Men have been spotted in public with one painted fingernail, and the reasoning is both cool and noble. Men may choose to paint one or more fingernails on each hand, with the color varying from man to man. Some guys take it a step further by adding a design on top of the color, but the underlying idea remains the same. This male-only craze originated in Australia, but ambitious American males are bringing it back home.
Elliot Costello was traveling with a group called Hagar International when he met a young girl named Thea, who encouraged him to paint his nail and disseminate the idea further. Elliot and the crew arrived in Cambodia to make a difference in the lives of the locals. In turn, the smallest villager had the greatest impact on Elliot, who discovered an issue that affects youngsters all throughout the world, particularly in the United States, and not just in Cambodia.
Elliot spent time getting to know small Thea by engaging with her in ways she would love. This girly girl needed nail polish. As they talked about her life and her problems, she painted one of his and he painted one of hers. He discovered she had been a victim of sexual abuse… “As she painted one of my nails, I assured her I would always keep it that way to remember her, and by extension, her suffering.”Elliot was energized by this intimate exchange to promote good change among men so that children would be safer from sexual assault.
That’s when he came up with the Polished Man concept, in which men are challenged to paint one fingernail for a week in order to become a #PolishedMan. One nail on a hand full of five represents one in every five children who will become victims of sexual violence. According to Polished Man, an organization dedicated to preventing sexual violence against children, “being a Polished Man means challenging violent behavior and language, both locally and globally.”
Because males are responsible for 96% of this form of violence against children worldwide, Elliot determined that men must be the change agents if we are to see an end to the abuse of innocent children.