This Dubai beauty salon is installing microchips in customers' fingernails

The latest treatment gives new meaning to 'chipped nails'

A microchip is placed on a finger nail at the Lanour Beauty Lounge in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Nour Makarem, founder and chief executive of Lanour Beauty Lounge in Duja tower in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Staff pasting the microchip on the nail at the Lanour Beauty Lounge in Duja tower in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

The idea came about as a Covid-friendly way of sharing business cards. Pawan Singh / The National.

Staff giving coat of cuticle oil on microchip nail at the Lanour Beauty Lounge in Duja tower in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Customer showing the glitter nail with microchip at the Lanour Beauty Lounge in Duja tower in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National

Staff reading the microchip nail through mobile phone. Pawan Singh / The National.

Chipped nails could become the latest essential beauty treatment.

A salon in Dubai is placing microchips under nail polish as a way for people to share their personal information.

Lanour Beauty Lounge created a way to support social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic, helping people to do away with paper business cards.

The chips, which use near field communication technology (NFC), can share data over very short ranges, usually a few centimetres.

The chip, which the salon gets from a supplier in China, is placed on the nail and covered by gel to hold it in place before the nail is painted.

The microchip gel manicures cost Dh250 a time, Lanour Beauty Lounge's founder and chief executive, Nour Makarem, told The National.

“We make it like a business card, so there is no need to handle your business card any more,” she said.

“It has all the information you want – for example, your website, social media accounts, mobile number, your name and your email. This kind of information.

"So, whenever you meet someone and you want to share your business card, he has to scan this chip. They can use any NFC-enabled device.

“You just have to download an application. Most Android mobile phones have it by default.”

The chip’s use is limited at the moment to storing business card-type information, but Ms Makarem sees a big future for the technology.

According to electronics manufacturer Samsung, NFC allows users to make secure transactions, exchange digital content, and connect electronic devices.

The technology is used for transactions like Samsung Pay and Apple Pay.

Ms Makarem said that could also be possible for the microchip manicures, but the system would require an extra layer of security. They are working on it, she said.

But its potential is not limited to payments.

“In the future you may be able to use it for access for your parking or to access your hotel room,” Ms Makarem said.