Do you ever walk by a nail salon (or hair salon) and wonder about the chemical health hazards to those that work there or patronize the salons?
In today’s society, nail salons can be seen at just about every strip mall in North America. Unfortunately, so many of these small salons offer cheap prices and hire refugees that are willing to work for low wages. The detrimental health affects are countless for both the employee and the customer (but more so for the employee).
In California alone, there are over 114,000 licensed nail technicians and more than 260,000 licensed cosmetologists. Current data is insufficient, but at this time language is considered to be the most common barrier when trying to obtain workplace health and safety information.
Many young women are in their fertile years and have not even had children yet and don’t have a full understanding of the health risks associated with the chemicals used in nail care.
According to a survey done within the last year from the Northern California Cancer Center and Asian Health Services of Oakland, the women who work in these nail salons suffer acute health effects from the chemicals that they come in contact with each day.
Many toxic and potentially hazardous ingredients, including solvents, plasticizers, resins and acids, are commonly found in nail care products. Three top ingredients of concern in many nail products are:
* Toluene – used in nail polish – it is a clear, colorless liquid used to make products such as dyes, paints, paint thinners and explosives. Exposure to toluene can affect the central nervous system with low level symptoms such as headache, dizziness, and fatigue. Toluene is also an irritant to the eyes, nose and throat. At very high exposures, toluene has been found to be toxic to the kidneys and liver, and is a possible reproductive toxin.
* Formaldehyde – used in nail polish, it is a preservative that has many uses, one of which is embaling. Formaldehyde is an irritant to the eyes, nose and throat, and exposure can lead to coughing, wheezing and asthma symptoms. Repeated skin exposure can lead to skin irritation and an allergic rash called dermatitis. It is also a known human carcinogen.
* Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) – used in nail polish as a plasticizer. DBP is a possible reproductive or developmental toxin.
Many women surveyed and questioned reported having some health problems after they began working in the industry, particularly skin and eye irritation, breathing difficulties and headaches. These are just some of the apparent health issues reported and doesn’t cover more chronic illnesses.
It should be mentioned that there is a difference between ‘higher-end salons’ and what is considered to be ‘lower-end salons’. As an example, products used in higher-end salons are of higher quality which means better formulation which equals less-toxic chemicals. Such as when you get a typical French manicure or pedicure, it is done by hand with the nail polish. Whereas, at a lower-end salon, it would be applied with a spray that emits high toxic particles into the air.
If you are the consumer, in the long run and for health reasons, it is always better to pay a bit more and go to the higher-end salon to have your nails done. Be sure the salon you frequent has proper ventilation and maintains a high level of cleanliness.
Likewise, any worker in a nail salon should make sure they are aware of any health and safety risks and obtain a copy of those risks in their respective language.
