Men's manicure: how to do it, the best products for 2022

There is a common misconception that all techniques related to beauty and personal care are exclusively the prerogative of the female gender. That it is absolutely not necessary for men to monitor the condition of the skin of their hands, carefully trim and polish their nails. And men's manicure is considered almost forbidden and shameful. But this is far from true! Well-groomed male hands speak loudly about self-esteem and character. They complete a representative, respectable image and attract the favorable attention of ladies.

Abroad, men who want to look perfect take good care of their hands. And regular visits to a nail specialist, the use of caring and decorative products is not something unusual. A new concept has even come into use: “menicure”, a derivative of the English “man” and “manicure”. In recent years, the fashion for well-groomed men's hands has come to Russia. Representatives of the stronger sex have realized the convenience and practicality of nail design and its multifaceted possibilities.

Of course, modern techniques for men's nail design are radically different from women's. It is often unnoticeable and relies on the natural beauty of the nail plates. However, any chosen technique invariably creates an overall feeling of sleek, aristocratic hands.

Fashion trends for 2021-22 offer men brutal, quite bright and interesting looks.

2022 trends for men's manicure

If in past years nail care was limited to standard, minimally necessary procedures, this season they have been supplemented with stylish design. After the procedures of removing the cuticle, forming a free edge and polishing, nail experts offer to apply a decorative coating and choose an exclusive decor. At the same time, the nails remain distinctly masculine, without any hint of glamor. Trending:

discreet geometry;
drawings in various themes, including imitation tattoos;
single-color and two-color coatings.

The choice of style is not limited to any boundaries. In 2021, bright options are also acceptable, for example, for a football match or in a patriotic style.

Kinds

The variety of this procedure is not so great - decorative elements that will make a man look stupid are excluded.

Very rarely, you may need a coating that matches your skin tone if your nails look painful or there has been some kind of injury, but not every man wants to take care of polish that can chip at any time, so this is very rare.

Typically, when working with a male client, masters adhere to a simple manicure with only basic parameters.

Standard

Quick steaming and working with scissors - the master trims the old skin around the plate, removes the cuticle, trims the corners of the nails if they are too long:

Such a manicure or pedicure is cheap and usually does not even include strengthening nail care - such a service should be negotiated separately.
Does not require any special skills or any additional equipment. All that is required is to maintain a harmonious and identical shape of all nails.

The video explains how to do a classic men's manicure:

Hardware

It has long gained popularity among the female audience, as it is considered safer .

Some people are wary of getting their nails done at salons because of the tools they use on dozens or hundreds of people every day. They can be understood - through cuts, which even the most experienced specialists carelessly leave, you can become infected with very unpleasant and serious diseases, for example, hepatitis.

For hardware manicure, you need a special machine with different grinding attachments:

With the help of these attachments, all the work is done, except for leveling the shape with a nail file.
The entire procedure is done on a dry nail, without steaming.
Hardware manicure and pedicure are suitable for a man with relatively strong nails that can withstand the entire process without a preliminary bath.

The technique for performing a hardware manicure for men is shown in the video:

French

If a man can and wants to grow his nails to a short, gender-acceptable length, the master can offer him a French style:

This manicure involves visual separation of the nail plate from the part of the nail that grows further.
It is known that the nail on the plate is darker than the keratinized remains that are not adjacent to the soft tissues.
Using the contrast of these colors, the master creates a neat and attractive nail.

Suitable for men with at least a minimum length of nails who want to wear a certain shape. The service is the least popular in comparison with the previous ones, but there is still a demand for it.

Important! Many men are embarrassed by the fact of visiting a master, but there is no reason for this - salons have long ceased to be an exclusively women's place. Each master has at least 2-3 regular male clients who simply make sure their hands look neat.

If you are not sure what type of manicure you need, tell the specialist honestly - the professional will identify what you need in a few minutes.

Fresh solutions 2022 for men's manicure from nail experts

This year, recognized luminaries of the nail industry offer stylish fashionistas the following options:

negative space framed by dark or colored paints. The shape depends entirely on the design chosen;
drawings, abstractions on a transparent background;
strict minimalism with speaking symbols;
sliders and stickers for youth and special occasions;
imitation tattoo;
plain surface.

It is quite possible to combine different techniques and creatively rethink them. So, the trend this season is the “different hands” style, which can also be adopted by men.

