
Painting one nail a different colour to the rest has become a trend, particularly among men. The trend began in Australia, but has since spread to other countries. The trend is not code for anything, but some people choose to paint one nail to test out a new colour or design without committing to painting all ten nails.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason | Distraction, testing a new colour or design, drawing attention to jewellery |
| Started by | Elliot Costello |
| Campaign | The Polished Man Project |
| Purpose | Raising awareness and funds to protect children from violence and abuse |
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What You'll Learn

Distracting for the wearer and those around them
Painting one nail a different colour or design to the others can be distracting for the wearer and those around them. The wearer may find that the nail catches on things, or that it distracts them as they type. For those around the wearer, the nail may simply be an eye-catching feature that draws their attention.
The trend of painting one nail a different colour or design is often attributed to a desire to try out a new colour or pattern without committing to painting all ten nails. If the wearer dislikes the colour or pattern, they can simply remove the polish from the one nail.
In some cases, the wearer may also be using the nail as a way to draw attention to a piece of jewellery on that finger, such as a ring. By painting the nail a brighter colour, they can emphasise the jewellery and make it stand out.
The trend of painting one nail, specifically the ring finger, is also associated with the Polished Man campaign. This campaign was started by Elliot Costello, who travelled to Cambodia and met a little girl named Thea. Thea recounted the sexual abuse she had suffered, and Costello promised to paint one fingernail to remember her by. The Polished Man Project aims to raise awareness and funds to protect children from violence and abuse.
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Trying out a new colour or pattern without committing to all ten fingers
Painting one nail can be a way of trying out a new colour or pattern without committing to all ten fingers. This is a great way to experiment with different nail art designs without having to worry about whether you will like the final result. If you end up not liking the colour or pattern, it is much easier to remove the polish from one nail than from all ten. This method can also be used to test out new nail polish formulas to see if they are worth investing in.
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Emphasising jewellery on that finger
Painting one nail can be a way to draw attention to jewellery on that finger. For example, if you have a nice ring, you can paint that nail a brighter colour to emphasise the ring. This trend is not limited to one gender, although it was started by a man, Elliot Costello, who painted his nail to raise awareness and funds to protect children from violence and abuse. This campaign is known as the Polished Man Project.
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The Polished Man campaign, to raise awareness and funds to protect children from violence and abuse
Painting one nail a different colour to the rest is a trend that has been popularised by the Polished Man campaign, which aims to raise awareness and funds to protect children from violence and abuse. The campaign was started by Elliot Costello, who travelled to Cambodia and met a young girl named Thea. Thea told Costello about the sexual abuse she had suffered, and he promised to paint one of his fingernails to remember her by. The trend, which began in Australia, has since spread to America, with men choosing to paint one nail as a symbol of their support for the campaign.
The single nail that is painted may vary, as may the colour, and some men even add a design on top of the colour. However, the meaning remains the same. For women, painting one nail a different colour can be a way to draw attention to a particular piece of jewellery, such as a ring. It can also be a way to try out a new colour or pattern without committing to painting all ten nails.
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A trend that began in Australia
Painting one nail a different colour to the rest is a trend that began in Australia. The trend was started by Elliot Costello, who travelled to Cambodia with a group called Hagar International, where he met a little girl named Thea. Thea told Costello about the sexual abuse she had suffered, and he promised to paint one of his nails to remember her by. This inspired Costello to start the Polished Man campaign, which aims to raise awareness and funds to protect children from violence and abuse.
The trend has since spread beyond Australia, with men in America also painting one nail to show their support for the campaign. The fingernail that men choose to paint may vary, as may the colour, and some may even add a design on top of the colour. However, the single meaning that it represents remains the same.
For women, painting one nail a different colour can be a way to draw attention to a particular piece of jewellery, such as a ring. It can also be a way to try out a new colour or pattern without committing to painting all ten nails. If the wearer doesn't like the new colour or pattern, they can simply take off the polish from the one nail.
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Frequently asked questions
Painting one nail is a trend that began in Australia, started by Elliot Costello. It is a way for men to raise awareness and funds to protect children from violence and abuse.
Some people want to see what a certain colour or pattern looks like without committing to painting all their nails. If they don't like it, they can simply take the polish off one nail.
No, it's not code for anything. However, some people do it to emphasise the jewellery on that finger. For example, they might paint the nail a brighter colour to draw attention to a ring.
Usually, people paint the ring finger on one or both hands.
Yes, both men and women paint one nail. However, the trend was started by a man, Elliot Costello, and is particularly popular among men who want to raise awareness for the Polished Man campaign.











































