The Price Of Nice Nails Essay
The price of the nail salon is the first thing that comes to mind when people think about the cost of getting their nails done. But the truth is the price varies depending on where you go and what type of treatment you are looking for. For example, if someone goes to a high end salon, they will most likely be paying more than at a local shop down the street. This article discusses how much it costs to get your nails done professionally in different places around town!
Essay 1
It’s possible that we’ve forgotten the days when a manicure was simply for special events. Today, it has become a grooming standard for almost all women, particularly in countries with developing economies. When one considers attractive nails, it is difficult to believe about the exploitation, underpayment, and various sorts of abuse that manicurists suffer.
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The statistics show that there are roughly 17,000 nail salons in the United States. But what stuns is not so much the number as it is the fact that, for example, New York’s nail salon population has grown by more than three times since 2002 (Nir p. 6). What’s more, the conditions under which manicurists work and how they acquire their employment are both fascinating.
Once a woman decides to take on the position of manicurist at any nail salon, she should first ensure that she has the set of required manicure instruments for obtaining the job. In addition, if possible, she should bring $100 to $200 in what is known as a training fee (Nir par. 36). It may seem odd, but it’s true: nail salon owners charge potential manicurists this amount to offer them jobs. Nonetheless, it does not imply that a lady can start working and earn a decent wage immediately.
She pays for a trial period that generally lasts three months, during which the employer will determine whether she is suitable for the position. In fact, the manicurist will not be compensated for these three months; instead, she will receive meager tips. She will get the job when the boss thinks she has sufficient skills to fulfill it (Nir par 3). The manicurists of New York nail salons work under generally similar circumstances:
Most employees are paid less than the minimum wage, and in some cases they are not compensated at all. Workers are subjected to a variety of indignities, including having their tips deducted as punishment for minor infractions, continuous video surveillance by owners, and even physical abuse. (para 7)
In addition, $30 per day may appear to be a fantastic salary when compared with typical manicurist pay of $10 per day. They are generally paid less than $1.5 an hour, in addition to fees for drinking water, verbal and physical abuse, and being left without wage on days when there were no clients.
Fake names are also frequently given to manicurists by their employers, making it impossible to identify them. Given that the majority of employees are illegal immigrants with limited English, this step is little more than assuring the company’s safety and success. Indeed, who would mind some “Sherry” if she does her job properly?
Given the service’s low cost, it should come as no surprise that these miserable low wages are easily explained. When taking into account that a manicure costs around $10 and that most manicurists serve 5 to 15 clients each week (“Nails Magazine: Industry Statistics” 78), this wage appears to be fair, regardless of how far above the hourly minimum rate it is. In most situations, nail salon owners acknowledge they pay too little money, yet they argue that it is the only way for them to survive because their businesses are small and would fail if they paid higher salaries.
The fact that the state authorities may allow low-paying work to manicurists, for example, in New York, is fascinating. The manicurists are classified as tipped workers by the state, which explains why they can be paid such a paltry sum. This situation differs from that of California because the owners of nail salons may only charge $1.5 to $3 per hour (Nir par. 42). It’s not even close to the minimum wage set by the state ($1.50 to $3 per hour).
Furthermore, salons are ranked based on how much money they pay their staff. “Big job” personnel, for example, are those that apply the most complex nail procedures. They are the luckiest people in the world since they may make up to $80 a day. Employees at rank “medium job” work as normal manicurists and earn between $35 and $40 each day. Finally, there are “little job” workers who are usually novices working in cleaning and providing towels and performing pedicures. Their salaries fall at the bottom of the list (Nir par 43).
The number of nail salons that open every week is the underlying reason for such low costs and wages. Because it is inexpensive to start up, this business is appealing. Furthermore, only a few licenses are necessary to establish a salon that can be obtained if not ignored at all. A pedicure chair, manicure table, a few bottles of nail polish and nail polish remover, and some willing illegal immigrants — here’s the recipe for getting into the trade (Nir par. 30).
What’s even more perplexing is that the manicure industry has its own type of social hierarchy, with Spanish and Chinese manicurists forming the majority. Most small nail salon owners are not Americans; they’re Koreans. In actuality, seventy to eighty percent of salons in New York are controlled by them. You might be wondering why Koreans would start businesses but not hire other Koreans.
The answer, in a nutshell, is that they simply discover high-paying work. They may even earn up to 30% more than other ethnic minorities when they work as manicurists. As a result, ethnicity is yet another source of inequality and prejudice. Apart from that, there are various sources of bias outside of appearance such as the manicurists’ looks, given how many customers, particularly males, want to be served by well-groomed women.
So, what can be said about the New York nail business is that, first and foremost, the number of nail salons is increasing because it is simple to get into the trade. Second, it’s a field of labor where employees are continually underpaid and verbally abused in addition to being physically assaulted.
