The nail industry is a $17 billion business in the United States alone, and women have built nearly every corner of it. From the Vietnamese immigrant community that transformed the American salon landscape in the 1970s and 80s, to the self-taught artists who turned Instagram into a global nail art gallery, women have been in large part the creative force, the client base, and the labor behind one of beauty's most enduring crafts.

Yet for all its cultural weight, nail artistry has historically been undervalued, treated as just a service rather than a whole skill, a hobby rather than a legitimate career. But now, that narrative is changing, thanks to a new generation of female nail professionals who are demanding the recognition they've always deserved. They're building their personal brands, educating their peers, landing Hollywood clients, and walking red carpets. They are true artists, hustling entrepreneurs, and supportive educators, and Women's History Month is the perfect moment to say so — loud and proud.

Sonia Sanchez: Gel-X® Nail Artist, Aprés Nail Ambassador, and Educator Empowering the Next Generation

Sonia Sanchez's path to becoming a nail artist wasn't a straight line. Far from it, actually. It was a leap of faith, taken in the middle of a pandemic, fueled by a childhood memory and a mother's quiet strength.

Growing up as the daughter of two immigrants and the first in her family to graduate college, Sonia learned early what resilience looks like. In June 2019, she earned her bachelor's degree in Child Development from CSUN and spent eight years teaching. Being a teacher was a stable, emotionally fulfilling career, but one that left her creatively wanting more. Enter COVID-19, and the world stopped. In March 2020, during the early days of the pandemic, Sonia picked up a paintbrush for the first time in years. The feeling it brought back was immediate and undeniable, and it reminded her of the joy she had felt as a little girl painting on canvases. It's that feeling, one of creating, which sparked something so much bigger than a part-time hobby to pass the time in quarantine.

Sonia discovered Aprés Nail, the creators of Gel-X®, and made a bold decision to start her own small business in the nail industry. It wasn't the safe choice, she knew. But staying comfortable was actually what was holding her back from realizing her own dreams and inspiring other women in her community and family to do the same.

Today, as a proud Aprés Nail Ambassador and Gel-X® specialist, she does exactly that. Her nail artistry pulls from fashion, color, texture, and an instinct for design honed since childhood. Every set is a small canvas, every client has a new story to tell. But Sonia's impact extends well beyond her own chair.

Since living out her dreams of nail artistry full-time, Sonia has developed practical resources and tools for nail techs who are just starting out, covering not only technical Gel-X® application and artistry skills but the business fundamentals that can make or break a new professional. For example, her Acuity Scheduling Guide helps nail techs and beauty professionals set up their booking systems correctly from day one, skipping the costly trial-and-error that so many newcomers face alone. It's the kind of generous, grounded mentorship that reflects the values her mother modeled for her as a woman who raised two children on her own with unwavering determination, and whose strength Sonia carries with her every single day.

Her advice to every aspiring nail tech still on the fence is to silence the inner voice that says don't bother. Instead, reach for something ambitious, and never lose sight of the beginnings that made you.

Temeka Jackson: Celebrity Nail Artist and Hollywood's Most In-Demand Manicurist

If you've been watching awards season closely, there's a good chance you've seen Temeka Jackson's work. This year, her artistry appeared on the Oscars red carpet, including on the hands of Sinners director Ryan Coogler, adding yet another milestone to a career that has been making history for over two decades.

Based in Los Angeles, Temeka's celebrity client roster includes Saweetie, Jada Pinkett Smith, Taraji P. Henson, Quinta Brunson, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Ariana DeBose, and more. She makes it look easy, but the road to that level of recognition was hard-won. Growing up in Connecticut, she discovered her passion after a Black nail technician serviced her in high school. It was the first time she'd ever seen a Black woman doing nails in her area, and that single moment of representation is what changed everything.

At 19, she became the first Black nail technician in her city, facing undue skepticism from employers and clients alike. Nevertheless, she pushed through, going to nursing school and working a hospital job at one of the country's top medical institutions to support her dream and building her reputation, client by client. A viral set of Obama inauguration nails landed her on CNN. Then, a pivotal move to Los Angeles opened the doors to Hollywood. From there, she never looked back.

As one of Hollywood's most sought-after nail professionals, Temeka draws inspiration from everything around her: from fashion, to murals, paintings, fabric patterns, and bead stores. With a firm belief that anything and everything can become art, she encourages fellow nail professionals to resist the pull of social media trends and focus instead on carving out a lane that is theirs and theirs alone. That kind of originality, she believes, is what keeps a career not just alive, but evergreen.

Her mantra is Show up. Set up. Shut up & Slay. And she's lived every word of it.

How to Support Women in the Nail Industry Year-Round

Celebrating women in nails shouldn't stop on April 1st. Here are just a few meaningful ways to show up for the nail artists in your community always:

  • Book with women-owned nail businesses. Whether it's a solo nail tech working out of a suite or a woman-owned salon, your appointment is a direct investment into her livelihood. Seek them out when you can!
  • Follow and amplify their work on social media. A share, a save, or a comment goes further than you might think. Nail artists build their clientele through visibility, and we're living in a time where it's easier than ever to show up for the artists you love. Your social media engagement is what turns passion into dollar signs.
  • Buy their educational resources. So many amazing nail techs have put real time and expertise into tools designed to help those new to the community to grow. Purchasing those resources and recommending them to others supports both the creator and the community she's building.
  • Tip and refer your friends. Word of mouth remains one of the most powerful tools a small business has. If you love your nail tech, tell someone. Or everyone.
  • Respect the craft. Nail artistry is skilled labor. It takes training, physical stamina, creative vision, and ongoing investment in tools and education. Paying fair prices and treating nail professionals with the respect they deserve is one of the most simple yet meaningful ways to honor the women who have built this industry.

Nail Art is Art

The stories of Sonia Sanchez and Temeka Jackson remind us that nail artistry is a very serious profession that also just happens to be one of the most fun and inspiring. It's one that demands technical mastery, creative vision, entrepreneurial grit, and the ability to enjoy oneself. These women didn't stumble into success. They built it, often in the face of doubt and uncertainty, guided by the people who believed in them before the world caught on — and they had a good time doing it by letting their creativity guide them, even when the going got tough.

This Women's History Month, we celebrate them. Every nail tech who mentors a younger artist, who builds a resource so someone else doesn't have to struggle, who shows up on Oscars morning and makes making history look effortless. The beauty industry is richer for their presence, and their best work is still to come.