Bare Nails Might Be Trending — But For Muslim Women, They’re A Way Of Life

“Nothing? Not even a gloss coat? Maybe light pink?”  The manicurist could barely hide her disinterest as I confirmed that, yes, I wanted an entirely bare manicure: nails trimmed, cuticles treated, and nail beds buffed to a shine — everything but the polish.  Throughout the entire treatment, she barely engaged me, instead looking over at other clients who were getting ‘actual’ manicures done. I left feeling slightly apologetic, like I’d wasted her time and somehow let her down. Frustratingly, this is far from an isolated incident; it’s often what happens when Muslim women like me book in for nail maintenance appointments.  You see, many Muslim women refrain from wearing nail polish for religious reasons. As part of the five obligatory daily prayers, ablution (the ritual washing known as ‘wudhu’) must be performed, which involves cleansing the hands, ensuring that water reaches the nail beds. Traditionally, nail polish has been seen as a barri