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Author's design of men's manicure

The execution depends entirely on the imagination and professionalism of the master, as well as the preferences and style of the man. The following solutions are relevant:

expressive drawings in youth style - punk, gothic, metal, rock, hip-hop;
strictly laconic geometric shapes, stripes and dots in dark, steel-gray, red shades;
complex pictograms, cells, inscriptions;
moderate use of traditional techniques - stretched French, mirror or pearl rubbing, simple black French and moon manicure;
the most catchy, interesting symbols, emoticons;
topical, threatening or ironic symbolism, pictures.

At the same time, experienced nail artists use not only black and gray colors on a transparent background. Bright yellow, sand, red tones and even catchy neon colors are in use. You can use the whole range of military style shades.

How men all over the world fell in love with black nail polish

Although men began painting their nails long before the era of quarantine, Zoom calls and unprecedented activity on Instagram began, it was during this period that men's manicure became even more popular. Major brands are jumping on board the new (or long-forgotten old) trend, and Chanel is expanding its men's cosmetics line, Boy de Chanel, to include its first black polish for guys. How the colored coating was able to survive five millennia and decorate the nails of Brooklyn Beckham, Harry Styles, Jaden Smith, Marc Jacobs and A$AP Rocky in 2020 is described below.

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When 17-year-old Jaden Smith posed for the cover of Korean Vogue in January 2016 wearing a skirt and dark nail polish, the online community went wild. Fortunately, gender stereotypes are being erased more and more quickly, and already in 2019 no one even thought of making a claim against rapper A$AP Rocky, who by that time had become an ardent nail art enthusiast. “I think men should be able to paint their nails without feeling effeminate,” the rapper told Vogue in a colorful interview based on the then-Prada show.

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Emphasizing the fact that manicure is a subject of self-expression regardless of gender, the rapper marked with his example a significant shift in the culture and sphere of beauty. Nowadays, men's nail polish is finally becoming normal - just like it was 5,000 years ago.

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History indeed repeats itself: since 3200 BC, most men painted their nails in different colors - this is proven by excavations of royal tombs in southern Babylonia. According to scientists, this was a way of social stratification. The darker the nails, the higher the likelihood that the person belonged to the warrior or ruler class, but lighter colors were reserved for men of the lower classes. We think this is one of the reasons why, several centuries later, men unknowingly began to choose black. But, one way or another, it has been proven that before the battle, warriors in those days needed several hours to get their nails in the proper shape for their class.

It is also believed that in 3000 BC in China, nail polish, which was made from a mixture of egg whites, beeswax and gelatin, was intended for people of the upper classes, regardless of gender. In Egypt, colored nails were also encouraged, but again as a sign of one's position in society.

How nail polish eventually became a purely feminine attribute is not completely known. What we do know is that by the 1800s, colored nails made a comeback in France as a way for women to demonstrate their purity and purity. And already in the next century, all advertising campaigns for nail products were dedicated only to female customers.

Black tones of men's manicure

For men, black is the natural, most sought-after color. Often there are nails with a plain matte or glossy finish, without decoration. However, this solution may seem boring.

New ideas will help to dilute the monochrome palette:

combination with acid-bright yellow, light green, red varnishes;
contrasting white graphics in the form of spiders, webs, symbols, images, stripes;
black holes on a transparent base;
modest black circles, ovals and dots, stripes;
complex cells, hieroglyphs;
foil elements or sparkles.

Ideas for men's manicure with drawings, relevant for 2022

Design with a variety of images is the best tool for self-expression. It is usually applied by the hands of a master. But, if you lack artistic abilities, you can get by with ready-made solutions in the form of stamps, stencils, and stickers. The content of the drawings is selected individually, depending on the man’s everyday style, habits and external characteristics. In fashion:

religious and mystical signs, fantasy motifs;
graffiti, skillfully drawn letters, initials, entire inscriptions;
schematically depicted heads of animals, birds, cars, buildings;
black or red graphics on a “bare” background;
superheroes, road and warning signs;
technical, software symbols.

The emphasis is placed on several nails, or they draw their own picture on each.

Fact about manicure

Typing on a keyboard has a beneficial effect on the nail plates. They receive a light massage, which improves blood circulation and stimulates their growth.

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How does a man's manicure differ from a woman's?

For women - self-expression, for men - status.
For women, manicure is a way of self-expression. The color of the polish, the design and the false accessories can tell as much about the owner of the nails as the reticule, the style of the dress or the account on social networks. For men, the desired result is not a bright design, but an aesthetic appearance of hands and nails, which allows, along with the right tie, expensive perfume, high-quality shoes and an appropriate hairstyle, to create the image of a respectable person.

