While the market for traditional manicures and pedicures is well below pre-pandemic levels as consumers are largely satisfied with DIY options, services that require a high level of skill by trained nail technicians are the ones that grew the fastest in 2021. Moreover, they are expected to help the industry fully recover in the coming years.
Nail enhancements, which are best performed by trained technicians, were the fastest-growing category in the global professional nail care market in 2021, driven by a 14% increase in North America, according to Kline’s Professional Nail Care: Global Market Brief. It is also the only category in the professional nail care market projected to grow at a double-digit rate through 2026.
The jump in nail enhancements is largely being driven by dipping powders, which garner more than a 50% share in the nail enhancements category. Demand for dipping powders swelled after salons and nail technicians increasingly adopted more hygienic application methods to reduce the risk of contamination and infection. These practices include disposal of unused powder after application, using sterile brushes, and using separate containers instead of dipping straight into a shared jar.
Newness is also instrumental in propelling nail enhancements, with virtually every brand giving dipping powders a major focus in their marketing efforts, educational outreach, and launch activity. Many brands introduced new seasonal collections for their dipping powder systems in 2021. Select key activities include:
- SNS with the Aspen Night, Lumi Glam, and Tropical Sensation collections
- DND introducing 36 new shades to its DND DAP Dip Powder system
- Artistic Nail Design Led Dip Ombre Gel Coat
Gel manicure, which also require more skill to perform than traditional manicure, was another high-growth service, up 8% globally in 2021. Like dipping powders, gel polishes also benefitted from a plethora of new product activities, mostly in the form of seasonal color collections from all major marketers. In the gels category, Nail Alliance stood out with its multiple new launches, including Artistic Nail Design Colour Bloom, Artistic Nail Design LED Dip Ombre Gel Coat, Gelish Chrome Stix, Gelish Blooming Gel, and the Gelish Ombre Coat.
An in-depth information on the market performance and outlook is covered in our recently-published Professional Nail Care: Global Market Brief. This study assesses the market performance by category—care products, gels, long-wear nail polishes, nail enhancements, and traditional nail polishes—and dives into key trends and dynamics across eight countries: Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Written by Carrie Mellage, Vice President, Consumer Products, and Shivani Singh, Project Manager.
