Hoping to redress the balance in at least one industry is John Shortt – who has recently trained to become what is thought to be the Island’s first male nail technician.
A former panel beater and car sprayer by trade, Mr Shortt (39) said that the two jobs were surprisingly similar.
‘It is basically panel beating for fingernails,’ he said.
‘It’s a very similar process – removing the old paint, preparing the surface and applying layers of polish – just on a much smaller scale.
‘It’s also a bit more intimate because you’re sitting down and holding hands with a woman for an hour or two. It took me a while to get used to chatting to somebody for that long, but I’m much more comfortable these days.’
Having worked in the automotive trade for several years, as a panel beater and car parts supplier, Mr Shortt could not help but notice that his fiancée, Sinead Shortt (he took her surname by deed poll), seemed to be happier in her job – running a hair salon and nail bar – than he was in his. He finally took the plunge to change careers in 2014, when he embarked on a training course to become a barber, earning distinctions along the way.
But while plying his new trade at Shortt Cut & Sinead’s Nails, the hairdresser’s and nail bar run by Miss Shortt (45), he found he was increasingly intrigued by what was happening on the other side of the shop.
‘I started off by helping out Sinead, who has tendonitis in her hands, by removing polish on customers’ nails to save her a job,’ he said.
‘I picked it up very quickly and had a real knack for it. I was surprised how much I enjoyed painting nails – even more so than cutting hair.’
Miss Shortt, who has run her business for 11 years, said that while her partner might not look like a typical beautician, he had proved to be a natural talent.
‘John had a very fine pencil beard w hen I met him, which is hard to maintain, so I always thought he would be good at being a barber,’ she said. ‘He’s done so well and he’s great at nails – the customers really like him, too.’
Having swapped careers for an industry that is traditionally dominated by woman, were John’s friends surprised by his new vocation?
‘To be honest, they were more concerned that I was going to be spending every day working with the missus,’ he said. ‘But I love it. I’ve never been happier.’
