Editor's note: A Salute to Nail Technicians’ War Efforts

We are all touched in some way by the war in the Persian Gull, and we all have a need to express our feelings about it. And nail technicians have a unique way of expressing themselves in response to the war. NAILS readers have shown overwhelming support for U.S. troops and revealed an especially caring deeply patriotic side even in the way they do business.

I have received submissions of all sorts of nail art reflecting opinions of the war; flags done in everything from acrylic paints to rhinestones to diamonds, nails bedecked with yellow ribbons camouflage art peace signs, even a portrait of Saddam Hussein with a bomb hitting his head.

For Shari Finger of Fingers Nail Studios in West Dundee, Illinois, the war has had a tremendous impact on business. “Nails show moods. And people’s color choices these days reflect the national mood. You can tell who supports the war and who doesn’t by what colors they wear.” She says clients request drab or subdued colors because they don’t want to be too conspicuous. “It would be like wearing bright colors to a funeral,” she says.

Sharon McGee of Quality Cut & Curl in McAlester, Oklahoma, is expressing her support for the troops by helping their wives back home. Sharon lowered her prices for servicemen’s wives because, she says, “It’s one nice thing I can do for these women.” But so her other non-military clients wouldn’t feel left out, she’s instituted a special offer that gives them a free fill after five paid fills.

Mitzi Crawford of DiBela Hair Designers in Columbus, Ohio, has seen a tremendous increase in requests for patriotic nail art, “Even people who would never wear nail art are now asking for flags,” she says. After the first days of the war, Mitzi brought a TV into the salon so that she and customers could catch up with the latest news. She worried that after a while customers would tire of the bombardment of war news, but found instead that clients were grateful.

In Folsom, Pennsylvania. June Moffo is using the proceeds from sales of nail art to put together care packages for U.S. troops. Nail technician Nora Cotrone of Jersey City, New Jersey, gave her sister Elayne whose husband has been stationed in Saudi Arabia since August – a very special first anniversary gift. She painted Elayne’s nails with yellow ribbons and sent the pictures to Elayne’s husband in the desert.

To all the generous and thoughtful nail technicians lending support in their own special way and to all those with friends and relatives in the gulf, NAILS Magazine salutes you.