Physiologically, the nail plate of men is thicker and stronger than that of women. This is due to the increased content of keratin, which gives strength to nails, so it takes more time to shape a man’s nail. The skin on the hands becomes rougher than in women, and because of this, the nail bed requires more frequent and thorough care.

A man’s occupation has a significant impact on the condition of nails and dermis. Office workers experience dry skin and hangnails. For computer repair technicians and physical workers, the dermis of the hands becomes rougher, and nails may become stained due to contact with various coloring elements.

Minimalist pictures in men's manicure - trend of 2022

Minimalism is a universal style that is used by men of any age, with different social status and hobbies. It is enough to add a few small dark or colored dots to add a special mood to your manicure.

The trend is geometry, made with thin, almost invisible strokes, as well as a modest jacket in flesh tones. Or you can leave a completely free space under a glossy or matte clear coat.

Why does everyone paint their nails?

Despite the growing popularity of nail art, manicurists and men themselves are convinced that painting nails for men in Russia will never become commonplace.

“I don’t understand why all men would need this? — Evgenia asks. — Not all women paint their nails, and men even more so. This has always been a layer of the underground, and will remain so.”

The meaning of men's manicure is its uniqueness: if nail art were mainstream, no one would do it

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Stickers in men's manicure

A great way to diversify your nail design and add something creative, unusual or humorous to your usual look.

In men's manicure, stickers in the following themes are usually used:

cryptograms, hieroglyphs, letters of the Russian and English alphabet in different fonts;
emoticons, ancient amulets, zodiac signs;
imitation tattoos;
silhouettes of people, animals, household items;
cars and motorcycles, flames;
portraits, buildings, famous monuments;
symbols of sports brands, teams;
names of rock bands, names of performers;
messages with meaning.

Stickers combine perfectly with matte and glossy finishes and negative space. In order not to turn nail design into overloaded chaos, usually pictures are applied to a couple of accent fingers, leaving the rest monochromatic. It is also permissible to use abstract strokes and spots.

Stamping in men's manicure

An extremely simple and accessible way for everyone to decorate your nails in an individual, special style. A variety of designs are applied to metal plates using laser engraving.

The deeper the embossing, the better and clearer the design on the nails. There are different shapes of plates: disks, slabs, curly hearts, rhombuses, hexagons and others. The pictures are transferred to the surface of the nails using special stamps.

They can be plain or colored, with different themes:

spectacular abstractions in the style of pop art, op art;
“talking” designs that tell about the owner’s character, hobbies, mood and activities;
artistic images that carry a certain meaning;
inscriptions and letters;
schematic pictures;
strict, laconic patterns or ornaments;
monograms, hieroglyphs, symbols.

In order not to overload the design, it is recommended to decorate with stamping one or two fingers on each hand, or all five on one. The remaining nails are decorated with a single-color varnish or left with a natural, transparent background.

Matte coating for men's manicure - the leader of the 2022 season

The matte surface of nails is the undisputed leader this season. The velvety texture mutes the color shades and makes them more noble. For men, this solution is more preferable and comfortable than the catchy shine of gloss or dazzling bright colors. Therefore, both for everyday style and for special occasions, most representatives of the stronger sex prefer a matte top. And nail designers offer hundreds of fun, relevant solutions for every taste:

monochrome black or in restrained noble tones - burgundy, steel gray, swamp green. As accents, a glossy tone-on-tone gel polish is used to highlight the “smile” line, holes, or apply modest patterns;
a combination of black with light gray or pearl, other colors suitable for the image;
negative space with any color, in the form of holes, geometric shapes;
schematic graphics or inscriptions on a transparent background in combination with a monochrome or two-color palette. Not only gloomy dark tones are used, but also pure red, yellow-sand, beige, and nude shades.

World cinema and pop stars, extravagant personalities often appear in public with nails decorated with bright, rich colors.

“Manicure is the embodiment of my fantasy”

“When men saw me on the street with painted nails, they were shocked, and then they said: what’s cool, they asked where I did it,” Anatoly, lead singer of the NoNative group, says in an interview with the BBC.

Anatoly lives in Moscow. He painted his nails for the first time about a year ago as an experiment. Since then, black coating with hieroglyphs, metallic stripes or any other nail design has become an integral part of his image.

“Nail art is a way to convey the inner world. I can't come up with a design for a pair of jeans, but I can come up with a design for my nails. Everything you see on my hands is the embodiment of my fantasy, my vision.”

A Google search in Moscow will reveal dozens of nail salons and barber shops offering nail treatment and design services for men.