on how much has grown, and bridal packages depend on your design and the number of people. Your request comes back with an exact quote before anything is booked.

Mention it in your request. Removal adds time, so Melina includes it in your quote and books enough time for it. She removes product carefully and never peels or pries it off.

Not without talking to you first. The quote you agree on is the price. If you decide to add art or change your design in the chair, Melina tells you the difference before she starts.

The prep. A regular manicure usually softens the skin in water and trims around the nail with nippers. A Russian manicure stays dry, and an electric file with fine bits lifts the non-living cuticle off the nail plate so gel color can sit close to the skin. The finish looks sharper up close, and the regrowth line stays tidier as your nails grow.

It shouldn't. You will feel a light vibration and some warmth from the file. Melina adjusts the bit, speed and pressure to your skin as she works, and if anything stings or feels hot, tell her and she stops and changes her approach. You shouldn't bleed, and your fingers shouldn't feel sore afterwards.

Used carefully, it shouldn't be. The known risks are over-thinning the nail plate (the sore red arcs near the cuticle that nail professionals call "rings of fire"), heat from a bit held too long in one spot, and injury to the skin around the nail. Melina files old product down rather than into your nail, keeps the bit moving at low speed near the cuticle, and never peels or pries gel off. The safety section covers both sides of the debate.

You can have the prep with no gel at all. The natural finish is cuticle work, shaping and oil, with no acrylate products. If you have reacted to gel before, with itching, redness or small bumps around the nails, avoid gel until a dermatologist has patch-tested you. Gel nail allergy, explained covers the signs and what a HEMA-free gel can and can't do.

The extensions themselves stay on until they are removed, but your natural nail keeps growing underneath. A gel fill about every three weeks is the usual rhythm, to rebalance the set before the growth changes its strength and shape. Past four weeks, a fill usually turns into a rebuild.

The damage people associate with extensions usually comes from aggressive filing of the natural nail, peeling or prying sets off, and skipping fills until the nail lifts. Melina files the product rather than your nail, removes old sets carefully, and will tell you honestly if your nails need a break or a structured gel manicure instead.

Both add length. Acrylic is a liquid and a powder that set by chemical reaction at room temperature, with no lamp, and it has a strong smell while it is worked. Gel is shaped and then cured under a lamp. Sculpted gel can be kept thin at the cuticle, which suits the clean, sheer looks and fine art Melina is known for.

If you have had itching, redness or swelling around your nails after gel, don't book extensions until a dermatologist has patch-tested you. The usual culprit is an acrylate such as HEMA, and a HEMA-free gel is not guaranteed to be allergy-free, because related acrylates can cause the same reaction. Gel nail allergy, explained covers the signs.

The sculpted pieces are cured and sealed into the manicure, so they last as long as the set underneath, usually around three weeks. Raised pieces take more knocks than a flat nail, so a petal can chip if it catches on something hard. If that happens in the first days, message Melina and she will look at it.

They can, a little, especially on loose knits. Melina shapes the edges smooth and keeps the tallest pieces to accent nails, so they usually feel natural within a day. If you work with your hands a lot, ask for a lower-profile design and she will adjust the height.

Yes, as long as there is enough nail to hold the piece. Small pearls, a single bow or a low floral work well on short natural nails with structured gel. Larger bouquets and bows look best on gel extensions, which give the art a stronger base.

Book the trial four to six weeks before the wedding and the final set one to three days before. Gel is fully cured when you leave, so there is nothing to smudge, and the timing leaves a day to get used to the length and room for a quick fix if anything catches.

About three months ahead is comfortable. Nationally, October and June are the most popular wedding months, with September close behind, according to The Knot, and weekend appointments in those months go first. If your wedding falls then, send your inquiry as soon as you have the date.

It is the part brides value most. A trial lets you see the shape, color and any 3D details on your own hands, in daylight and in photos, and change your mind while there is still time. It also shows how your nails wear with your routine. It is not an allergy test, so if you have ever reacted to gel, tell Melina and see a dermatologist first.

No. In Virginia, nail care for pay must be done in a licensed salon, according to the state licensing board (DPOR), so the bride and bridal party come to the atelier in the days before the wedding. The wedding-week set is timed so you only need cuticle oil on the day.

