Oakland Nail Technician on Self-Care

With so many established nail technicians in the Bay Area, how does a new one thrive? Reporter Ashvini Malshe sat down with Rozel, or “Ro,” Cruz, a nail technician in North Oakland, during an appointment with one of clients. Cruz owns Prizm Nails and considers herself to be in the business of self-care. The salon opened last September and since then Cruz has gained a group of loyal clients, drawn to her impressive nail art skills. She finds many of her clients through Instagram, where images of her nail art inspire impossible ideas. She welcomes the challenge –– after all,  her desire is to collaborate with her clients by listening to their ideas, and flexing her skills.

Many see getting manicures and pedicures as a gendered luxury. But for Cruz’s clients, it’s a necessity basic to maintaining their humanity. We hear how weekly appoints at Prizm helped Lauren Martin, one of Cruz’s regulars, in her recovery from a traumatic injury.

But that’s not all: Cruz also discusses how her identities as a nail technician, designer, and Filipina work together to make her stand out in a crowd.