You can always look to TikTok for the latest hacks and trends. And while some are a little more out there than others, people certainly come up with some interesting ideas! For instance, @girlbosstown’s red nail theory could explain why men are drawn to women who paint their nails, well, red — duh. But what exactly does it mean and is there any truth to it?
What is TikTok’s red nail theory?
@girlbosstown Reply to @meganandliz @tinx @serenakerrigan care to comment on this
According to @girlbosstown, men go nuts for red nails. “Every time I have red nails … a guy comments on it,” she said. It’s not just because the color itself is so eye-catching, though. In fact, she thinks there’s a deeper psychological meaning there.
“… In the ’90s, when we were growing up, women had red nails a lot,” she explained her theory. “Especially, like, our moms … I weirdly think guys are attracted to red nails because it reminds them of their moms when they were growing up taking care of them.”
Like everything else, it all comes back to Freud, eh? And while this may seem like a bit of a leap, given that the #rednailtheory hashtag on TikTok has more than 150 million views, a lot of people think there could be something to it.
Opinions on this theory are pretty mixed
@melissevmartineau it’s not a joke anymore #rednailpolish #rednailtheory #rednailtheoryisreal
In response to @girlbosstown’s claim, TikToker @melissevmartineau confirmed that when she painted her nails ruby red, she got asked on more dates than ever before. At the same time, @paulinat said men couldn’t stop smiling at her at the gym with her fresh red manicure. Meanwhile, @navyapassi simply shared her results after testing the theory, writing: “It works.”
However, Grazia UK isn’t feeling it. In an article titled “The Red Nails Theory And Why You Shouldn’t Pay Attention To It,” Sameeha Shaikh calls out the problematic nature of the idea. To her, jumping on a nail trend “for the sake of a man’s compliment” is not something she’s doing. She doesn’t think other women should either.
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The color red has a lot of significance
Red is known as the color of passion. There’s a reason it’s used to symbolize Valentine’s Day, right? While the hue’s exact meanings differ depending on the culture you’re from, Live Science says that “health, vigor, war, courage, anger, and love” are common qualities attributed to it.
In other words, red is a very dominant, aggressive color. Colors Explained pretty much confirms that, revealing that red can have some pretty intense effects on all people, naturally drawing attention as well as stimulating and provoking. It’s no wonder, then, that TikTok’s red nail theory has so many people convinced.
So, is there any truth to the red nail theory or what?
@paulinat at this point the red nail theory is a whole experiment 🤣 #rednailtheory
Because the color red is extremely provocative and eye-catching, it makes sense that men’s eyes would be drawn to it. In fact, women’s eyes would be too! Whether or not that translates to more dates, however, is a whole other matter. While some men may be sexually or physically attracted to shades of red, it’s not a hard and fast rule. Plus, it’s so superficial as to be meaningless once you get to know each other. He might ask you on a date for your manicure, but that doesn’t mean it will lead to a relationship.
If you like the aesthetic of red nails, there’s no reason not to try the red nail theory for yourself. However, if you’re doing it thinking it’s going to bag you a bunch of dates, you might want to give this trend a miss.
