Nai Art

Nail art is a creative way to paint, decorate, enhance, and embellish the nails. It is a type of artwork that can be done on fingernails and toenails, usually after manicures or pedicures. A manicure and a pedicure are beauty treatments that trim, shape, and polish the nail. Often these procedures remove the cuticles and soften the skin around the nails. The exact origin of nail treatments is unclear, since it appears to have originated in different parts of the world around the same time. In ancient Egypt, from 5000 B.C. to 3000 B.C., women would dye their nails with henna to indicate social status and seductiveness. Women of the lower class wore pastel and neutral shades, while the upper classes wore deep, bright shades. 

The nail care industry has been growing like never before ever since the invention of modern nail polish.^[10] In 2012, the United States witnessed a surging popularity of nail art.^[11] in the same year, a short nail art documentarywas released: "NAILgasm". The film explored the growing trend of nail art; from women across the world to high fashion runways.^[12] In 2014, Nailpolis.com, the online Museum of Nail Art was founded for nail artists and hobbyists to share their designs. It is free to visit this website, however, only members of Nailpolis are allowed to share their art.^[13] Women commonly use YouTube and Pinterest to learn how to do the newest and most interesting designs at home.

Nail art’s popularity in media started with printed press with women magazines. It had an important role but it was not a mainstream fashion trend before 2000’s. After the internet age and the common use of the social media,^[17] the trend became major subculture among women. Social media made it easier to connect to the mass audience and with this people started to share their designs as a way of their creativity and use the nail as their blank canvas. YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter are the major platforms, which provides millions of new ideas and designs for the subculture. However, among these Pinterest is the most important platform for the new beauty trends according to a study.