Is your manicure costing a life?

If you’ve ever been within two metres of a nail salon, you’ll be familiar with the toxic smell of these chemicals.

I don’t know about you, but on more than one occasion I’ve questioned how the salon staff manage to sit in that environment all day.

I still don’t know the answer to that question, but I’ve recently learned something about these fumes that are more concerning than the smell.

While it is widely acknowledge chemicals in nail products can cause skin and respiratory illnesses, like dermatitis and asthma, they are increasingly connected with complications during pregnancy and birth defects.

A recent article published by The New York Times raised the link between salon work and pregnancy issues, after interviewing several salon workers, each of whom had experienced miscarriage or birth defects in their children.

A study conducted last year by a US-based environmental organisation, Women’s Voices For The Earth, found hair and nail salon workers are at greater risk of:

• Dermatitis and other skin conditions

• Decreased lung function and asthma

• Breast cancer, lung cancer, cancer of the larynx, bladder cancer, and multiple myeloma

• Miscarriage

• Having babies born with cleft palate and other birth defects

• Depression

• Alzheimer’s disease, presenile dementia, motor neuron disease

• Lupus and primary biliary cirrhosis

The research found that toxic solvents and chemicals in salon products can have “adverse reproductive outcomes”.

And while the evidence that salon workers are at higher risk of these complications is inconclusive, studies across Europe and America found female cosmetologists and nail technicians were at greater risk of miscarriage, and of giving birth to children with clefts.

The numerous potential health hazards in nail salons, come from a range of different products.

According to The New Daily, the so-called ‘toxic trio’ contained in nail polish — formaldehyde, toluene, and dubutyl phthalate — is said to be extremely dangerous to people who inhale the fumes.

While non-toxic nail polishes are on the market, they aren’t always used in salons.

According to The New York Times, the toxicity comes from ingredients that, essentially, make nail polish good, ie. those that stop the polish from chipping or wearing off. Furthermore, there are other hazards beyond the polish — such as fake nails which contain acrylates, also known to harm the respiratory system.

Rosalie Osman, a nail technician from Melbourne told The New Daily that the chemicals used in nail services are being referred to as “the new asbestos.”

She first heard of the complications arising from toxic fumes in salons after a presentation conducted by a company that manufactures work safety wear.

“I did the research afterwards and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s really bad. We should really take care of that’. Especially when you think about, in the future when you want to have children, a lot of that stuff can cause birth defects and organ failure,” she said.

While, in Australia, there are industry regulations, these are up to the individual salon to enforce.

UnionSafe NSW provides a “workplace air quality” check list, including:

“Do strong odours linger for more than 10 minutes?
Can strong odors be detected at a distance from the source (i.e. the other side of the room)?
Do you still smell product odors when you open the salon in the morning?“

The document also encourages that the use of nail glue occur in a “well-ventilated” area.

Furthermore, while the wearing of protective clothing — particularly gloves — is recommended, a study by Safe Work Australia found that not only was this not common practice, some technicians weren’t even aware of the adverse skin effects of various nail products.

However, it is not currently known how many salons adhere to these guidelines — and given the strong scent of a nail salon, I’d say most are failing the air quality checklist.

Have you had a bad experience at a nail salon?

Related content:

These nail salon secrets will make your stomach churn.

The most impractical nail art trend yet.

The nail polish that knows if your drink has been spiked.

Do you have a story for Mamamia? email news@mamamia.com.au

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