The Significance of Blue Nails — At Least, To TikTok Users

You could drive yourself crazy trying to understand and remember all of the “meanings” of various phrases, acronyms, and visual cues used on TikTok. Virtually every small detail that people include in their TikTok posts can seem to have a hidden meaning.

Some, however, go viral, and “blue nails” is one that regularly trends on the social media platform.

What does painting your nails blue supposedly imply? Let’s find out.

What Do Blue Nails Mean on TikTok?

A 2008 report published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology cited numerous studies and concluded that “the color red enhances males’ attraction to females.” That should come as no surprise to male readers whose attention has been drawn to women wearing red dresses, pumps, lipstick, or nail polish.

In many people’s eyes — both male and female — red is considered a “sexy” color. Those who study color psychology (yes, that’s a real academic field!) say that red is associated with emotions like passion, excitement, and intimacy.

But what about blue?

The scientists say the color blue is linked to feelings like trust, calm, stability, and trust. That may help explain the “blue nail theory” that’s been espoused in TikTok content since 2020 and is celebrated with the #BlueNailTheory hashtag on the app.

TikTok users who subscribe to the theory say that painted blue nails are a signal that a person is in a stable romantic relationship; they’re not available or on the prowl for a casual date or hookup. Many proponents claim to have supporting evidence, saying that when women ask their male partner what color they should paint their nails, the most common response is “blue.”

(Don’t confuse this theory with a different Internet push to have people paint a single nail blue, which is said to represent awareness of domestic abuse.)

As with any TikTok trend, however, it can be a mistake to assume that something you see online is true in real life. Step carefully before assuming any woman with blue nails is sending a message. She may simply love the way the color looks.