10 Curiosities about the history of the manicure and how it could influence society

Nowadays, it seems like we know everything about manicures. Modern women, and even men, take good care of their nails, regularly visit the salon, and experiment with all sorts of colors, designs, and lengths. Even Pushkin wrote that: “It is possible to be a good man and think about the beauty of your nails”.

we, from awesome.club, we always want to know more, so we dive into the history of the manicure and discover 10 interesting facts that go back to antiquity. Check out!

The Egyptians painted their nails to indicate social status. The upper class painted in shades of red and orange, while the lower class, on the other hand, used only neutral and pastel colors. Queen Cleopatra, for example, loved the color terracotta. It was made from henna.

Pharaohs also had their own manicurists. And this position was considered quite prestigious, so much so that the old masters had their titles indicated on the tombs when they died.

Having long nails was only allowed for the elite. Their length could reach 15 cm, which, by modern standards, is surreal. To protect them, the Chinese upper class used special thimbles made of precious metals and stones, which, on the other hand, also clearly stated that the person did not do any physical work.

Nails were very important to the Chinese back in the day. For example, if someone died, the nails were trimmed and buried together with the deceased. They were also considered a romantic gift, just cut them and send to the loved one.

Long, painted nails were believed to be the hallmark of witches, lost and sinful women. The poorest women could be accused of witchcraft just for having long fingernails. Thus, it was customary to cut them with a knife or sand them with a kind of sandpaper.

In the 17th century, French subjects grew nails, but not on all fingers, just the little finger. It was considered impolite to knock loudly on the door of the king’s chambers, so they had to scratch it with their fingernails. You can’t imagine how long a person stayed at the door. But the question of etiquette is a complicated thing.

In the 17th century, in Holland, nails performed an unusual and fun function. When the glass ran out of drink, the Dutch turned the empty container over on a nail, thus demonstrating that no drop of liquid fell on it. This gesture meant that the person wanted more drink.

The first false nails were invented by dentist Maxwell Lappe in 1934. The doctor came up with this idea because of patients who bit their nails. To try to stop the bad habit of customers, Lappe created inedible nails.

A little later, in the 1950s, thanks to a small accident, dentist Frederick Slack invented acrylic extensions. He decided to fix the broken nail with dental acrylic resin and a piece of aluminum foil.

Strange things were done by the English who wanted a better future for their children. There was a belief that if the son’s nails were buried, when he grew up he would become a first class singer. It’s a very controversial tradition.

An ancient tradition among Japanese weavers has remained unchanged for 700 years. Craftsmen weave yarn in a special way. And to make the job easier, they file their nails with several cut ends. During weaving, this helps to pinch the strands tighter.

Thanks to great actresses of the past, such as Rita Hayworth and Marlene Dietrich, red nails are firmly in fashion and have not lost their relevance until today. Women of that era were inspired by the bold pointed nails of movie queens and began to sell out red nail polish from store shelves.

In the 20th century, cosmetic brands used the same shade of lipstick and nail polish on models in their product advertisements. This combination seemed very effective and immediately won the hearts of women at that time. Wearing the same color on lips and nails was a sign of good taste and a sense of style.

But rules are made to be broken. Nowadays, no one strictly follows this trend anymore. Women nowadays are not afraid to experiment and trust the harmony of the look as a whole.

Do you prefer to do your own manicure or do you rely more on the hands of professionals? It’s because? Tell us in the comments section.