Can we start an anti "nail" campaign?

[2rebecca]

As a GP who frequently washes her hands, allotment owner and instrument player I really hate the trend for women to have immaculate nails that cost a fortune, scratch people and mean women can't do anything useful. Where t f did this horrible trend come from and how do we give women back the use of their wonderful hands?

OP, I think you are in Scotland, I hope I never have the misfortune of having you as my GP. I don't have long nails but I'm sure you could find something else I'm doing which you can sneer at.

I've never once had 'long, beautiful, decorative, coloured' fingernails' and literally no one has ever said 'Hey, Thallo. How come you don't have long, beautiful, decorative, coloured' fingernails?'

I'll join an anti-claw movement, but not anti nail.

People having nice pretty nails or normal length false ones doesn't bother me (though neither are my style).

I hate the long claw-like talons. Some of my colleagues and 6th formers have them and it looks awkward to do anything useful. They even hold pens differently around them. I've seen colleagues need help with things or complain their reports take ages to type etc. I don't really understand how clever marketing must have been to sell the idea that 10 inch long nails were going to add anything to a woman's day.

Does anyone have a link to download The Beauty Myth?

My nails don’t grow very long before breaking, but I hate the thought of artificial ones, so it’s a dab of polish for me on the rare occasion I have time at the weekend, or clear varnish during the week. But I can’t really get excited about this topic. Each to her own.

Yes we are. If it wasn't expected of us, men and women would be doing it equally and they aren't. Men don't do this. It's not because they're resisting the pressures of beauty standards, they just don't have any.

Hideously judgy thread title, can't we just agree to do what the feck we like with our own nails?

I don't like many things that others wear/do (high heels and tattoos aren't for me for example) but I respect the right of others to like them and wear them.

There's enough shaming of women that goes on without creating more things to segment us with.

Where have I sneered at anyone? The quote you used was not mine.

I look at women with lovely long painted nails in envy, I can't have them because of my job but would love to have them done.
I always think it looks beautiful especially when they get a French manicure.
Looks so clean and neat

You know that last bit of pregnancy where your hair and nails grow super strong and quick?
Well, I decided to see how long my nails would get.....
They were huge talons and just as labor started I happened to be planting spuds in the garden. Cos my dc came early my arranged home birth was refused and I was sent to hospital. Single mum having first baby so I forgot to take everything except some super large baby grows for the new arrival. Just after I gave birth and they handed my new bundle of joy to me I caught sight of my super long and super dirty nails (think of every vampire/ undead horror film you've ever seen) I was mortified and to add insult to injury they were too long for me to even hold my dc properly and I had to resort to biting them off so that I could hold her!
I don't like gel nails in the way that I don't like too much make up or over processed hair, kind of makes me feel that it makes women ornamental, and don't get me started on the chemicals.......

Couldn’t do open heart surgery though? Or cliff hanging, or farming, or building work......

As others have said , it's not the length of my nails which prevent my doing any of those.

If it wasn't expected of us, men and women would be doing it equally

It isn't expected of us, what exaggeration. It is an option which is there if one wants it. Most women don't.

”If it wasn't expected of us, men and women would be doing it equally and they aren't.”

That’s nonsense. I promise you I don’t have my nails like this because I think anyone expects me to. No one expects me to. I think more women don’t have nails like this than do. There’s no expectation.

There's something so weird that goes on in FWR that people just don't want to talk about or analyse sexed practices, ones which generally only affect women and girls. It's a huge part of feminism yet it is strongly resisted here.

Also don't like the judgement of women who do take part in beauty practices though. Every woman has to find her own way to negotiate a path through patriarchy, which sometimes means taking part in patriarchally approved practices.

Justnotsureanymore
Not to hijack, but do you have any information on the chemicals? I'd read somewhere that women working in nail bars were exposed to harmful levels of stuff and I don't know enough about it to comment. I met a friend after she had hers done and just being in the waiting area 5 mins gave me a horrendous headache.

Add in that quite a few nail bars in my area have been raided for employing illegal workers, I've started to get interested in the whole nail bar industry

Where have I sneered at anyone? The quote you used was not mine

The whole tone of your posts are nothing but sneering- ooh look at me I'm a GP, look at these silly women doing something I don't approve of.

I was serious about saying I hope I never have the misfortune of seeing you on a professional basis. I'm glad to note that Babdoc has retired from practice.

Someone upthread was talking about a female surgeon having her nails down. Her sex was specifically mentioned. Clearly this is something that people expect only women will do.

Of course there's an expectation that women will do this. If there wasn't nail bars wouldn't exist and neither would false nails and nail varnish.

in that quite a few nail bars in my area have been raided for employing illegal workers, I've started to get interested in the whole nail bar industry

That is true and an entirely different and worthwhile discussion.

Of course there's an expectation that women will do this. If there wasn't nail bars wouldn't exist and neither would false nails and nail varnish

Nail bars exist- some women use them- I don't. Shops selling, oh I don't know, outdoor hiking gear exist- I don't use them either. Every bloody shop on the high street has the expectation some one will use them.

Why don't you just campaign for all retail and service industries to be closed down other than the bare minimum selling unisex boiler suits to preserve modesty and keep us warm and the plainest of food to provide sufficient calories.

What else do you want to dictate women can't have because you don't like it? Free contraception? Abortions? .

I teach some year 11 girls who can't hold a pen or work a calculator properly given the length of their nails. If there is a knack to it, they don't have it. I am sincerely hoping they have them removed over half term ready for the GCSE Maths calculator papers this week and next...

I do love nail varnish though and have (short) colourful nails moxt of the time.

It's only women who are expected to use them. Not "some" people, "some" women.

Why don't you just campaign for all retail and service industries to be closed down other than the bare minimum selling unisex boiler suits to preserve modesty and keep us warm and the plainest of food to provide sufficient calories.

LOL, that's some severe overreaction to me pointing out that men don't have to beautify their nails. Clothes are great, food is fantastic, sexism and misogyny don't have to exist. Let's fight it.

Which clearly I can't type with!

I think more women don’t have nails like this than do

I don't. I agree- most women don't.