'Some aunties love a guy doing their nails': Male manicurist shares how he overcame prejudice at work

She can, He can is an original AsiaOne series where we showcase Singaporean men who are working in female-dominated jobs and their empowering personal journey in overcoming stereotypes.

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Running your own business ain't easy, but Kai Yeo looks like he's nailed it with his home salon in Potong Pasir.

The 30-year-old has been honing his craft as a nail technician over the past 12 years and what started as a hobby has slowly turned into a full-time profession.

Unfortunately, Kai has long had to deal with the elephant in the room when it comes to his job. 

There aren't many male nail technicians around in Singapore, he shared, and that comes with a specific set of challenges.

Dealing with prejudice

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Right off the bat, Kai said that people have a tendency to view him through a gendered lens. 

Prior to starting his own business, Kai shared he was working at a nail salon and has had his fair share of uncomfortable experiences.

"The biggest challenge I face is really other people judging me for being a guy [who does] nails," he said.

Customers would sometimes do a double take when they realised their nail technician is a man.

"So people were like 'oh, you're a guy. I didn't know'," he recounted.

While Kai noted that, for the most part, it didn't pose too much of an issue but there was always that distinction between him, the male nail technician, and his female colleagues. 

Despite experiencing subtle moments of prejudice, Kai spoke about positive instances with his customers too. These cheerful moments tend to come from one particular demographic.

"I hate to say this out loud but yes, the aunties flock to me. Most of the aunties will flock to me because I'm a guy and they'll be very interested.

"Some aunties love a guy doing their nails," he quipped.

These older women would often be curious as to why Kai takes an interest in nail art, and that's generally how conversations would spark.

Talking to the family

Kai's journey into the world of nail art began when he had "this whole phase" of learning makeup when he was studying in Singapore Polytechnic.

His initial aim was to actually become a makeup artist but as he explored different types of beauty, he stumbled upon something that immediately caught his attention.

"I discovered the world of realistic painting on nails. Then I started thinking 'okay, maybe I can try this one day'," he recalled. 

However, there was initial pushback from the family when Kai announced to them he intended to dip his toes into the beauty industry.

"When I told my mum I wanted to [take] this makeup path, my mum and dad weren't very approving of it."

Strangely enough, Kai wasn't all that spiteful. In fact, he understood their disapproval early on as he had a habit of hopping onto different interests before letting them fade not long after.

Prior to makeup and nails, Kai had interests in becoming a veterinarian and gaming programmer. 

What Kai found rather "funny" is that when he updated the family that he wants to focus solely on becoming a nail technician, the family (his mum, in particular) "was more okay with it".

It seems like Kai has grabbed the opportunity with both hands and over the years, he's improved his skills to the point that he has a solid base of loyal customers who can't wait for their next nail session at his home-based salon.

A quick check on his business' Instagram profile, Nerdynailsguy, shows that Kai is currently not accepting any new clients.

Omakase experience

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Given that he isn't accepting any new clients, one might assume he's raking in the big bucks. However, Kai countered this by explaining that a steady base of customers may not always equate to hefty earnings.

"Most of us [home-based businesses] don't sell packages. Some of us do sell products but we don't force the products onto [clients]. 

"So there's only so much earnings that you can [accumulate]," Kai explained.

Since earnings isn't the main goal, what is?

"If you're doing home salon, what really drives you is your clients, your passion to learn [and] research. You really must be into it," Kai shared.

He sees it as a fair trade between a client and their service provider.

"They are satisfying me as much as I'm satisfying them."

Kai specialises in omakase nail design sets where clients can either provide their preferences or leave the design completely up to him. This can range from minimalistic designs like French nails to more complicated nail art with "blings and charms". 

For men who are looking to give manicures a try, Kai provided some useful tips.

Tip number one is to simply talk to your girlfriend and "trust her first" as she is likely to be more knowledgable and well-placed to advise you.

Should your current relationship status make that unfeasible, research more on nail designs - find out what type of designs interest you before talking it out with your nail technician.

Kai stresses that open conversations between a client and their nail technician is imperative in keeping a positive relationship.

As for those wanting to follow in his footsteps and enter female-dominated industries, Kai is extremely supportive taking that bold first step.

"If people judge you based on your gender, there will always be somebody else who [is open]. You will always find your little target audience."

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amierul@asiaone.com

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