Men and manicures

In a scene from Mad Men, star ad man Don Draper recoils at the thought of getting a manicure. The founder’s son and part-owner of the firm quickly sets him straight by saying that his father, one of the most rugged men he’s ever know in his life, would get a manicure every week. Once a week may be too much, but I firmly believe a man should get his nails done, at the very least, every time he gets a haircut.

All men are aware of the multitude of reasons why they should sport well tended digits - professional appearance, infection prevention through cuticle care, the socially awkward appearance of man-talons or worse, the unintended scratching of an innocent bystander.  The most compelling reason, of course, is sex -as in the opposite sex.    

When polled, women consistently say the hands are one of the first things they notice when meeting a man for the first time. A friend confessed that she found hair on the back of men’s hands sexy.  My sister used to say she could never marry a man who came home with dirt under his nails. 

For a woman, a man tells the story of his life through his hands - rough life, rough hands; soft hands, soft life.  Even Scarlet O’Hara’s cover of living the highlife was blown the moment Rhett held her ungloved hands.

I’ll never forget the brief moment a colleague held my shoulder to keep me from getting bumped by someone passing. In the brief moment his rough, calloused hand touched my shoulder I sensed a boy who played outdoors, built forts, went camping, played high school football and fixed cars on the weekend.  Although he’s now in management and spends his days in a suit and tie, his hands said his position was never a given. 

Touch being the most intimate of gestures, wouldn’t a man want to put his best hand forward when stroking the arm (or other limb) of a blazin babe?  Why risk killing the romance of holding hands by poking your partner with an assaulting hangnail?

Traditional barbershops of decades past would routinely offer manicure services.  I’d like to know who’s responsible for killing off this service. I’ll bet it was the nail biters. Whatever the reason, I’m on a crusade to make the service ubiquitous to men everywhere.  Hopefully I’ll succeed. I’m keeping my manicured fingers crossed.