Locations · Tennessee Overview Salons Prices

Memphis · Midtown · Cooper-Young · East Memphis · Cordova · Whitehaven

Memphis's insider guide to exceptional nails.

Memphis does statement nails — long, sculpted, hand-finished sets are a hometown craft here, anchored by a deep tradition of Black-owned salons — at prices that make the coastal markets look absurd. We're mapping it the way we mapped LA and Atlanta: honestly, salon by salon.

Start with the price guide See review progress
Intricate hand-painted work, priced per nail
Intricate hand-painted work, priced per nail.
Art sets
Art sets — the reason people follow a tech, not a salon.
What you're paying for: time, skill and product
What you're paying for: time, skill and product.

The Memphis guides

The price guide is live now; the curated salon directory is in active research. Meanwhile, every technique deep-dive applies here too.

Pricing · 2026 rates

What Nails Cost in Memphis

Typical Memphis ranges for every service — what moves the price across the metro, and the cost-per-week math.

Read the price guide →

Directory · In research

Memphis Salons Worth Knowing

We're reviewing salons across Midtown and Cooper-Young, East Memphis and the Poplar corridor, Whitehaven, Cordova, Orange Mound and downtown now. See how the review works and nominate your favorite.

See the directory →

The list · Researched

The 11 Best Salons in Memphis

A researched shortlist of the Memphis salons that come up again and again in public reviews — with neighborhoods and addresses.

See the list →

Styles · Deep dives

The Techniques

Russian manicures, Gel-X vs. acrylic vs. dual forms, pedicure tiers and finishes — every guide in our styles library applies in Memphis too.

Explore nail styles →

Know the neighborhoods

Memphis rewards knowing where the craft lives — and the craft is spread right across the city.

$$ · Indie studios

Midtown & Cooper-Young

The walkable creative core: small owner-operated studios doing custom art and structured gel, unhurried and reasonably priced.

$$$ · The polish

East Memphis & the Poplar Corridor

The city’s upscale tier — extended spa menus, immaculate classics, and the top of the Memphis table, which is still gentle by national standards.

$ · The legacy

Whitehaven & South Memphis

Long-running salons where sculpted statement sets have been a craft for decades — genuine skill, deep client loyalty, and the friendliest prices in the city.

$$ · Suburban comfort

Cordova & Germantown

Systematized suburban salons with predictable service, spa pedicure menus and easy online booking.

$$ · Neighborhood staples

Orange Mound & Binghampton

Established neighborhood salons with regulars by name and no upsell theater — the everyday backbone of the city.

$$ · Downtown convenience

Downtown & South Main

Quick, clean and competent work for the downtown and tourist crowd, priced for the location but nowhere near a coastal downtown.

Where to get your nails done in Memphis

The quick answers people (and their AI assistants) ask us most — pulled straight from our Memphis neighborhood and price guides.

Where should I get my nails done in Memphis?

Midtown and Cooper-Young for indie studios doing custom art, East Memphis and the Poplar corridor for the upscale spa menus and classics, Whitehaven and South Memphis for legacy salons famous for sculpted statement sets at the friendliest prices, Cordova and Germantown for reliable suburban rooms, and Orange Mound and Binghampton for neighborhood staples. The Nail Guide’s curated Memphis directory is in active research; the neighborhood guide and price table help you choose now.

How much does a manicure cost in Memphis?

A gel manicure in Memphis typically runs $28–45 in 2026, a Russian (dry) manicure $55–95, and a spa pedicure $40–70. See the full Memphis price guide for every service.

What is Memphis best known for in nails?

Memphis is known for long, sculpted, hand-finished statement sets — a hometown craft rooted in a deep tradition of Black-owned salons — and it offers some of the best art-per-dollar in the country, with a full custom set costing what a plain gel manicure runs on the coasts.