Key to this endeavour will be the implementation of international industry standards and the provision of certification – with a view to having the nail care qualifications conferred through this facility, said a spokesperson. It is planned that the certificate could be acceptable locally and internationally.

In an age where some women flaunt everything from fake hair to acrylic nails in order to appear ‘perfect’ or at the very least to conform to some loosely defined social standard of beauty, it is refreshing to know that there are people still willing to keep it real by staying natural, said a statement.

Petra Newton, a national of St. Kitts, who despite working for almost two decades in the telecommunications industry attended the Dudley Cosmetology University in North Carolina to become a licensed manicurist. She recently graduated as an educator specializing in manicuring and finds that her greatest passion is teaching people how to care for two of the most utilized yet neglected parts of the anatomy – the hands and the feet.

She said “it’s not just about beauty, it’s about health”.