Environmental Hazards in Working in a Nail Salon

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Hazards in Nail Salons
Management of Hazards
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

Salon business is a segment of the service industry that has expanded exponentially over the past few decades in the USA, Europe and other parts of the world. The thriving nature of the salon business lies in the need of both women and men to look well. Salon business has relatively good returns, but it is one of the most competitive business ventures because clients require best services. Stiff competition in salon business has compelled entrepreneurs to be more innovative to attract more customers.

Over the years, Haircutting and Hairstyling have been the main services offered in salons. However, since beauty transcends nice hair, myriad beauty services have evolved. Therefore, the pursuit for beauty has led to the emergence of nail salons, massage services, skin therapy services among others. It is against this background, that the paper discusses the environmental dangers in nail salons and proposes measures to deal with them.

Hazards in Nail Salons

Nail specialists make manicures and may perhaps carry out pedicures to increase the beauty of natural nails based on the specifications of a client. Nail specialists work in different settings depending on the number of clients they serve. For example, some nail specialists have permanent workstations and others offer mobile services to clients.

The terms of service of nail specialists also vary; for example, some workers are permanently employed and others are part-time. Moreover, some manicurists have their private businesses. Just like other employees, nail specialists can be subjected to workplace hazards that can make them susceptible to injuries and chemical contamination, which can affect their well-being.

At present, thousands of people earn a living by working in nail salons in various parts of the world. For example, in the United States, over four hundred thousand workers offer nail services. Research findings suggest that about ninety percent of employees in nail salons are female and about ten percent are male. This finding implies that more women than men are likely to be exposed to the dangers of manicure business.

However, these statics are likely to change in future since men are increasingly joining the beauty industry. Almost half of the nail specialists working in the United States are foreigners from China and Vietnam, a cluster that has usually served in manicure salons. As in other parts of the world, the USA immigrants easily find jobs in nail salons because they do not need an special skills or advanced education.

Nail specialists usually encounter the following dangers in their workstations. Workers in nail enterprises can be exposed to physical environment such as electric shocks and injuries by sharp body piercing objects. Manicurists can experience breathing difficulties due to poor ventilation. Nail workers can be susceptible to germs in the process of handling poorly kept nails, which often contain fungi and bacteria. Mental fatigue is another common danger in busy nail salons.

Furthermore, chemicals used in nail beautification procedures can cause serious harm to nail specialists. Some ingredients used in preparing nail products are toxic and can be harmful if used carelessly . Most of the cheap salons can rarely meet the cost of meeting the recommended chemical safety requirements. Thus, many manicurists work in precarious conditions with high potential of chemical contamination.

Environmental studies on nail salons reveal that some chemicals used in caring for nails pose a great challenge to the workers and to the environment. For instance, in the United States, there are more than ninety thousand enlisted chemicals contained in the nail care industry, but some do not meet environmental safety regulations.

Nail salons are a breeding ground of chemical handling with salon attendants exposing themselves to dozens of chemical every day. Three major chemicals have recently generated a lot of criticism for being harmful to the health of manicurists. “Dubbed the toxic trio, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, and formaldehyde have been thoroughly analyzed by many health experts and deemed hazardous”. In addition to the toxic trio, biocides such as dusts and solvents emitted during manicure and pedicure activities are also dangerous to employees. Prolonged exposure to the toxic emissions generated during manicure procedures can cause serious respiratory infections including lung cancer.

These chemicals can gain access to the blood stream of a nail specialist through the breathing system and skin absorption. To avoid exposure to these chemicals, some nail specialists often mask their faces and wear hand gloves when attending to clients.

Regrettably, most of the face protection gears used by nail specialists do not have the capacity to protect against chemicals and polluted air. Worse still, some manicurists do not use personal protection equipment when attending to customers; hence, they are at high risk of chemical contamination.

Many nail salons attract customers by offering cheap services, but they mostly use substandard chemicals to maximize profits. For instance, methyl methacrylate is one of the most hazardous chemicals typically used in nail salons to fix artificial nails on fingers.

At present, methyl methacrylate has become fairly unpopular due to high public awareness about its potential dangers, but several nail salons still use it because it is not expensive. Scientific studies indicate that methyl methacrylate can trigger serious skin inflammation, which can cause complicated skin disorders and lesions.

In the year 2005, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel found “methacrylate esters to cause dermal irritation on rabbits and guinea pigs”. They concluded that this chemical is safe to use in manicure procedures, provided it does not spill out on the skin of a client or manicurist.

However, due to poor safety measures, it can be easily spilled out on the workstation and harm both, a client and nail specialist. Skin absorption of methyl methacrylate can impair the nervous system of a person; hence, lowering their capacity to perform properly.

This finding was further confirmed by an in-depth study by Kanerva, which revealed that clients and manicurists who had prolonged exposure to this chemical had high chances of developing hand dermatitis. In 2008, “the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Board recommended technicians be trained on how to use meth acrylic acid safely so as to avoid contact with the skin”.

Besides causing skin inflammation, this chemical can lead to serious inflammation of the respiratory track if used in a poorly ventilated environment. Inhalation of air contaminated with methyl methacrylate can lead to fatal diseases such as bronchopneumonia and lung impairment.

Management of Hazards

The following measures can help prevent or mitigate occurrence of environmental risks in the manicure industry. The first measure is to identify and gather data on causes of danger.

The information collected should be used to examine the possible outcome of each hazard. Employers and workers should work together in dealing with hazards in nail salons. The work environment should be well ventilated to mitigate the possibility of air contamination. Workers should use certified equipment and chemicals.

Moreover, workstations should be flexible, spacious and comfortable to void physical straining of technicians. Nail workers require an in-depth induction and regular sensitization on safety standards in their work environment. Nail specialists should practice proper hygiene when dealing with clients to avoid contamination from germs, chemicals and body fluids.

Furthermore, nail technicians should always use recommended protection equipment such as gloves and masks to avoid chemical and physical injuries. Lastly, nail experts should ask clients if they have skin allergies because some people are highly susceptible to chemical burns.

Conclusion

This discussion has clearly shown that various environmental hazards can occur in nail salons if proper measures are not put in place. Nonetheless, environmental hazards can be prevented in nail salons if employers, freelance workers and other individuals in charge of business premises adhere to the recommended health safety standards. Therefore, stringent measures should be put in place to deal with rogue nail salon operators that do not adhere to safety precautions.

Works Cited

Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice. Keeping our Families Strong: A Health and Safety Handbook for Nail Salon Workers. New York: Wiley, 2012. Print.

Richard, Brian. “Nail beauty therapy: an attractive enhancement or a potential hazard?” Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology 1.2 (2002): 24-29. Print.

Cosmetic Ingredient Review Board. “Amended Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Ethyl Methacrylate.” International Journal of Toxicology 21.2 (2002): 63-79. Print.

Kanerva, Lewis. “Occupational allergic contact dermatitis caused by photobonded sculptured nails and a review of (meth) acrylates in nail cosmetics.” American Journal of Contact Dermatits 7.2 (2006): 109-115. Print.

Rachel, Roberts. “Environmental Hazards within Nail Salons.” American Journal of Medicine 31.2 (2011): 1-25. Print.

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