History of Nail Care

Nowadays, going to the nail salon is considered as treating yourself. It’s part of a self-care routine for some people, and some even enjoy going to the nail salon with their friends. But did you know that caring for your nails goes way back? It’s actually challenging to determine exactly when nail treatments started in history. This is because it seems like it originated from different parts of the world all at the same time.

Nail Care in the Ancient World

According to an article from a well-known lifestyle magazine, nail care can be traced as far back as the time of the ancient Babylonian. Men from ancient Babylonia were known to manicure and color their nails using kohl, which is a powder that has been used since the ancient times for cosmetic purposes. Ancient Babylonian men would wear different colors on their nails to symbolize the societal class where they belong. Those who were in the upper part of society wore black while those at the bottom wore green.

Fast forward to a few thousand years during the glory days of ancient Egypt, and we have the most famous figures during this time, Cleopatra and Queen Nefertiti. They are known as the pioneers of living lavishly and surrounded by all kinds of luxuries.

Cleopatra and Nefertiti are also known to have popularized nail by rubbing their hands in lush oils and putting color on their nails using henna. Both ladies believed that taking care of your nails is a reflection of your wealth and status in society. They also believed that the bolder the color, the more power you had. In fact, Cleopatra’s known favorite color is a blood-red hue while Nefertiti leans towards ruby.

How about nail care in China? During the Ming Dynasty, both the female and male members had perfectly manicured nails. They stood out from everybody else by having talon-like nails, which also has a tint to it. To do this, they used a mixture of egg whites, wax, vegetable dyes, and other materials to create a wide range of colors.

Nail Care in the 19th Century

Thanks to drastic social and technological advancements in history, new tools have been developed specifically for nail care. Of course, these are still not close to what you usually see at your favorite nail salon, but it’s almost similar. In Europe back in 1830, a podiatrist or a foot doctor named Dr. Sitts invented a wooden manicure tool. This tool was actually an adaptation of a dental tool for nail care purposes.

After a few years, his legacy was continued on by his niece, who invented a nail care line specifically for women of any social class. This new product eventually made its way to the United States nail salons.

Nail Care in 20th Century

In 1907, the first liquid nail polish was invented, but it was colorless. This all changed during the 1920s when the automobile industry was booming. Women started to color their nails using high-gloss car paint. Due to its popularity together with advancements in technology, Revlon finally launched the first-ever polish that used pigments instead of dyes. This was in 1932, and it was also a big factor that such a product was available in drug stores. The 1930s also saw the popularity of flappers and silver screen actresses, which resulted in the popularity of the half-moon technique as well as the French manicure.

When the colorful 1970s came in, people saw the rise of artificial nails. These looked exactly like real nails and are usually long. Artificial nails are popularly worn by rich people. With more and more tools and technologies being available, nail salons started to offer a wider range of manicure services.

Nail Care in Present Times

Did you know that pedicure or caring for your feet and toenails only became popular during the beginning of the 21st century? This led to the blossoming of the nail care industry and resulted in the doubling of nail salons in the U.S. in the year 2000. Today, each salon offers an array of services. Whether its nail extensions, nail art, 3D nails or putting different gems on your nails check if your favorite nail salon offers these types of services.

Looking to get inspired? Or perhaps you can’t decide on the service that you want? Browse through our how-to pages and see great options for DIY nail care style!