People Are Calling The Latest TikTok Beauty Trend A “Recession Indicator”

Nail artists themselves are more skeptical, however, about whether short, simple nails are a recession indicator. 

Long nails “won’t be going anywhere anytime soon,” said Christa Cole, a Pasadena, California-based nail technician. “My clients love the way they can be creative and express their style with their nails.“

Nail artists said the length of the nail doesn’t indicate tightening budgets, but how often you come to the salon does. Los Angeles-based nail artist Christina Tran has noticed a trend over the past year, where clients are opting for simpler nail art and stretching out the time between appointments to save money.

When clients ask for “basic and boring,” understated short nails, “I’m not going to chew her out about it. I’ll be like, ‘Oh, maybe it’s a financial thing, or they have to get out of here in a hurry or something.’ But it’s like, girl, don’t you see what I could do?” Tran said about the simple, short nail look.