Barely a day goes by without AI making news this year, with the technology making increasing strides into our lives. While some of it may seem scary (and you may have attempted to turn it off on in your Instagram settings after everyone shared that post a few months back), some of it is already proving incredibly useful in our lives. So, how would you feel about AI entering your nail salon? Would you be up for a robot doing your manicure? Well, I’ve tried it….
Last week I was invited to try the UMIA nail system, an AI operated robot manicure machine which promises gel-style manicures (in around 15 minutes) for cheaper prices than when done by a human. The machine is still being developed, it was posted at the Electric Space in central London for two days for beauty experts and journalists to trial, before being unveiled at hairdressing convention, Salon International that weekend. The creators hope that after some fine tuning, the machine can be launched as the first UK AI manicure system next year in salons.
I turned up with clean nails (the machine is for painting and art only, it doesn’t remove colour or shape) ready to go… here’s how the machines work, the results, and how it aims to work for salons and its workers.
About the UMIA AI Manicure System
What I Like About the UMIA AI Manicure System
Well, firstly it’s the novelty. In terms of beauty, things are always moving fast and there’s always new launches to try. But in terms of real Back to the Future novelty stuff, this is the most interesting thing I’ve trialled in a long time. And the idea of just being able to pop your hands into a machine that could be stationed at a salon or a shopping centre is appealing not just for fun (I’m thinking about how much tween Gen As would go wild for this stuff) but also for ease. If you’re anything like me and have needed their nails done last minute and not been able to get an appointment in time, you know there’s nothing more annoying. This is definitely a great fallback option.
I would say the UMIA’s main selling point is the accuracy of the nail art it can do. I’m a nail art novice and I’ll be honest, it’s because for all the Instagram and Pinterest-inspiration out there, I often worry if my local place would be able to accurately recreate what I was looking for. If you’ve got a local fave, then great. But if you’re a fairweather nails person and usually like a plain mani, the fear that the art could look a bit… amateurish, and then you be stuck with it for three weeks, is just not worth the risk. The UMIA system proposes that nail artists from around the world could actually upload their art and (instead of just being copied by people anywhere) could be paid per use of their art, even if someone 2,000 miles away chooses their imagery. The fact that the art is fitted exactly for your nail and sprayed on by the machine (more on that in a minute) means there’s no risk – the design is very accurate. It also means that if you’ve got tiny nails and have always felt art wouldn’t work for you, it really can. I saw some amazing pictures of really intricate pictures painted onto very small nails.
I’d also say the specially formulated gel paint the machine uses lasts – I’m a week in and the nails have lasted similarly to my usual gel nails and actually it feels thinner and smoother on my nails.
How to Use the UMIA AI Manicure System
Ok, here we go – here’s how robot AI nail machines work. Firstly, you need to come in with clean and already shaped nails. The brand suggests one of these machines could be posted in a salon, and you could get your colour removed, your nails shaped and/or manicure done by a manicurist and you then move over to the machine for your nail art.
The machine is a large box with an open front and a place for your hand, which is almost like an old fashioned computer joystick with a shelf on top for your nails. The hole where you place your hand is purposely kept wide open so you can see what’s going on the whole time and don’t worry or feel claustrophobic if it’s your first time. Above this is an iPad or screen which is your AI assistant.
You choose your design and then tap to tell the machine which finger you’re putting in – you can have as the design suggests or mix it up. For instance, I wanted my design to be the same on each nail, rather than having the ring finger different as suggested.
As show above, you then put the nail you want decorated onto the stand and push your hand in. You should try to get as comfortable a position as possible (the machine suggests a position) as this is the important bit: no moving. Once you’ve confirmed your finger is inside, the machine scans your nail to determine the exact shape, and begins to glide across your finger, spraying base coat, colour and top coat, all while setting them. In total each nail takes around 100 seconds. Can’t picture it? Here we go below…
It’s completely painless – the hardest bit is staying still, more on that later – and I didn’t even feel any heat like I usually do under the UV setting lamps.
Once the machine says you’re done, you pull out your finger and it’s completely dry and smooth. You start the whole process on the next nail until you’re done. Once you’ve finished both hands, you’re given a wipe to go over each nail, which gives it an even greater shine.
What to Consider Before Trying the UMIA AI Manicure System
You cannot move. You will have no idea how much you move. I tried so hard not to move. And yet, I moved. Forget chatting at the salon, for this, you need to sit straight forward, no talking. Because the result is, no matter how still you think you are, you likely will have rolled your fingers slightly to the side. And this means there can be gaps.
Some gaps were fine, but on two, maybe three nails it was a decent miss, with a gap on the sides and even across the top. While the machine is still in testing that’s fine. It also was ok for a quick touch up, and the nails looked better than the grown-out, chipped nails I had before, so it’d be a good quick option for an event. But if you’re a fidget, you’d struggle. From afar, the nails were overall fine, and on about 75% of the hand, they were great.
Talking of talking, it does take some of the joy out of the nail appointment – booking in, catching up, having a bit of time to yourself are all elements lots of people love about their regular sessions. But if you’re less of a small talk fan, maybe this would be a plus.
Of course, with AI, it’s always a similar concern – whose job is this going to take? The makers insist the machine is there to do just one part of the manicure and can be used in conjunction with staff, who they argue could then take more customers and up their productivity. On that I’m not fully sure, but the idea of nail designers being paid for their work as it’s used on the machine does appeal, if it’s fully costed in favour of the artists.
Where Is the UMIA AI Manicure System Available?
The machine is not yet available to the public – we’ll let you know as soon as it is.
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Rhiannon Evans is the interim content director at PS UK. Rhiannon has been a journalist for 17 years, starting at local newspapers before moving to work for Heat magazine and Grazia. As a senior editor at Grazia, she helped launch parenting brand The Juggle, worked across brand partnerships, and launched the “Grazia Life Advice” podcast. An NCE-qualified journalist (yes, with a 120-words-per-minute shorthand), she has written for The Guardian, Vice and Refinery29.