Their monthly income ranges from $10 to $80 per day, and their wages are far from the minimal wage, especially when you consider that manicurists generally work 10 to 12 hours each day. What’s more, this injustice extends beyond the workplaces where they are also given phony names because, with such salaries, they can’t afford basic living standards. That notwithstanding, there is a lot of ugliness behind gorgeous nails; and their cost is definitely not cheap.
Essay 2
This essay, The Price of Nice Nails, was written to expose the inhumane working conditions endured by nail salon workers as a result of the need to provide food and shelter for themselves and their families. Through the stories of injustice they endure, The Price of Nice Nails analyzes the problem from the viewpoint of the employees.
The New York Times found evidence in the Census and Labor Department statistics that contradicts the workers’ assertions that little or nothing is being done to assist them escape a vicious cycle of harsh and unjust labor practices. This essay goes beneath the surface of the nail salon business to highlight several limitations these firms face.
The women begin to appear just before 8 a.m. on the main streets of Flushing, Queens, New York, according to Susan Brown. She also makes sure we capture the sheer number of females who congregate in these streets to go to work; it’s not simply a few people, she uses terms like “cavalcades” and “throngs” when describing how hundreds of Econoline Vans distribute themselves across three states (Maslin).
The phrase “one-man operation” is used to describe the manicurist’s salon, which may be considered a stand-alone business or maybe a subcontractor. The general perception of nail technicians is that they are independent contractors who operate alone in their own homes, with fairly little regulation.
It was also nice to read the essay since Sarah Maslin’s sentences were simple and direct, as in “When addressing caste system inequalities, Maslin says that ‘Korean employees make at least 15 percent to 25 percent more than their peers,’ but disparities may sometimes be much greater.’
Essay 3
In the New York Times articles “The Cost of Pretty Nails,” and “Poisoned Workers” by Nir a NYtimes journalist (2015), manicurists in New York City are exploited by their employers, underpaid, and subjected to ethnic bias as a result of a lack of legal investigation. Meanwhile, the owner enjoys the comforts of lucrative profits due to wage exploitations while the manicurists are forced to work in poor health and safety conditions.
The average cost of a manicure is around $10.50. As a result, the employees are overworked and subject to significant pressure to finish the work as soon as possible. In addition, racial prejudice plays an essential role in the toxic mix, as certain races have control over other people’s fates. The law enforcement has done little to investigate nail salons, and employers are rarely charged with labor laws violations.
The majority of New York’s 3,200 nail salons employ 30,000 manicurists and they are generally underpaid or unpaid for a variety of reasons. The employer takes the risk of hiring a new manicurist, whether inexperienced or experienced; as a result, they do not get compensated for months and is also charged a small training fee of $100. Employees, on the other hand, face tremendous strain due to small mistakes being penalized with their tips being withheld, video monitoring at all times, and even physical abuse.
Essay 4
The hands and feet are said to be the origins of a lovely appearance. Women have long used manicures and pedicures to improve the look of their nails. Nails will be cleaned, groomed, decorated, or polished in a comprehensive nail beauty treatment. Aside from the cosmetic aspect, how they are maintained may reveal something about a person’s position in life, as we shall see later in this essay.
The words manicure and pedicure are derived from Latin terms menus, which means to brush and cure, with the latter term referring to care. Similarly, pede means foot and cure implies caring. Manicures have been around for a long time in today’s society. They date back at least 5,000 years. The origins of pedicures are still up for debate, although there is evidence that they were done by ancient Egyptians.
In an excavation in ancient Babylon dating back to around 3,200 BC, one of the first manicures was discovered. It was made entirely of gold. The manicure was regarded a fine art in ancient times. Women would utilize henna to stain their nails in order to practice this craft, according to historical data. They also used various kinds of incense and oils put on the skin to give softness, brightness, and pleasant fragrances. The ancient Egyptians utilized various colors of paint on their nails to indicate their social position. Slaves were only allowed to utilize pale hues, while nobles could wear vivid colors.
Nails in ancient China were painted with egg whites and waxy gelatin. The most popular colors were silver and gold. People who have lengthy digits develop their nails quicker than those who have short digits. The nail on the middle finger develops faster than the other fingers. The length of time it takes for your thumb to form varies from person to person. You may use a nail strengthener every three days to maintain your nails healthy.
It takes about a hundred days to grow just one centimeter of nail on your finger tips, and approximately four to six months to renew the entire fingernail. To grow your toe nails, you’ll have to wait at least 12 to 18 months because they are twice as thick as finger nails. Contrary to popular old beliefs, nails do not continue to develop after death; rather, they appear longer since the skin shrinks as it loses moisture. The largest finger nails ever documented belong to an Indian guy.