The real story of who invented press on nails

If you've ever wondered who invented press on nails, the answer actually takes us back to a dentist's office in the 1950s. It sounds a bit weird, right? You'd think a fashion mogul or a Hollywood makeup artist would be the one to come up with a quick way to get a perfect manicure, but it was actually Dr. Maxwell Lappe, a dentist in Chicago, who changed the game in 1957. ...

May 17, 2026 · 7 min · Agnieszka Zou