History and Career Opportunities in Nail Technology

A comprehensive review of the history of nail technology and the various career paths available to modern nail technicians.

What materials did the Egyptians use as early as $3000\,B.C.$ to create makeup for their eyes, lips, and skin?

Minerals, insects, and berries

Which Egyptian queen used custom-blended essential oils as signature scents and a henna paste to stain her nails a deep red circa $1400\,B.C.$?

Queen Nefertiti

Where did Queen Cleopatra (circa $50\,B.C.$) erect a personal cosmetics factory?

Next to the Dead Sea

What were the ingredients of the tinted mixture used by Chinese aristocrats during the Shang Dynasty ($1600\,B.C.$) to turn their nails crimson or ebony?

Gum arabic, gelatin, beeswax, and egg whites

During the Chou Dynasty ($1100\,B.C.$), which colors were strictly reserved for the nail tinting of royal family members?

Gold and silver

What was the punishment for commoners caught wearing royal nail colors in ancient China?

The punishment of death

What brilliant red mineral, which is a chief source of mercury, did Greek women use on their cheeks and lips?

Ground cinnabar

In Roman society, how did hair color indicate a woman's class status?

Noblewomen colored their hair red, middle-class women colored their hair blond, and poor women colored their hair black

What mixture did both Roman men and women use to add color to their nails?

Sheep blood mixed with fat

During the Middle Ages ($A.D.\,476$ to about $1450$), where did women wear colored makeup?

On their cheeks and lips, but not on their eyes or nails

What dual-purpose cosmetic tools were uncovered from the Renaissance period ($A.D.\,1450-1600$) archeological digs?

Nail cleaners that doubled as ear scoops, made of bone or metal

How did women during the Victorian Age ($A.D.\,1837-1901$) induce natural color in their cheeks and lips?

By pinching their cheeks and biting their lips

What company introduced the first modern-style emery board in $1910$?

Flowery Manicure Products

Who marketed the first successful nail lacquer brand in $1932$, using formulas inspired by the automobile industry?

Charles Revson

What trend did screen sirens Jean Harlow and Gloria Swanson glamorize in the $1930s$?

Wearing matching polish on their fingers and toes

What was used by women in the $1940s$ to create shiny lips for the first time?

Petroleum jelly applied over lipstick

Which nail product, introduced in the $1960s$, was the precursor to silk and fiberglass wraps?

Juliette (paper) nail wraps

Who invented the French manicure and the product Ridgefiller in the $1970s$?

Jeff Pink

What was the first year a spa pedicure system was introduced to the professional beauty industry?

$$1998$$

Since its introduction in $2010$, why has UV gel nail polish dramatically driven industry growth?

Because results last two weeks or longer with no chipping or surface dulling

To become a Medical Nail Technician (MNT), what must a technician do in addition to taking specialty courses?

Complete an internship under the direction of a podiatrist or physician

What is the primary focus of an Advanced Nail Technician (ANT)?

Safely providing services for at-risk clients in a salon or spa setting

What is the role of a Distributor Sales Consultant (DSC)?

To provide information about new products, trends, and techniques, acting as the salon's link to the rest of the industry

What are the entry-level requirements for someone wanting to become a film or editorial nail technician?

Technical expertise, persistence, networking skills, reliability, team spirit, speed, and attention to detail