My dog and I are both, officially, microchipped, which means our contact information is easily accessible when scanned by the appropriate devices. The only difference is that my 90-pound mutt, Scorpion, has a chip implanted underneath his skin; mine is in my manicure—and you don’t need to take me to a vet to get my number. Just hold your phone up to my NFC nails and within seconds you’ll be directed to my Instagram page, my phone number will sync to your contacts, and you’ll have access to my entire creative portfolio via my website. All it took was my nail artist applying an NFC chip during a 60-minute manicure.
NFC, or Near Field Communication, is much more common in everyday life than you may think. It's the same technology you use to buy your morning coffee with Apple Pay or unlock a hotel room with the wave of a key card. Now, these electronic communication capabilities are infiltrating the beauty industry. “NFC nails are the future of manicures, [meaning that we] integrate NFC chips into nail designs to enable interaction with smartphones,” says Janet Lau, a nail artist based in Vancouver, Canada. “Nails have always been about self-expression, and adding NFC technology creates a perfect blend of functionality and fashion."
