A beautician who believes "everyone deserves to have fabulous nails" has garnered popularity in the Asian community for her nail rings aimed at Muslim women.
Muslims wash in an important ritual known as Wudu before praying, and wearing acrylics or nail varnish means you cannot perform Wudu, so many choose not to.
Nail rings have recently gone viral on TikTok, as they can be taken off like jewellery to pray - but there are very few people in the UK currently selling them.
When nail technician Karen Boyle, 56, realised this, she began researching and devising a range of aesthetic nail rings, alongside her press-on nails.
Nail rings have gone viral on TikTok but are not widely accessible in the UK (Karen Boyle)
The idea initially came as a request from one of Karen's Asian clients (Karen Boyle)"I was contacted by an Asian lady who said she would love for me to do something for her community, that are unable to wear nails or varnish while praying," Karen told the Mirror.
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"She told me about the rings that she had seen online and at the time, they were only available from America, so ended up being very expensive."
Karen began trying out different metal wires to find the right thickness and durability for the job, then set to work creating them to sell.
The nail rings sit on top of your fingers to give the illusion of false nails but can be taken off - unlike gel varnish or acrylics that need to be removed, usually by a professional.
The beautician believes 'everyone deserves to have fabulous nails' (Karen Boyle)
They look like false nails but can be taken off with ease to pray or work (Karen Boyle)Karen, who runs Gel A Licious from home in Harwood, Bolton, first trialled them with her clients and neighbours to get their feedback, and said they went "crazy about them".
"The Asian community have been very supportive and I have been getting a lot of good comments and advice, which is lovely," Karen said.
"I think the concept is still very new to people, especially in this country, so hopefully the word will spread.
"I believe that everyone deserves to have fabulous nails and if this is the way our Asian ladies can join in, then I am glad to help them."
Karen hopes to spread the word so more Muslim women know they exist (Karen Boyle)
Nail rings are more cost-effective than acrylics as they can be reused (Karen Boyle)Just this week, Karen received a request to make a luxe sterling silver pair for a customer to take on holiday to Dubai, and she is now offering this as an option.
"I love everything about nails and how they make me feel," the nail tech added.
"So many people are unable to wear nails due to expense or work restrictions, including healthcare workers.
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"It's nice that they can get good quality press-ons to reuse whenever they like. They end up being much more cost-effective too."
The nail rings are priced at £15 for a set of 10 and come in two sizes in silver or gold. You can visit Karen's website to find out more.
Do you have a small business to shout about? Get in touch. Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
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