Would You Paint Your Nails for a Week? with Daniele Fiandaca

In this episode, I do something I have never done before: I have my nails painted during the interview and agree to keep them that way for a week.

My guest is Daniele Fiandaca, co-founder of Hard As Nails, a campaign inviting men to paint their nails to challenge some of the unwritten rules around masculinity, mental health and start conversations that might not otherwise happen.

Even choosing the colour tells me something. Faced with several options, I instinctively reach for black because it feels the most “masculine”. I eventually settle on dark charcoal, but the question remains: why should four layers of nail polish feel like such a big deal?

As Daniele files and paints my nails, we talk about the “man box”: the expectations that men should be strong, self-reliant, heterosexual, successful and in control. Those rules can seem harmless until they stop someone asking for help, admitting they are struggling or forming the close friendships they need.

We also explore why having your nails painted can create an unexpectedly safe space for conversation. There is less eye contact, someone is holding your hand, and the usual barriers begin to come down. That leads us into a wider discussion about vulnerability, intimacy between male friends, the pressure to be the breadwinner and why so many men have people to socialise with but nobody they can really talk to.

You will hear:

• How Hard As Nails began with a trip to a Harry Styles concert.
• Why wearing nail polish for a week matters more than simply having it applied.
• How the expectations placed on men can affect their mental health.
• Why male friendship often stops at banter.
• How community can help men who feel isolated.
• Why encouraging men to open up must be matched by somewhere safe to do it.

At the end of the episode, I return to share what happened during my week with painted nails, how other people responded and whether the experience changed anything for me.

Take part in Hard As Nails

Hard As Nails is inviting thousands of men to paint their nails and wear them for one week this November.

This is a national social experiment examining whether stepping outside one of the unwritten rules of masculinity can change attitudes, encourage more honest conversations and help men show up for the people around them.

Taking part is straightforward. You complete a short anonymous assessment, have your nails painted, wear them for a week and then complete a follow-up assessment. You can visit a nail salon or ask your partner, daughter, friend or colleague to paint them.

It might sound like a small thing. As I discovered, it feels rather different when you have to take your painted nails into meetings, onto the train, to the pub and through the rest of your everyday life.

If you are a man wondering whether you would have the nerve to do it, this is your invitation. Sign up, choose your week in November and find out what the experience brings up for you.

Join the experiment at hard-as-nails.com.

If you are struggling or experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can contact CALM on 0800 58 58 58, from 5pm to midnight every day, or visit the CALM website.