When talking about enamel , many people soon remember the habit that many have of painting or reinforcing their nails through this chemical mixture that can be colorless or multicolored. Most women get lost in the multitude of colors (many of them with incomprehensible names) that promise a more flattering or more attuned look. In addition, several guitarists use the material so that the nails do not break during a performance.
Despite so many uses in contemporary times, nail polish was already part of the daily life of royalty in the Old Egypt . Around 3500 BC, Egyptian women applied a dye of black henna on nails. The most vibrant colors were relegated to the use of the royal family and came to arouse some preferences among the queens of Egypt. Cleopatra had a clear preference for the dark red hue . Already Nefertiti I liked the ruby nail polish more .
The same power of social distinction observed in the use of enamel among the Egyptians was also noticeable among the Chinese . In the middle of the 3rd century BC, the use of red and metallic tones (made with silver solutions) meant the occupation of a privileged place in the social hierarchy . Already among the Romans, painting gave way to treatments with abrasive materials that made the polishing of the nails.
Nail care technology was relatively stagnant until the 19th century. At that time, care was restricted to obtaining short nails that were shaped by a good file. In some cases, the nails were lightly scented with oil and polished with a leather thong. At a time when modesty was an important virtue, the extravagance of enamels would not be in the least prestigious.
Up until that time, one of the great discoveries was the invention of the toothpick still used to remove cuticles. At the beginning of the 20th century, enamels began to regain space with the use of colored solutions that did not remain fixed for more than a few hours. It wasn't until 1925, during studies that developed car dyes, that the first solutions that resemble today's nail polishes were discovered.
In its first version, the product was of a light pink tone and was applied in the middle of the nails. Arriving in the 1930s, we can already notice that the “painting” on the toes and fingers was very successful among the great stars of Hollywood cinema, such as Rita Hayworth and Jean Harlow . In the year 1932, the brothers Charles and Joseph Revlon paid for the invention of a new type of enamel, brighter and with a wide range of shades.
In the following decades, we see that the technology employed has become increasingly complex. The false nails seem like a good alternative to attract attention without spending hours on a manicure. A few years ago, machines capable of printing a digital image on nails were made available. It is difficult to know where the beauty industry can go in order to stoke female vanity.