What is it about doing nails or having our nails done that denotes gender? Nothing, other than that those who provide and receive professional nail services have been traditionally categorized as “female.” The premise that only women get their nails done, and all clients want their nails decorated, limits our ability to appeal to more clients and treat them as unique individuals. Given the predominance of “female” clients, nail professionals have a significant opportunity to diversify.
Fun fact: More than 55 years ago, I was misgendered in the birth announcement published in the local newspaper based on the spelling of my first name.
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What is it about doing nails or having our nails done that denotes gender? Nothing, other than that those who provide and receive professional nail services have been traditionally categorized as “female.” The premise that only women get their nails done, and all clients want their nails decorated, limits our ability to appeal to more clients and treat them as unique individuals. Given the predominance of “female” clients, nail professionals have a significant opportunity to diversify.
To advance our industry, we need to normalize professional nail services for everyone who wants to pay for them.
Our licensed scope of practice does not specify gender. Focusing on the quality of work we perform, why would gender factor into our procedures, product choices or pricing? What we charge does not depend on our respective gender(s), so why should clients pay differently depending on theirs? They should not.
We cannot claim inclusivity while denigrating clients who do not match our gender expectations.
No one should be made to feel awkward for requesting any service our salons offer. Every person, regardless of whether they identify as male, female, nonbinary or any other descriptor, should feel comfortable, respected and pampered during their nail salon experience.
No one should be made to feel awkward for requesting any service our salons offer. Every person, regardless of whether they identify as male, female, nonbinary or any other descriptor, should feel comfortable, respected and pampered during their nail salon experience.
Engaging with a diversified and inclusive clientele makes financial sense.
If you have never given any thought to this topic, do not overthink it now. Instead of competing for the same “desirable” clients, we will expand our target market to include more potential clients. Let us take these simple steps to evaluate our businesses for any bias:
Review services and website content for gender-specific language or language that alludes to gender stereotypes.
Let potential clients choose services based on their personal preferences, not on uninformed and outdated conceptions about what “women” want versus what “men” want. Lose the coded language, like “gentlemen’s favorites,” “sports” pedicures and other potentially offensive descriptions. Conversely, avoid describing services as “ideal for men and women” when you could replace “men and women” with “everyone,” or better yet, just delete that phrase altogether.
When making service or product recommendations, neutralize gender bias by reinforcing that your professional judgment depends on the condition of the client’s nails and desired results.
Price services based on what we provide, not who receives the service.
While unethical and discriminatory, no federal laws prohibit pricing goods and services based on gender. We do not need permission to do the right thing by our clients, nor should we wait for legislation or court decisions to instruct us. That being said, states and cities have the right to do so. For example, both California (Gender Tax Repeal Act of 1995) and New York (https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/GBS/391-U) have laws specifically outlawing this practice. Moreover, do not offer discounts or promotions based on gender; “Male Mani Mondays” should not be a thing.
Ask about preferred pronouns when requesting client contact information.
Fun fact: More than 55 years ago, I was misgendered in the birth announcement published in the local newspaper based on the spelling of my first name.
Do not make a guess based on someone’s appearance or name. For anyone who may question why they are being asked, be direct, “I would rather ask than assume.” Intake forms and salon management software should list multiple options: she/her; he/him; they/their, etc. When in doubt, use the person’s name.
Eliminating gender bias in the beauty industry remains a work in progress, but our efforts will make our nail businesses more welcoming. Here are some additional tips:
- Respect client privacy. Most clients want more privacy; few of them want to be on display while receiving services.
- Feature a variety of models when shooting and posting work. What better way to promote nail services to a larger audience than by showing more diversity in our models?
- Refer to professional colleagues/co-workers/employees with nongendered terms.The frequently used “my girl(s)” may seem friendly and harmless but condescends and minimizes our qualifications and professionalism.
Rather than approaching this issue as merely a financial opportunity, we should take the lead as nail professionals and accept this as a moral and ethical obligation. After all, our industry prides itself on being inclusive and making people feel better about themselves. We have the ability and responsibility to make gender irrelevant within the context of beauty and instead serve our individual clients without stereotyping.
For more information, check out the resources of organizations like The Dresscode Project to create safer spaces for clients and co-workers.
About the Author
Licensed since 1992, Jaime Schrabeck, Ph.D., works as manicurist and owner of Precision Nails, an employee-based salon in Carmel, California. Beyond her salon, Jaime advocates for compliance, co-hosts Outgrowth: A Slice of Pro Beauty podcast and advises California’s Board of Barbering and Cosmetology as an expert witness.
This article was originally published in the June 2022 issue of Nailpro magazine.
