There are loads of sketchy things that can potentially happen at a nail salon. We’ve all heard horror stories of weird infections from improperly-cleaned foot baths or shared tools. But one of the more under-the-radar infringements is when nail salons try to cheap out and use potentially-hazardous (but cheaper) products on their clients’ nails.

Jenna Hipp, a “green” nail stylist in Hollywood, California for RGB nail polishes, shares six warning signs that a nail salon might be faking what they’re really using:

  1. Their prices are significantly discounted compared to nearby locations.
  2. They’re secretive about the brand of products they are using or the containers are smeared or old (which could mean they’re re-filling reputable companies’ containers with illegal product).
  3. The product they’re using has poor adhesion, so that your natural nail must be excessively filed, usually with a drill.
  4. Excessive use of drills (this would be because the MMA acrylic is very hard and rigid).
  5. There’s an unusually strong odor that’s sharp and sometimes fruity and you see that nail technicians are wearing masks to prevent inhalation.
  6. It takes a long time to soak off the acrylic nails, so a technician is using a pick and/or drilling it off; or removing them by forcing a nail tip between the natural nail and the enhancement

READ MORE: Black Eyes From Nail Polish, and Other Potential Reactions