History of Manicures, Part 1

Your nails are one of the most important parts of your body. They serve to protect your fingers and toes from everyday wear and tear. They also help humans pick up food and hold onto other things. Nails are very similar to claws on other animals, and just like their claws are adapted to their environment so are our nails.

Herbal Nail Bar in Naples specializes in taking care of your nails. Whether you need a manicure, a pedicure, or both, we can help. We offer an environment where our guests can relax, while getting an all-natural, non-abrasive organic nail salon service. With complimentary drinks and beverages, as well as Wi-Fi, you can rest assured that your nail experience will not only yield you top-of-the-line nails, but will also serve to relax you. Below, we’ll go over the history of manicures in brief. Contact us today to get started!

WHAT IS A MANICURE AND A PEDICURE?

A manicure today is a nail treatment typically done in a nail salon that usually involves shaping the nails, clipping any cuticles or excess skin, and then painting the nails. A pedicure is exactly the same thing, just for your feet. Both come from Latin words, “manus,” meaning hand, “cura,’ meaning care, and pedis meaning “foot.”

EARLY HISTORY OF MANICURES

Since the dawn of time, humans have needed to care for their nails. However, recorded history has men, surprisingly, being the first to partake of the art form of manicures and pedicures. In ancient Babylon, men would color their nails black, using kohl around 3500 BC. The color black distinguished Babylonian men as being of upper class. Most of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs wore color on their nails. Cleopatra and Nefertiti both preferred red. Manicures were even included as part of the mummification process to prepare the bodies for the afterlife.

Herbal Nail Bar in Naples notes that Chinese emperors and empresses colored their nails with dyes, first gold and silver and then red and black. This practice spread to the noble class, where women wore artificial nails to show that they did not have to perform manual labor.

Eventually, practicality won out, and beginning in the 19th century, women began to keep their nails shorter and not many colored them. However, when the nail file was invented in 1830, this trend changed as now it was much easier to maintain longer nails. Stay tuned for our next installment of the history of the manicure to learn about the first nail salon!

WHY CHOOSE HERBAL NAIL BAR IN NAPLES FOR YOU

Herbal Nail Bar in Florida offers all of the traditional nail salon services, just using all-organic products, including cleaning products. Most nail salons you enter will have an overwhelming smell of chemicals. You can eliminate all of that by stepping foot into our organic nail bar and see the difference for yourself. We offer the best nail treatments using herbal blends to promote relaxation and recovery. Visit our nail salon today for all your nail care needs!