The History Of Manicure | How Nail Art Came To Fame

The term manicure comes from the Latin words manus meaning hand and cura meaning care. The interesting art of manicure features an ancient history. The term is nowadays used with the main meaning of a specific hand care system which includes nail and skin care as well as various medical procedures and treatment involving these and numerous painting and fake nail techniques and applications.

Manicure in the past

If we were to consider how manicure was perceived 3000 years ago, we would simply have to say that such various possibilities encountered in the world of manicure these days were not even considered possible then.

No one even dreamed about what manicure would become or how it would be perceived in times like the ones in which we live now. Trends were definitely a lot different then, when nails were only covered with bright tones in ancient China and Egypt where it all began. The peasantry used to have different types of manicure than the rest being allowed to use natural and pale tones only.

The history of manicure in China

In China, manicure trends started being appreciated by wealthy women 600 years ago. They started by painting their nails in silver or gold. In time, they started using paint for manicure as well and they used to make it using egg whites, rubber and wax.

During the famous Ming dynasty in China, women that were part of the aristocracy used to paint their nails in bright red tones or black. Later on, they started wearing various types of finger tips that were nail-shaped and which were made of precious metals. The purpose was that of highlighting the length of their nails. Their nails represented a very important symbol of their social status.

Manicure in the beginning of the 19th century

The history of manicure has always featured numerous changes in trends and ideas across the world. In America the fashion was changing fast at the beginning of the 19th century and this included the art of manicure. The trends in this area were at that moment all onto the short almond shaped nails that every woman simply adored and wanted to have.

Aromatic oils were favourites among women interested in making their nails healthier and better looking at that moment. They also used a soft cloth for polishing their nails properly. The manicure was then mainly done by means of metal instruments, acids and proper scissors.

The evolution of manicure tools

During the numerous years in which the history of manicure has featured numerous changes in trends and techniques, there were also various changes encountered in the case of manicure tools used in different parts of the world.

These tools evolved in time and 1830 is the year when the first orange-tree file started being used for this purpose by a doctor named Sits. Later on, another doctor discovered the acrylic paint by mistake. This soon became very popular across the world and has always played a very important role in the manicure industry since then. More and more exploration into nail art boomed in the 21st Century and manicure as well as pedicure shops are mushrooming in every country of the world.

Nowadays, the manicure industry has reached the level of an artistic business and manicure itself has become an important part of every modern woman’s life.