Currently, in the world today, nail polish is a very popular and is used by many people. In fact, in a survey it was found that only 10% of 18-29-year olds never wear nail polish. This shows just how important nail polish is to our society today. But how has this come about? When did it become popular?  When did people start using it? For many hundreds of years, nail care and design has been important. It has a rich history which goes back to the time of the Egyptians. Nail art has undergone a long journey before becoming what it is today.  

It is widely disputed when and where nail care and nail art first originated as different cultures were beginning to explore this at similar times. The first people to practice nail care were either the Egyptians or the Chinese. In around 5000BC-3000BC, the Egyptians began practicing nail care. It was common for the women to die their nails using die which came from the henna plant and, in this time, nails eluded to your social status. Poorer Egyptian women would have worn neutral shades whereas if you were of a higher social status, your nails would have been much brighter.  

At the same time in China, nails would be soaked in a concoction of beeswax, egg whites, vegetable dyes and gums. The nails would be placed in the mixture and be left to soak for a few hours. This would turn the nails a colour of pink or red depending on the exact mixture of the ingredients. It was not only women who would take good care of their nails. In Babylonia, the men would paint their nails for war. It was made of a substance called kohl. Like the Egyptians, nail paint signified social status. The noble men would wear black nail paint and the common men would be wearing green. In the early life of nail art, it was very important to show social status. By 1300BC colours such as gold and silver were used to symbolise royalty however, this changed later to the colours red and black.  

The first record of nail art and not just dyes was during the Incan Empire which was from 1438-1533. They would paint designs such as eagles onto their nails. 

In the 19^th century, nails were being dyed with oils that were also scented. As well as the nails just being painted, they were also buffed with a chamois cloth. The beginning of the 19^th century was when the modernisation of nail art began. As popularity began to grow for nail polish, salons began opening all around the US and in other places around the world too. In 1830, was the invention of something called the orange stick, which was a pointy, thin wooden stick developed originally for dentistry but adapted to be used for manicure purposes.  

In 1917, the world’s first liquid nail polish was invented by a company called Cutex. It was first only made in clear but soon other colours were developed. This opened a new world of possibilities and one of the first manicures designs the moon manicure, became very popular. This is when you paint the nail but leave the moon part by the cuticle with nothing on it. Another company that further popularised nail polish was Revlon which was founded by the Revson brothers and Charles Lachman. They used many pigments and dyes making nail art more exciting. The French manicure was created in1976 by Jeff Pink and then in the 1980s Vogue began using it making it extremely popular.  

Nail polish has stayed popular since then and is only getting more desired, advanced and interesting with so many kinds. It will not be going out of fasion any time soon and is increasingly becoming a staple part of many people’s lives. From Ancient Egypt to the modern world. Nail art has come a long way.