Soft pinks, milky nudes and sheer finishes flatter most skin tones and never compete with the ring. Chrome and pearl finishes catch the light in close-ups. If your palette is bold, a burgundy or cherry French keeps it elegant. Bring a fabric swatch or a flower photo to the consultation.

Tell Melina how many sets of nails you need and your dates, and she will plan the appointments across the days before the wedding so no one is rushed. The bride is scheduled first, so everyone else can match her final colors.

Yes. Melina speaks English, Persian and Turkish, and is happy to design around a Persian aghd or aroosi, a Turkish henna night or any tradition, from colors to small symbolic details.

Disinfection kills most germs on a cleaned tool, by immersing it in a registered disinfectant for a set time. Sterilization destroys all microbial life, including bacterial spores. An autoclave sterilizes with saturated steam under pressure, which the CDC calls the most widely used and most dependable sterilization method.

No. Virginia requires salons to clean tools and fully immerse them in an EPA-registered disinfectant for at least ten minutes between clients. Sterilizing metal tools in an autoclave goes further than that legal minimum, which is why Melina does it and opens the sealed pouch in front of you.

No. Porous items such as nail files, buffers and sanding bands cannot be disinfected, let alone sterilized, so they are new for every client and thrown away after your appointment.

No salon that uses gel can honestly promise "non-toxic". Gels contain acrylates that can cause allergies, and removers contain solvents. What matters is how products are handled: kept off your skin, applied in thin layers and cured fully. Ask Melina which brands she uses, and if you have reacted to gel before, choose a gel-free natural manicure.

Mention it in your request or when you arrive. Melina will not work over broken or infected skin, and may suggest waiting or adapting the service. If a nail or the skin around it is red, swollen, painful or oozing, see a doctor first.

That is the point. The sealed pouch is opened at your seat at the start of your appointment, so you can see it for yourself. Ask anything you like about the process.

A gel allergy often shows as itching, redness, swelling or small bumps around the nails and fingertips, and it can also appear on the face or neck. The usual cause is an acrylate called HEMA. If it happens, stop wearing gel and see a dermatologist, who can confirm it with a patch test. Gel nail allergy, explained.

No. HEMA-free gel removes the most common nail allergen, but related acrylates can cause the same reaction, and an allergy to one can extend to others. If you have reacted before, see a dermatologist before trying any gel, HEMA-free or not. A natural Russian manicure with no gel is always an option.

Studies that measured nail lamps put the added skin-cancer risk as small, and the FDA has described curing lamps as low risk when used as directed. LED lamps still give off UVA, so the American Academy of Dermatology recommends a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen or dark fingerless gloves. If you take a medicine that makes your skin sensitive to light, ask your doctor and wear gloves or sunscreen. What the research says.

MotherToBaby, which answers questions about exposures in pregnancy, says routine nail treatments shouldn't be a cause for concern, and that good airflow helps. If a smell makes you feel lightheaded, step outside for fresh air. Ask your own doctor or midwife if you have any questions.

Talk to your podiatrist or doctor first. The American Podiatric Medical Association advises people with diabetes or poor circulation to get a pedicure plan from their podiatrist. Mention it in your request so Melina can follow that plan, adapt the service or suggest waiting.

If a nail or the skin around it is painful, swollen, oozing or spreading red, if a nail turns green or black, or if it starts to separate from the skin, see a doctor, dermatologist or podiatrist. An infected or changing nail should never be covered with gel.

Search the name or license number on DPOR License Lookup and check that the status is current. DPOR also suggests checking for past disciplinary actions, or calling (804) 367-8590. Licenses should be posted in plain view in the salon.

Message Melina with a photo as soon as you notice it and she will book a repair. Don't glue it or pick at it, because water trapped under lifted gel can lead to a green bacterial discoloration. For brides, anything that lifts or chips under normal wear before the wedding is fixed free, as part of The Bride Edit.

Yes. Mention it in your request so enough time is booked. Removal is included in your quote, and the product is filed down carefully, never peeled or pried off.

Yes, with a parent or guardian. A parent or guardian makes the booking and gives consent for anyone under 18.

Message Melina as soon as you know, so the time can go to someone else and she can offer you another day.