Cleaning up browser windows, I am going to write a couple of quick blog posts.
I am pretty laissez-faire about most things, but I am very judgmental about people who use nail salons.
Nail salons should not exist.
No one needs nail polish or acrylic nails. The chemicals used are not just toxic to the clients, but they poison and permanently disable the nail salon workers.
From Nail Salon Technicians Inhale 10 Times More Chemicals Than E-Waste WorkersFor a lot of people, visiting a nail salon for a manicure and pedicure is about treating themselves to a cheap but still luxurious pampering session. But for nail salon workers, it’s not only the low wages and extremely long hours while being cooped up in a small room that takes a toll on their health. A recent study found that nail technicians who work in discount salons are exposed to a wide range of chemicals that are used as flame retardants and plasticizers.
A group of researchers from the University of Toronto found that nail salon workers’ exposure to these chemicals was 30 times higher as compared to to exposure within households from everyday products and 10 times higher than electronic waste facilities’ employees.
The damage can be cumulative and cause permanent and debilitating health damage to the workers.
The CDC says that it also causes damage to salon workers' children.
Nail technicians working in salons across the United States face possible health hazards every day. Workers exposed to chemicals found in glues, polishes, removers, emollients and other salon products may experience negative health effects such as asthma and other respiratory illnesses, skin disorders (e.g. allergic contact dermatitis), liver disease, reproductive loss, and cancer. Additionally, workers often endure muscle strains from awkward positions or repetitive motions; and have a high risk for infection from contact with client skin, nails, or blood.
So, if you frequent nail salons, I am going to be judgmental. Harming other people needlessly is a major red flag.
Bravo!
ReplyDeleteCeci
I would like to recommend that nail shops transition to massage shops aimed specifically for women. So many women and some men actually go for the mani/pedi ritual to treat themselves to a little pampering. Many times their "treatments" are not cheap at all, quite expensive. I would suggest that nail salons become massage parlors where customers can get massages ranging from $10-$100+, with $10 buying one a micro-massage. The reason why I suggest this is because many people love to go to get their nails done because a lot of times the service comes with a mini massage to hands and feet. Why not cut out the toxic part and encourage women to get a service that will actually benefit them, i.e. a massage? It would get rid of the toxic portion of the salon and provide a service that benefits health. Also, customers could pay for nail shaping and cutting but no toxic chemicals and polish would be used in the service. I have done this before, gone to a nail salon and asked only for trimming and shaping. No nail polish, no polish remover. But I don't go regularly because of the toxins used in the shops. Thank you for writing this article. Some people may find this article extreme but it's important to dispense information that needs to be known.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. We already have foot massage parlours in CA. I don't know the difference in licensing, but I think it should be easier to transition to chemical-free pedicure/massage licensing than to change chemistry. I mean, polishes have to be volatile to dry.
ReplyDelete