My nails are long, and I’m thinking of getting them professionally done. Is it weird for a man to do so? I’m just sick of doing them myself and having them look bad. Is this a strange, effiminate desire on my part? Will the nail girl sneer at me?
Help me be courageous. Tell me your man-and-manicure stories!
I get a manicure about once a month. My nails aren’t long, but well trimmed and beautiful. I usually get a matte finish on a clear polish.
In Chicagoland, it doesn’t seem to be that strange of an occurance for me to walk into a nail salon, but I don’t recall ever seeing another man in a salon.
You didn’t ask, but I also get a pedicure about 4-5 times a year. It makes your feet feel wonderful.
I get them too. It may have been considered effeminate at one time, but I don’t think it is anymore. Besides, women really like well-manicured hands.
I also get the spa pedicure treatment. Not only do you get your feet done, but the place that I go to also has a massage chair that you sit on, and a whirlpool spa tub for your feet. Talk about relaxation!
My manicurist said about half of her clients are men. She didn’t think it was weird, I don’t either. If my husband wanted to get manicures, I’d encourage it. Your hands look nice and it’s relaxing.
I knew a guitar player once who had his nails done so that he could play better.
I’ve gone to the nail shop a couple of times with my wife; there were one or two other guys there so I didn’t feel out of place. I had the full 20-nail job including the foot massage, where they put your feet into this little tub that vibrates. Veerrryy nice.
I don’t go regularly but I certainly think there’s nothing wrong with getting your nails done professionally. Grooming and appearance count.
My dad has his done every so often. I don’t think he’s had them done in a while, but it’s been known. (I, on the other hand, am a girl, and I miss my acrylics)
I just wanted to add, men having their nails done is not some new metrosexual thing. IIRC the title character in Sinclair Lewis’ Babbitt starts up something on the side with the manicure girl, from who he’s been getting manicures regularly.
You live in Japan, metrosexual capital of the world…what are you worried about?
My last girlfriend turned me on to it because her mom knew how to do manicures, and when we were dating I was getting one every 2 weeks and even after we broke up I would go get them when my nails got really grimy and now I have my own Manicure kit for men and I use that and manicure my own nails.
I’m a guy, and I could never respect any guy friend of mine who got a manicure. Even my metrosexual friend doesn’t get them, and we already make enough fun of him for being a metrosexual.
I’m very open minded about just about everything, but I find the idea of a guy getting his nails done professionally so they can look all pretty and shiny to be about the single most prissy thing I can imagine.
Sheesh. Do you wax your brows too?
Not meant to be offensive, I simply don’t get it.
No, sir. Not at all.
It’s real easy. Girls generally like a man with well-manicured hands. Think about why.
Well, what’s a guy to do then, if he has a unibrow? I guess it’s easy for you, Mr. Fair Haired Normal Brows, to sneer at eyebrow waxing, but if you had an eyesbrow like Bert, you’d be singing a different tune!
I could never get a manicure. I’m sure they would screw-up my carefully honed nose-picking pinky nail.
It’s not about the nails, really, but keeping the cuticles trimmed and soft on the hands, which especially helps if someone is prone to hangnails. Manicured hands look clean and professional.
Plus, if a guy’s got particularly rough hands with jagged nails and hard skin on the cuticles–they’re not getting near my pink bits. I can’t tell you how many times my girly bits have been inadvertently been scratched by a guy with rough fingers.
I’ve never had a professional manicure, but I do give myself one every two weeks or so. Ragged, dirty nails and snagged cuticles don’t look very good, plus, as has been pointed out, they don’t feel very good to my wife.
I also pluck my eyebrows when needed because I don’t want to look like a Cro-Magnon.
I have never understood why people are afraid to do what it takes to make themselves look better. Good grooming is just plain old good grooming.
How much does a manicure cost these days? How much do you tip?
My usual place charges $12, and I usually tip $2. Of course, I’ve seen spas charge up to $40 for a manicure.
When I was stationed in Korea, every barbershop, off base or on, gave you a manicure with your haircut. It was nice to know that when I got my hair cut, my nails would be trimmed by a professional. When I do them myself it always takes a day or so before the cut edge loses some of its “snagginess” (careful with those doubleknits!) Yeah, I know an emery board will fix that, but not in my hands!
It never seemed poufy to me, and what better excuse to have a lovely young woman hold your hand? Well, besides that. 
–SSgtBaloo