Nail art, nail care and self expression: Gender differences in African Americans’ consumption of nail cosmetics

Many college millennials indulge in pampering themselves with their unique style of dress, hair grooming and painted nails. Nail styles can be unique among women and men of different age groups, social classes, cultures and ethnicities. The purpose of this study was to explore African American college millennials’ attitudes towards nail fashion and decorative art in relation to their appearance and self-expression. Study participants were African American millennials ages 18 to 34 years attending a historically Black higher education institution in the United States. A university campus ad was created to promote the study, and recruitment was conducted via snowball sampling. Data were compiled from in-depth, face-to-face interviews conducted with each participant. The research results show that the participants’ choice of nail fashion represented a form of expression as they negotiated their daily identities and that they were exhibiting creative and innovative ways to share their expressions.