Fashion: Did you know that nail art was once a symbol of social status? – Asia Times

If you thought nail art was some urban trend that youngsters are crazy about, you are wrong.

The practice started tens of thousands of years ago. Biblical evidence suggests that women of those times painted their fingernails with henna juice. This is mentioned in the Song of Solomon, and the practice hold true in Middle Eastern culture even today.

The ancient Chinese made a unique nail paint using egg whites, beeswax, vegetable dyes, and Arabic gum.

In 3000 BC in China, nail art was a popular habit among both men and women. In fact, it was a symbol of social status. The aristocrats of the Ming Dynasty was grew their nails long and protected these with golden nail guards. The long nail denoted that they were of superior birth and were not subject to menial labour.

The Chinese made a unique nail paint using egg whites, beeswax, vegetable dyes, and Arabic gum. Unlike the modern day nail enamel, the nail paints of the yore took couple of days to dry. The Chinese even entrusted servants to take care of the nails and groom them during special occasions.

Each dynasty had a unique color code. During the Ming Dynasty, the nails were painted red and black, and during the Chou Dynasty, gold and silver was the norm. The nobility also studded the nails with precious gems.

Luckily today, nail art is not as expensive as it used to be. The creativity has flourished and one could see constant innovation in designs. This trend is particularly noticed in countries like Japan, Thailand, Korea and China. Women are experimenting with 3D designs. Character nail art is another popular trend catching up in Asia, US and Europe. In this type of nail art, a face of a cartoon or a manga character is painted on the nail.