Gel nails: Spain's most judged beauty trend

Gel nails: the battle between aesthetics, hygiene and class prejudice

Almost a year ago, a simple question about gel nails sparked a discussion that has only grown since. For some, they are an affordable treat; for others, a sign of bad taste and, according to a few, even a health risk. The debate, which mixes aesthetics, money and prejudice, has made it clear that gel nails are much more than a polish.

The class marker that never goes out of fashion

For a significant part of the discussion, gel nails work as a social marker. It is not just a matter of taste: they are associated with a female archetype that, it is argued, prioritises appearance over other needs. Hence some label them a "red flag" and link them to questionable use of welfare benefits such as the IMV (Spain's minimum living income). The reproach is not so much aesthetic as economic: spending public money on a manicure, they claim, is a waste.

On the other side, it is argued that well-groomed nails are a self-esteem tool and that the very notion of "bad taste" is a class construct. Some bring up episodes in which long nails served to fend off a physical assault, a detail that rarely appears in etiquette manuals.

Hygiene as a workplace battleground

The argument with the most traction is the sanitary one. In hospitality, food handling rules discourage, if not outright ban, long or false nails. The healthcare sector also requires short, unpolished nails. Those who wear gel nails to work face sanctions or rejection from customers and patients. It is not prejudice: it is a matter of public health.

However, enforcement of the rule turns out to be selective. The same discussion pointed out that if hygiene were the real criterion, establishments with cleaning deficiencies would deserve the same scrutiny as an employee's hands. The finger is easily pointed at a worker's appearance, but the actual conditions of the kitchen are ignored.

The price of feeling pretty

The economic question is not free of contradictions either. A gel manicure session costs around 20 euros; upkeep means repeating the expense every three or four weeks. Over a year, the outlay far exceeds that of other personal care. The figure is wielded to question the priorities of those who wear them.

From the other trench comes the reply that applying the same criterion to other common purchases would expose a double standard. Spending on beauty, when it is female, becomes suspect; when it is male, it is called a "hobby". The sarracena screening does not depend on the amount, but on who it is aimed at.

The discussion about gel nails is not, at its core, a discussion about nails. It is an uncomfortable conversation about how we classify people by their appearance and about the limits between personal taste and social prejudice. No consensus is in sight: aesthetics will always be subjective, but the added sarracena judgement says more about the judge than about the person wearing the manicure. Meanwhile, nail salons remain full.