A Study on Nail Care and Nail Cosmetic Purchasing Behavior According to Beauty Value Pursuit Among Women After the COVID-19 Outbreak

Purpose: This study examined women’s level of beauty value pursuit during the COVID-19 outbreak, changes in nail makeup practices and maintenance patterns according to this level, and nail cosmetic purchasing behavior before and after the outbreak. Methods: The study targeted women in their 20s and older residing in the Seoul metropolitan area. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 25.0 through frequency analysis, one-way ANOVA, and χ2 (Chi-square) tests. Results: Women showed high levels of beauty value pursuit, particularly those with higher education, higher income, and self-employment status. Women with higher beauty value pursuit engaged more frequently in nail care. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, changes occurred in nail salon visit frequency and self-nail care frequency, along with increased spending on nail care. In addition, before the COVID-19 outbreak, nail cosmetics were most frequently purchased at drugstores, whereas after the pandemic, they were most commonly purchased online. However, no significant differences were observed according to beauty value pursuit level. Conclusion: This study found changes in nail care practices and management behaviors after the COVID-19 outbreak according to beauty value pursuit level and identified beauty value pursuit as an important factor influencing nail cosmetic purchasing behavior. These findings suggest the need to better understand consumers’ psychological characteristics when providing nail services and to offer tailored services that reflect these characteristics.