Recorded by Lao Dong reporters on February 14-15, although late at night, many nail salons in Hanoi still have lights on. Inside, waiting chairs are full of people, phones in hand are "indispensable objects" for customers while waiting to call their names.
On the nail polish counters, the sound of grinders, the bustling chatter mixed with the characteristic gel paint scent create a very "year-end" atmosphere: both busy and excited.
Real-world observations on some crowded streets show that the scene of "lining up to wait for their turn" is not uncommon. In some shops, customers come in to ask for an appointment and are informed by staff that they have to wait quite a long time because the workers are working halfway for customers first.
Many people still decide to sit down, occasionally turning to ask each other "what model do you do", "how do you grow eyelashes", and then laughing: "It's near Tet, it's crowded, that's right!". The impatience is there, but mostly replaced by an acceptance mentality: if you want to be beautiful, you have to wait.
On Bach Dang street (Hoan Kiem district), Ms. Phuong Linh, owner of a nail salon, said that the number of customers near Tet has increased sharply compared to normal days. "Near Tet, customers are very crowded, the store decided to work all night to serve customers," she said, still quickly checking the employee's appointment schedule.
According to Ms. Linh, on peak days, customers not only come for nails but also combine many services, making each service longer, so the waiting time increases.
Not only a few scattered locations, overload is happening in many places. Many nail salons and hair salons in Hanoi are fully booked until the 29th of Tet, customers often have to book early; employees work shifts, extend working hours, even work overnight but still "cannot handle it".
In the eyelash extension segment - a "refurbished item" chosen by many women because it quickly creates a fresh face effect - the establishments are also constantly full. Some workers share a tight work schedule, working from morning to night, processing many sets of eyelashes every day to be ready to return customers in time. Many stores extend their operating hours to late nights, customers who arrive late still try to sit and wait because "it's almost Tet".
Along with the overload are changes in operating methods: prioritizing customers who book appointments, limiting "sudden" customer reception, even some places only accept regular customers or arrange them according to time frames to avoid "breakdown". Some establishments also apply peak hour surcharges, or encourage customers to finalize services early to ensure progress.
In addition, this year's Tet holiday schedule also creates "push" causing demand to accumulate: there are proposals for extended holidays for many days during Tet 2026, causing many people to want to complete their beauty treatments before the holidays.
In the line of people waiting for 2-3 hours at Hanoi nail salons, it is easy to encounter very ordinary stories: some people take advantage of getting their nails done after work to be ready to go home to clean up; some young people book appointments for many weeks but still come early because they are afraid of traffic jams; some women bring their children along, while waiting and reminding their children "sit well, mom, finishing, I'll go home to wrap cakes". All contribute to creating a Tet season picture: busy but warm, tired but happy.
Near Tet, nail salons - eyelash extensions with many customers are not only a story of "prosperous" services, but also reflect a spiritual need: everyone wants to reward themselves with a little radiance after a hard year. And sometimes, a few hours of waiting for beautiful nails or curled eyelashes is a pleasant "stop" amidst the busy pace of the end of the year so that people see Tet is very near.
