Taking off to a trendy street in Apgujeong, Song enters her haven--a shop where she can get her nails done.

Professional nail care business was first introduced in South Korea in the late 1990s and began rapidly booming recently. It has now become one of the fastest growing industries across the country.

"Good evening," familiar artists call out in unison as Song enters the door of her favourite nail care shop Bennett. It is among more than five nail care salons lined up on the same street opposite the Galleria Department Store.

She finds her nail technician and sits down, clunks her hands forward and immediately starts chatting away about how her boss has been giving her a hard time. The artist smiles and nods, quickly moving her hands to tend to Song's chipped nails.
 
This is indeed a world that very few straight men would understand.

Koreans, known for their dexterity, already occupy a large portion of the nail care industry overseas, especially in the $8 billion US market.

In Korea, the nail care industry amounts to more than 300 billion won ($242.24 million) annually, according to the Korean Nail Association.

The manicure begins by sterilising Song's nails with a wet cotton ball, followed by grinding the tips for a uniform shape. Then the cuticles are removed with a thin, wooden cuticle pusher and a clipper.

As a special service for Song, who is a regular, the nail artist brings out a steaming white towel, wipes Song's hands, and begins massaging them with a fruity hand lotion.

Song already feels better about her work and starts thinking about what colour to choose from the shelf, where almost a hundred nail polishes are lined up by shade.

Chae Song-hwa, 30, is also an avid nail care patron, getting her nails done at least every two weeks.

"I come to get my nails done, say about once every two weeks. I would also come when I have a special event coming up, like a blind date," she said.

"It just makes my every day mundane life prettier."

Chae, who has been a regular at "Nail Gallery" nearby her house in eastern Seoul, added she prefers lighter colours that don't clash with her attire as a manager at HeungKuk Life Insurance Co.

"Although I feel at times that I may be spending a little too much, it is definitely worth it," she said.

The cost of a manicure differs among each store, but it usually takes around 6,000 won to change a colour, and 15,000 won for basic care and colouring.

For pedicures, it ranges from 25,000 won to 50,000 won.

The nail care business is especially appealing to those seeking to launch a business with a relatively affordable initial investment.

"It takes a comparatively small amount of money to start your own nail care shop," said Lim Gwang-hyun, president of Lycon Korea Co Ltd, importer of nail care brands and franchiser of manicure and pedicure shops.

Putting aside the deposit money that will differ depending on regions, Lim said that it would take 20 million won to 30 million won to build the interior for shops as big as 68sqm.

It costs another 5 million won to 10 million won to set up necessary tools, including massage chairs for pedicures.

Lim's salons in Apgujeong and Bupyeong each make about 50 million won in gross profit.

The first ever nail care shop opened in Apgujeong in 1996. Before that, the only nail care women got here was the makeshift service given at hair salons.

Now, many nail care stores are more than just manicure and pedicure salons, but also offer body massages and waxing, along with other beauty care programmes.

"What makes me come here, almost out of addiction, is that I feel some sort of catharsis when my cuticles come off," Song said.

When her nails are done with elaborate colours, she also feels the pleasure of seeing art created right on her 10 fingertips.

An employed nail artist usually earns from 2 million won to 2.5 million won monthly. Some stores operate on a split payout, meaning the owner and the nail artist split the profit by half based on the number of regulars.

Yang Ho-jin, 29, manager of Bennett nail salon said, "It's like getting a haircut. It is now just a part of beauty care. Nobody questions the need for makeup. Now less are questioning the need for nail care."

She said she receives about 30 customers daily. There are more customers during the summer, while winter is mostly crowded with regulars, she said. It is company policy for all nail artists to chat to their customers as much as possible to make them feel at ease and relax, she added.

Back at the nail salon, it is time for Song to choose her nail colour. This time it is deep burgundy, as it is now autumn.

For Korea, where there are four, marked seasons, five to six new colours are introduced for each season on average, according to Lim Gwang-hyun.

Pastels are popular for spring, while vibrant colours and patterns, as well as stone arts, are a hit for the sizzling summer. Deeper colours are favoured in the fall and warm colours like red and yellow are preferred for winter.

As the nail care business blossoms, it is now reaching male customers as well.

Of course for men, it is more about helping them maintain healthy and clean hands.

Service for male customers mainly includes smoothing out the nails with files, removing cuticles, and hand massages.

After getting the colour she wants painted carefully on her fingertips, Song puts them under the dryer for about 15 minutes. While waiting, Song has no time to feel bored, as she watches the television installed on the wall.