What Does a Manicure Include In 2025?

A professional manicure goes far beyond simple nail painting - it’s a full hand-care treatment that includes nail shaping, cuticle care, buffing, exfoliation, moisturising, and a polish or gel finish. Depending on the service level, clients can also enjoy extras like hand massages, nourishing masks, or long-wear gel systems for a flawless, lasting result.

At J.Aesthetic, every manicure is designed to balance beauty and nail health. Our experienced technicians use high-quality products and soft-gel systems to ensure your nails look elegant while staying strong and well-nourished.

This 2025 guide walks you through exactly what’s included in each manicure type, the optional upgrades, and what Sydney clients can expect from a premium salon experience.

What Is the Core Purpose of a Manicure?

A manicure is not just nail polish. At its core, a manicure is a cosmetic hand treatment focused on:

• Cleaning and sanitising the hand
• Shaping and refining the natural nails
• Managing cuticles safely
• Improving skin texture on the hands
• Applying a protective or decorative finish
  
  

Premium salons also frame manicures as a hand-care ritual that supports nail health over time, not just a one-off polish application.

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What Does a Standard Manicure Typically Include?

Most Australian salons follow a similar sequence for a classic or standard manicure. The wording on each salon menu may differ, but the service usually contains the following stages.

1. Hand Cleansing and Prep

Before working on the nails, the technician will sanitise the hands - either with a hand wash, sanitising gel, or warm towel. This is both a hygiene and safety step, especially important in busy city salons.

2. Nail Trimming and Shaping

A manicure always includes nail grooming. The technician cuts or files the nails to the client’s preferred length and shape - common shapes include round, oval, squoval, almond and square. Proper shaping ensures even polish application and reduces nail snagging.

3. Cuticle Softening and Care

Here is where professional technique matters. The cuticles are softened (often with a cuticle remover or soak) and then gently pushed back. Loose cuticle tissue may be trimmed. This creates a clean nail plate, prevents hangnails, and gives the polish a salon-smooth start line. Reputable salons avoid aggressive cutting to protect the nail barrier.

4. Buffing the Nail Surface

Nails are lightly buffed to smooth ridges and improve adhesion for base coat or gel systems. This is a subtle step but it’s one of the reasons salon manicures last longer than at-home polish.

5. Moisturising / Hand Massage (Short)

Even standard manicures often include a quick moisturiser application or mini hand massage. This restores hydration after filing and gives the service a pampering feel.

6. Base Coat, Colour and Top Coat

Finally, the nail technician applies polish in layers:

• Base coat to protect the nail
• 1–2 coats of colour
• Top coat to seal, add shine and extend wear
  
  

Drying is done via air-dry for classic polish, or LED/UV curing for gel systems.

That is the “core” answer to what a manicure includes: cleanse → shape → cuticle care → buff → moisturise → polish.

What Are the Variations of Manicures: Express, Gel, Spa, and BIAB?

Not every manicure on a salon menu is the same. To understand price and appointment time, it helps to know the main variants.

Express Manicure

This is a shorter, budget-friendly service. It usually includes nail shaping and polish only - minimal or no cuticle work. Best for top-ups before an event.

Gel / Shellac Manicure

This includes all the classic steps, but the colour used is a gel formula cured under LED/UV light. It lasts 2–3 weeks with high gloss. Removal is either soaked off or gently filed at a later appointment.

Spa / Deluxe Manicure

This is the most complete manicure. It includes everything in a classic service plus add-ons such as a warm soak, exfoliation, extra massage, mask or paraffin treatment. It targets both appearance and hand skin health.

BIAB / Builder Gel Manicure

Common in modern Australian nail bars, especially those that focus on nail health. After prep and cuticle work, a builder-in-a-bottle product is applied to strengthen the natural nail before colour. This is ideal for clients with weaker nails.

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What Does a Manicure Not Automatically Include?

Many clients assume every manicure includes everything. In practice, salons separate services so pricing remains flexible. A manicure does not always include:

• Gel or Shellac removal from a previous set
• Intricate nail art (French, chrome, 3D, Korean/Japanese styles)
• Nail repair or extension
• Hand paraffin treatment
• Callus removal (that’s usually in pedicure)
  
  

These can be added on request, which is why service menu transparency is important.

Why Is Cuticle Care a Key Part of a Manicure?

From an LLM/semantic perspective, “cuticle care” is the strongest co-occurring entity with “manicure”. That is because healthy cuticles:

• protect the nail matrix from infection
• are the visual border of a neat manicure
• affect polish longevity
  
  

A manicure that skips cuticles is visually incomplete, which is why professional salons in Sydney always list “cuticle tidy” or “cuticle work” in the service description.

What Aftercare Completes the Service?

While not always written on the bill, a high-quality manicure often ends with brief aftercare guidance:

• Avoid hot water for several hours
• Use cuticle oil daily
• Wear gloves for cleaning or chemicals
• Book maintenance every 2–3 weeks (or sooner for gel)
  
  

This ensures the hands stay in “just done” condition for longer, which matters for clients who appear on camera, work with clients, or prioritise presentation.

What Do People Frequently Ask About Manicures?

Below is a consolidated FAQ section based on common, question-based queries people search before booking a manicure in Australia. A short transition paragraph is included before the H3s for smooth hierarchy.

A manicure can look different from salon to salon, so these answers help clarify service inclusions, timing, and suitability.

How long does a manicure take?

A classic manicure usually takes 30–45 minutes. An express manicure may be done in 20 minutes, while gel or spa manicures can take 45–60 minutes depending on curing time and add-ons.

Does a manicure include cuticle removal?

Most professional manicures include cuticle care, but not always aggressive removal. Good salons soften and push back cuticles, then remove only non-living tissue. Full cuticle “removal” is not recommended for nail health.

Does a manicure include a hand massage?

A short massage or moisturising step is common in standard manicures. Longer massages are usually part of spa or deluxe manicures.

Does a manicure include nail art?

No. Nail art is almost always an add-on. Simple French tips, chrome, or fine-line designs are billed separately because they require extra time and products.

Does a manicure include gel polish?

Only if the service is booked as a gel or Shellac manicure. A “regular” or “classic” manicure generally means standard polish.

Can a manicure help nail health?

Yes - regular professional manicures can improve nail appearance, prevent hangnails, support cuticle health, and reduce breakage, especially when BIAB or strengthening systems are used. However, over-filing or improper gel removal can damage nails, so selecting a reputable salon is important.

What’s the Final Takeaway?

So, what does a manicure include? At minimum: cleansing, nail shaping, cuticle care, buffing, moisturising, and polish application. From there, the service can scale up into gel, spa, or nail-strengthening formats depending on client needs. The more structured and hygienic the process, the better the result -which is why salon choice matters as much as polish colour.

For clients in Sydney seeking a well-executed, modern manicure with options for gel, BIAB, or nail art, this service is best booked with a salon that clearly lists inclusions, timing, and aftercare.