With Hard As Nails, bold coats of polish chip away at rigid norms of masculinity

Could wearing nail polish help solve toxic masculinity and men’s mental health crisis? It could be a start. Hard As Nails, launched on 4 December 2024 by social innovation expert Sam Conniff and inclusion consultant Daniele Fiandaca, brings men into nail salons to document their experiences with this small yet bold step outside gender norms. A pilot program showed 80% of participants discussed breaking free from rigid masculine expectations, and 75% had meaningful conversations about mental health and allyship they would otherwise avoid.

The project began when Conniff got his nails done for a Harry Styles concert. It evolved into exploring how minor acts of gender nonconformity can create ripple effects. Instead of directly confronting toxic masculinity, Hard As Nails focuses on increasing empathy and openness among male participants. And it seems to be working: 80% of the men involved found their experience sparked more supportive and curious reactions from others than they’d anticipated, and 65% experienced emotional release and joy from challenging norms.

While social media and popular culture have made discussions about gender identity more mainstream, many men still feel disconnected from those dialogues. By focusing on something physical and accessible — a coat of polish — Hard As Nails offers a novel way to engage. Beyond obvious partnerships with beauty and grooming brands, organizations in male-dominated industries like construction, engineering and finance could leverage similar concepts to spark internal dialogues about masculinity and workplace culture. A construction company, for example, might launch a “Tough As Nails” day where site workers get manicures while discussing workplace safety and mental health, effectively linking physical and emotional protection.