How Did The First Nail Artists Inspire Today’s Artisans?

One of the fastest-growing markets for nail salons, technicians and professional tools is in the field of nail art, with a tremendous demand for unique, elaborate and expressive nails that go far beyond the simple perfection of a French manicure.

However, whilst designing nails to fit around other interests, hobbies and loves is relatively new, the concept of nail art even in this intricate and advanced form is much older than many people in the salon might appreciate.

Examples of nail paints and dyes have existed for potentially 7000 years, with examples of both women and men wearing nail paint made from henna, kohl and very early nail polishes in Ancient Egypt, Babylonia and China.

What makes this so fascinating is that whilst these three traditions are so different, the idea of painting, protecting and decorating nails was developed in parallel and became a universal part of society.

However, whilst they were certainly artistic, they were not strictly nail art by the definition we tend to use today, typically consisting of blocks of colour, dusting and staining.

This changed with the Inca Empire from at least 1438 AD, although due to the lack of written records, there is a chance that the Incas and their nail art tradition is much older than this.

Whilst nail care has often had not only health implications but religious and ritualistic ones, the Inca paid particular significance to them, with a connection between long, well-kept nails and overall health.

They also developed nail art designs using cultural symbols such as eagles, the sun, the moon and the stars, all of which were part of Inca cosmology, as well as animals such as eagles, condors and snakes.

The particular focus on natural materials that protect the health of the nails has become increasingly important with nail art materials today, as it is important for nails to not only look good but also make people feel good when wearing them.