THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 23, 1994 TAG: 9406220063
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MONIQUE WILLIAMS, SPECIAL TO THE DAILY BREAK
DATELINE: 940623 LENGTH: Medium
Just ask Rita Payne, owner of The Female Adventure Salons and The Virginia Institute of Nail Technology in Virginia Beach. She opened her first salon in Virginia in 1977 and now owns 12 of them.
{REST} ``What contributed to the growth of this industry,'' she says, ``is that the product has improved, and the artificial nail.''
There you have it. Suddenly, even women who could not grow their nails could sport talons that were the envy of everyone.
Nailing down nail lexicon requires a crash course in nail technology. There is the sculptured nail made of acrylic built onto the person's own fingernail, then comes the artificial tip that is prefabricated and glued to the nail then covered with a compound made of silk fabric, linen or fiberglass. For those who prefer natural ingredients on their natural nails, there is calcium gel coating. All of them will leave your nails, well, hard as nails.
Top that with a French manicure, color designs, stencils, air-brushing, piercing and, for the ultimate in hedonism, a paraffin wax soaking for your nails' circulation.
More than half a billion dollars a year are spent on manicures, says Nailpro Magazine, a professional publication, and the trend doesn't show signs of abating.
From Marrakesh to New Delhi and in many more cultures, men and women have decorated their nails as a sign of beauty and seduction, to celebrate marriages or to ward off evil.
Henna and dyes were applied by the ancient Egyptians and a solid gold manicure set was found in Southern Babylon from as far back as 3200 B.C.
Nails came to symbolize a social status or holiness. People with groomed nails were presumed not to toil, or, in the case with holiness, a ram's horn meant that they spent their days in prayer.
European women prefer their nails short. Long nails, such as the ones seen on American women, are considered vulgar. In fact, American women are easily spotted - by their nails.
Some will spend time, money and effort creating veritable works of art that draw everyone's attention.
How did this passion - or obsession - for long nails came about?
``I think it has something to do with the fascination with old movies,'' Payne says. ``The well-kept woman was always groomed . . . with long nails.''
For make-up artist Terri Hughes of Portsmouth, well-groomed nails are an important part of the overall image she tries to project.
``I think nails tell a lot about a person,'' she says. ``It says something about whether you like to take care of yourself or not.''
Many women like to showcase beautiful jewelry, and, with decorated nails, they, themselves, become the showcase.
Nail fashions come and go. Nail piercing, while still popular, is being replaced by a new wave - air brushing. Nail artists can create miniature works of art right there on your nail. But at $25 per miniature, not many can afford it.
To simplify the work, artists are now using stencils that they can airbrush. Depending on the intricacy of the design, the cost is considerably lower than free-hand designs, ranging from $8 to $25.
Because of the interest in air brushing, nail decals, once popular during the '70s are staging a comeback with the younger set. They can be applied in seconds, and a package of 20 decals costs only $4.
Floral decals, hearts, daggers, reptiles and decks of cards can be applied to your nails.
You may not be able to ward off the evil eye, but you can join the likes of Salvador Dali who, during the '20s, decorated his nails with mirrors and surrealistic images. by CNB