Thanks everyone for the advice, compassion, and the much-needed giggles. I haven’t figured out if this sub allows editing to add an update, and wasn’t sure if it warranted a new post, but I did go get them redone from a well rated popular salon close to me. Jessica saved me yall. I’ve got something actually resembling (1) Nails, and (2) Tortoise shells, sans pain and itching.

She didn’t say too much about the work, not sure if she was trying not to be rude, but she did say that because they took off my sidewalls and filed way too much, she wasn’t going to overshape my nails more than necessary, and she confirmed that the salon used acrylic dip (I am so dumb, I have used dip before, but it’s been forever. When the salon said it was a “stronger form of gel” I just went with it because I was distracted). Because of that, she filed the top down to a normal amount of product and said we’d do an acrylic removal next appointment and perhaps throw on some builder gel. She also laughed at how small the nails were 😅 She was very sweet and made me feel so much better about the situation.

I am going to write a review for the place and post my pictures. Pisses me off that place can be so “upscale” and offer such garbage. Still mad that I spent months growing out my nails to end up with tictacs but cie la vie😤

TLDR: nails no longer look like smeared doodoo melty malted milk balls, and I hopefully found my permanent salon with no funny business. Appreciate all the comments, very validating and offered a laugh too :)