Written By Georgia Horsch

Photos By Mindy Welland

Photos of Sydney Blackburn, Georgia Horsch, Alexis Loftis, Zoë Mizell, and Sutton Shields

The evolving expression through hair and nails has been around for centuries and changed so much over the eras. Women first started using henna for dying hair in the early 1900s. Over time, it has changed dramatically, by adding depth with highlights in the 70, to creating an ombre movement in the 21st century, and completely transforming hair to vibrant colors in the 2020s.
When the pandemic took over, it was extremely difficult to find services for hair. People soon became frustrated as their roots grew longer, forcing some to take matters into their own hands, or patiently wait till lockdown was over. In 2020, many trends surfaced involving dying your own hair, and painting/dipping your own nails. Numerous individuals resorted to box dye because it was the fastest option, whether it was out of straight impulse, or just for fun. “Money Pieces” were a big trend when the pandemic started, which entailed dyeing the front pieces of your hair with color, or bleaching them to be frosted. The “Halo" hair trend targets more towards a more feminine look, having color dyed around your hairline, all the way around your head. 

Dying your hair at home can be daunting, though. From uneven color processing to damaged hair, DIY salon work has a reputation for being shoddy at best. It seems scary at first, but once you learn what’s what, you don’t really have to think about it anymore, let alone read the directions.
Then comes cutting your own hair, which terrifies most people. Although it takes some practice, the payoff is real. Being able to say “Yeah, I cut my own hair” when layers and bangs are trending is very unique. A person’s opinions on hair are personal. Some cultures have very strict rules for hair, some people go wild and have it stick up straight or prefer it big and puffy. Some people don’t even like having hair. Either way, hair should be fun and exciting, an expression of who you are!

Hair for men has become more expressive over the past 3 years. In 2020, a trend that started was bleached buzz cuts and an optional colorful design on the hair. Now, more men are growing their hair out, adding highlights/frosted tips, throwing all of it in a bun, or adding vibrant all-over colors. Celebrities that have dyed their hair include Felix Lee, Zayn Malik, and Machine Gun Kelly- who’s dyed his hair pink countless times.

 In some cases, people prefer to dye their own hair because it’s cheaper. When you go to a salon, not only are you paying for the product, but also for the service. I’ve met more people in my life that refuse box dye and would rather spend $400 a month than experiment on themselves for maybe $30 a month.

Another expression that individuals have started doing themselves, is fingernails. Fingernail trends first surfaced in the late 20th century, with African American women and POC making acrylic nails popular. U.S. Olympian Florence Griffith-Joyner, for example, started the square-oval trend in the 80’s, also known as the “squoval” nails. These were usually done long on acrylics. During WWII, women wore red nails to match their uniforms. Dying and staining your nails, however, has been around since about 300 B.C. Women and men around the globe were doing this from China to Egypt, along with the Babylonians and Asian heritage. 

Along with doing your own hair, DIY nails are calculated to be much cheaper. Nail polish is usually no more than $10, and you can use items around your house to make designs, like toothpicks or cotton swabs. Doing your nails with products like dip or gel at home, including the tools, equals out to a purchase of around $70 that will typically last months, rather than spending almost the same getting your nails touched up every couple of weeks. Oh, and while you're doing the math, don’t forget to factor in the tip for the service. 

Dipping your nails takes more time than painting your nails, but they stay on for more time. You can also make your nails appear longer by adding tips, which are just artificial nails you glue to the end of your real nail, and then put the product of choice over the whole thing. The Dip process requires a base coat, activator, and a top coat. You apply the coats to the nail and then, well, “dip” your nails into the powder, which creates the strong, colorful nails. Acrylic is a powder mixture, added with a liquid. You use a brush to shape the nail, the nails can just air dry, then add the top coat and you’re done. Both of these techniques require different materials. You can do it yourself and on your natural nails. Dip is usually recommended by salons, and it’s easy to pick up quickly. Just takes some practice! 

Trending shapes of nails started with the square and the stiletto, have now turned into almond, round, and coffin shapes, resembling a softer, more natural look. A fun trend that started around 2014 was the “skittle” nails, all your nails painted a different color, more leaning towards the neutral colors of the rainbow. This trend is also resurfacing in a more pastel form. Something individuals have been playing around with since 2020, is texture, combining matte and shiny top coats. This usually will be done on a colorful french tip. Euphoria nails started in 2019, creating vibrant, shiny, detailed looks on the nail. This plays with glitter, colorful checkerboard, gemstones, animal print, pastels and geometric shapes. These fantastic designs are usually done on long nails, for a more flashy look.

Nails, too, are becoming more gender-neutral, with more men experimenting with nail polish and length. Whether it’s just a solid black color, or adding designs or letters, men are finding approaches to nail art that speak to them. Around late 2019, TikTok star, Chase Hudson, (also known as, ‘Lil Huddy’) started the more “e-boy” aspect of masculine nails. In 2021, the now music artist has a gel sticker line in his name, LILHUDDYxGlamnetic. Harry Styles, on the other hand, has created a masculine side of nail art that is more colorful and fun. In 2021, Styles introduced his nail polish brand, ‘Pleasing’, and has his own pop-up store in New York. Other masculine artists have painted their nails for years, including Steven Tyler, David Bowie, Sam Smith, and A$AP Rocky, creating a trend that is, hopefully, here to stay.

Hair and nails are a form of artistic expression, along with tattoos, piercings, fashion trends, and jewelry. Hair and nails are outlets of creative expression that translate in so many ways, in a generation full of so many kinds of people. It can define creativity, label people as expensive, or even come off as striking; head-turning, if you will. I encourage everyone to try and do something different to their nails and hair, take matters into their own hands, and show their creativity.