Do men’s nails differ from women’s, or are they essentially the same? How do you approach this significant demographic that represents half of the global population? Do you cater to male clients in your nail studio, or do you typically not address this group? Let’s explore what to expect when working with male clients.
Let’s see what you encounter when you have men as clients.
Men’s Natural Nails
At first glance, men’s and women’s nails look the same. But once you look at the details, there are some significant differences.
Evolutionary Reasons for Thicker Male Nail Plates
The nail plate of a man, is thicker. In men with a healthy nail plate, the average thickness is 0.43 mm, while for women, it is 0.39 mm. The cause of this difference can be found in evolution, where men often had heavier physical tasks than women.
The thicker nail plate is not only found in humans; In all primates, the nail plates of males are thicker than those of females.
- Harder Nail Plate
Besides being thicker, the nail plate is also harder in men.
- Faster Growth
Another significant difference is the speed at which the nails grow. Men’s nails grow faster than women’s, except during pregnancy, when growth is more or less the same.
Nail Plate Thickness: Key Factors for Men and Women
Fortunately, men are also just humans, and the nails of men and women are otherwise identical. Here are a few basic rules:
- If you have a short matrix, you will have a thin nail plate.
- The thickness of the nail plate depends on the length of the matrix.
- The longer the matrix, the thicker the nail plate will be.
- Any disruption in the matrix will always result in an abnormal nail plate being male or female does not matter – disruption is disruption.
Man-i-cures: Attracting Male Clients to Your Salon
That men can be a good target group for the nail studio is not new. However, getting those men into the nail studio is much harder than expected. Of course, it also depends on where your nail studio is located. In rural areas, it can be challenging to go against established prejudices, whereas in the city, it is becoming less unusual for men to wear nail coatings – at our local DIY store – the guys wear gel polish – Black and Yellow seems to be their favorite color mix and they love it when I say – man your nails look great!
If you want men as clients in your nail studio, here are a few things to consider:
- Men like clarity, so ensure clear pricing and service descriptions.
- Men do not like delays; if the treatment takes half an hour, it cannot become 40 minutes, if you need 40 mins or 75 mins even – book it and charge for it.
- Men respond differently to care advice than women. If you tell a male client to care for his nail folds four times a day with high-quality oil, they will do it four times a day. (this only works for men you did not give birth to or are not married too)
- Men plan better ahead, so a manicure every three weeks is booked three months in advance. This makes men very suitable for subscription billing, making it easier for you to plan investments in the salon, or budgeting for special training.
- Don’t forget the growth rate of nails in men is faster, so they may require more frequent appointments for in fills.
- Men are willing to pay standard rates for treatments. If a manicure has a set price for 30 minutes, a man will pay that amount. If he finds it too expensive, he simply won’t become a client.
Why Attracting Male Clients to Your Nail Salon Is a Smart Business Move
Men in the salon are fun!
Measuring the rate of nail growth of any client before a service is important but for man clients more so simply because their nails grow at a faster rate, you want them back in the salon in time.
It could be worth popping in to the local barber to talk about working together in some capacity, it’s always good to hook up with other local businesses.
If I could do it all again, I would definitely invest in getting more men at my manicure table, It just makes good sense.
