Are You Aware of The Health Hazards in Nail Salons

Nail salons are booming nowadays, thanks to all the women and men who need nail grooming services on a day-to-day basis. The nail care market is in fact expected to reach $11.6 billion by the year 2027. However, while the nail care market booms, it’s been discovered that nail care specialists and workers are at a much higher risk of encountering certain serious health hazards while attending to their nail care customers. Some of these health hazards in nail salons are deadly and may affect one’s health gradually without them knowing. If you work in a nail salon, you definitely want to know of these hazards so as to protect your health. So which health hazards are these?

7 common hazards in a nail salon (and how to protect yourself)

People working in nail salons tend to use certain products when attending to their nail care customers. These products may contain dangerous chemicals that may seriously affect one’s health. So which chemicals are these? And how can you protect yourself from them?

Acetone

Acetone is a chemical found in nail polish removers and it can cause serious health problems to those who use it regularly. It can cause dizziness, headaches, irritation of the eyes, skin and throat.

Acetonitrile

Acetonitrile is a chemical found in fingernail glue removers. It can cause health issues such as nausea, vomiting, irritation of nose and throat, exhaustion and breathing problems.

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)

This chemical is found in nail polish. Long-term exposure to this chemical can cause health problems such as nausea and irritation of the nose, eyes, skin, throat and mouth.

Ethyl acetate

This chemical is mostly found in nail polish, nail polish removers and fingernail glue. Prolonged exposure can cause irritation of the skin, eyes, stomach, mouth, throat and nose. Exposure to high levels of this chemical can also cause fainting.

Formaldehyde

This chemical is mostly found in nail polish and nail hardeners. It can cause serious health problems such as allergic reactions, coughing, wheezing, asthma-like attacks, breathing difficulties and irritation of the eyes, skin and throat. It can also cause cancer.

Methacrylic acid

This chemical is mostly found in nail primers. Exposure to it may cause skin burns, irritation of the skin, eyes, nose, throat and mouth. Higher concentration of this chemical may also cause difficulty breathing.

Ethyl methacrylate (EMA)

It’s mainly found in artificial nail liquid. It can cause asthma, irritation of the skin, eyes, nose and mouth. If you’re pregnant, it can also affect your child.

Also read: Common Respiratory Hazards Associated With The Cosmetics Manufacturing Process

Steps you can take to protect nail care workers’ health:

Take the below precautions to protect your workers from the above hazards in a nail salon:

1 . Increase ventilation by opening doors and windows.
2 . Have a VOC air purifier installed and have it turned on during working hours.
3 . Have exhaust fans installed and place them near open windows or doors.
4 . Close nail products bottles when they’re not in use.
5 . Safely dispose used nail care products away from people’s reach.