@pictish I can only go off my experience, so I’m not generalising.
My experience in my circle of people I see with nails decorated with art, are normally the ones with either little spare money each month (and I hear / see their struggles) and/or ones that are always busy and don’t have time for meeting friends / family etc but can get their nails done fortnightly.
There’s a difference between having manicured nails with neutral polish / gels vs. art decorated long nails.
I appreciate a nice set of manicured nails and a polished look could make people feel better (as would someone highlighting their hair). But the glitter, gems, piercings and different colours looks OTT. It comes across as “look at me”.
Couple that with the people I know who have their nails beautified on a regular basis, I honestly think there are better ways for them to work on their self esteem.
Time wise @PhillipeFellope they don’t take an hour in my experience (for the nail art, not gels). I have very long hair and my trip to the hairdressers is always a planned nightmare event. The nail technician last time I was there worked on one client for over 2 hours. She was there when I arrived, and she hadn’t finished when I left.
I suppose you could say my hair being done is the same (to make me feel good & improve my self esteem) and I’d have to except that.
My irritation comes from women constantly feeling like they need to beautify themselves (as opposed to feeling content with their look / bodies / appearance) Part of a much bigger societal problem 