5 mins
Tech for Techs
REBECCA HITCHON gets the scoop on high-tech launches, decodes hot topics & sources tech-savvy tips for your business
The evolution of the microchip mani
In
Scratch’s
December 2024 issue, I wrote about ‘the microchip mani’. Microchip or NFC nails utilise near-field communication: a technology that allows small amounts of data to be exchanged between two electronic devices when they are placed close together. Nail pros are encapsulating miniature NFC chips within designs to create visual effects, such as light up nails, and direct people to online destinations with a tap of their smartphones. I interviewed techs about the possibilities for microchip nails, and the future looked bright. Since then, my eyes have been opened to further uses of this smart nail type, which could change the lives of many.
Global research and consulting firm, Verified Market Reports, published the Smart Nail Chip Market Report last month, offering an insight into how far the opportunities extend for the technology. It reveals that the smart nail chip market is projected to reach a value of $1.22 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30.5% from 2024.
The report details how smart nail chips have benefitted the beauty industry, by allowing nail designs to change colour and pattern. However, this technology is having the most profound and serious impact in the healthcare industry, where chips can contain sensors that monitor data such as hydration levels, stress indicators, heart rate and exposure to environmental factors. The report notes that this allows potential health issues to be detected early, and offers a more accessible, discreet and aesthetically pleasing method of health monitoring, compared to other wearable devices.
It also shares how smart nail chips can enable digital transactions, and mentions Swiss company, Smart Chip. Described as ‘a digital wallet on your fingernail’, Smart Chip allows users to make contactless payments and share their contact details. The thin, waterproof chip offers a payment solution that can’t be stolen, forgotten or lost, and lasts for three months before needing to be replaced. Plus, it requires nail professionals’ skills, as only certified techs are allowed to apply the chip: whether with a coloured or clear nail coating over the top. Via the Smart Chip app, available via the App Store and Google Play, consumers can find a nail salon that offers Smart Chip application and activate their chip. At present, Smart Chip works with Certo! By Cembra, PostFinance, Swiss Bankers Life Digital and Curve bank cards, but more will be supported in the future. Nail businesses can learn about offering Smart Chip services by scanning here.
What does the future look like for smart nail chips?
According to Verified Market Reports, the popularity of this technology is set to rise, particularly in Asia Pacific and North America. This is due to increasing demand for smart beauty products and wearable technologies, and an enhanced focus on health and wellness. Integration of artificial intelligence (AI) could also offer more advanced functions for the technology, such as predictive analytics. However, this growth will not come without difficulties, as the report suggests that high development costs, data privacy and security concerns, and a lack of standardised regulations for smart devices, will pose challenges.
Access the
Smart Chip Nail Market Report
via www.verifiedmarketreports.com/product/smart-nail-chip-market
“Chips can contain sensors that monitor data such as hydration levels, stress indicators, heart rate and exposure to environmental factors.”
“The smart nail chip market is projected to reach a value of $1.22 billion by 2030.”
2025 beauty tech innovations
We’re only in the third month of this year, but some exciting beauty tech products have been announced. It’s no surprise when you consider that the global beauty tech industry is expected to reach a value of $7.5 billion by 2029, according to data presented by Stocklytics.com. The research shows that China will be the largest market for products, followed by Europe and the United States.
Courtesy of L’Oréal Groupe.
Specialised skincare
L’Oréal Groupe has unveiled L’Oréal Cell BioPrint: a tabletop hardware device that provides personalised skin analysis in five minutes. The technology can calculate the skin’s age, provide advice on how to slow the appearance of ageing, predict the skin’s responsiveness to certain ingredients and forecast potential issues before they become visible.
Users are simply required to put a facial tape strip on their cheek and place into solution, before loading into a cartridge and inserting into the device. While L’Oréal Cell BioPrint processes this, analysing the skin’s protein composition to obtain results, several images are taken of the user’s face and a questionnaire about skin concerns and ageing is completed. The technology will be piloted in Asia this year.
Magic mirrors
The MICRO LED Beauty Mirror from Samsung, developed in collaboration with Korean cosmetics company, Amorepacific, isn’t an average mirror. It provides a lifelike mirror experience, but in under 30 seconds, the device utilises AI technology to analyse the user’s skin for wrinkles, pores, pigmentation and redness. It then offers tailored advice and product recommendations.
The JAKCOM N3 Smart Nail Chip, available via shop.jakcom.com, links to an online profile for each user, to carry out various functions. These include sharing social media accounts and websites, sending automated messages – such as safe arrival texts, starting virtual calls, creating memos and accessing a daily horoscope and menstrual cycle calculator.
Product pick
Luxury hand, foot and nailcare brand, Margaret Dabbs ® London, has entered the beauty tech sphere with its AstraeaNatura ™ LED Hand Mitts. The professional-grade product uses light frequencies to increase the elasticity and collagen levels of ageing hands, in turn plumping the skin, evening skin, reducing pigmentation and evening skin tone.
Each hand mitt contains 35 LEDs, operating at three wavelengths: near-infrared (830 nanometers/nm, to tackle signs of ageing), red (630nm, to improve skin health and texture) and green (520nm, to address pigmentation). Results can be seen in around six weeks.
Margaret Dabbs ® London AstraeaNatura ™ LED Hand Mitts £350 + VAT www.margaretdabbs.co.uk
Additionally, L’Oréal Groupe has unveiled Mood Mirror™, which combines emotion AI algorithms and virtual try-on technology to detect users’ genuine emotional reactions to simulated make-up looks. Harnessing artificial intelligence to analyse their facial expressions, the device serves to guide consumers towards products and styles that spark joy, without them having to physically trial looks.