Nailpro recently reported that automated manicures are arriving to U.S. airports in 2023
XWELL and Clockwork have partnered to bring automated manicures to U.S. airports in 2023.
Our Instagram followers shared their thoughts and concerns regarding this advancement in nail technology.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
@bepositivelybeautiful: It’s freaky to think how much is/will be replaced by robots. But I also think…in my heart, people will always want some kind of human interaction. Remember how excited people were to receive a letter in the mail? It all can’t be totally lost, can it?!
@happy_nails_by_betty: People like the human interaction at the salon. We take care of the cuticles and shape of nails. Also, most of my clients use gel polish.
@lovelynailswithjoy: Eh, painted nails and a manicure are separate things. It sounds like these machines only paint the nails and don’t provide an entire manicure.
@nail.kandy: LOL, I took a quick look at how it works. No filing, no prep. It doesn't even sanitize the nails before painting. They say the polish doesn't require a base coat, but it also doesn't apply a top coat for you... and it looks slower than a human painting each nail. I guess all that time and $ is saved because it only does 10% of the entire manicure.
@ezzynailcare: I kinda wanna try it out and see if it could help me out. I'm interested and curious.
@vibinnailz: A robot could never replace this vibe and artistry.
@virgomethodnails: Taking away our clients as nail techs who worked hard to learn our craft? Replacing us with machines is not cool.
@missrosanne: Does the machine give you a therapy session and boost you up and make you feel great about yourself?
@sashaniegraynails: I see the vision. There’s a market for everything and everyone. There’s also more than enough for everyone to “eat.” I don’t believe this machine is meant to replace us, but may have the ability to streamline a manicure process. step 1. manicurist preps nail, step 2. machine polishes and finishes service. As a manicurist, I could double up on my revenue with a machine “like” this - automation “can” equate to increased efficiency. I meeeaan, we’re also business owners, right? Just food for thought.
@pattieyankee: I was asked to consult on this product a couple years before the pandemic hit, so I was only involved in the very conceptual process. They worked really hard on the formula of the polish, so it dried quickly and had longevity. It was never intended to replace us as nail techs. The creators were new moms and have science backgrounds. They wanted to create a way for busy moms to do their own nails quickly at home and have them dry before the baby woke up! They invested a ton in creating this machine, which actually blew my mind when I first saw it several years ago! A lot of technical and scientific knowledge went behind this project. I'm sure putting this in airports is meant to bring awareness to the machines to help them replace some of their investment so they can make them affordable and available to their original target audience.
Thank you to all our readers who shared their thoughts with us. We love hearing from you!
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