Even through the Great Recession, many customers continued to visit their local salons, citing it as the one luxury they could not live without. The average price of a manicure is $18.79, according to IBISWorld, making it a relatively affordable treatment for those willing to put in the time and effort to make a good hand impression.
But big business and low prices, as with any industry, sometimes comes at a cost. In the case of nails, questions are being raised about the acrylics and gels being used as adhesives or heavy-duty polish. The powerful chemicals used have generated reports of allergic reactions and damage to skin and the real nails underneath.
Where you get your nails done also matters. The chemical methyl methacrylate (MMA), considered poisonous by the United States government regulators, is still used in the United Kingdom. But the chemicals used in some salons in America are no better.
Think Twice Before Gelling Out
The Cancer Prevention Institute of California and the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative have both studied the dangers posed by common chemicals at nail salons. The biggest concern is gel polish, one of the most popular treatments. This polish is popular because it allegedly offers longer wear like acrylic nails but without underlying damage. The coating is thinner and has a more natural look. It dries faster, stays shiny and resists chipping for up to two weeks.
However, the chemicals used in acrylic nails are used in gel polishes as well. The biggest concern is acrylates, which bind together to form plastic. These can cause severe reactions by irritating customers' skin. Such problems as itching, burning, contact dermatitis, scaling, blistering, hives and eczema have been associated with use of acrylates and gel polishes.
Beyond the acrylates, the gel process uses pre-mixed acrylic gel applied to natural nails, then “curing” the nails under a UV light. This treatment can be repeated three times or more in order to put down a solid foundation, but UV light is a big problem. UV light has been shown to be a human carcinogen that causes skin cancer, and repeated exposure to it heightens the risk.
While there are those who claim the low exposure at most nail salons would take centuries to have any effect, there are others who point to commercial tanning facilities, which have high incidents of skin cancer. However, nails have one added factor that the tanning salons don’t – they are mixing UV rays with nail polish chemicals. There haven’t been any long-term studies about the effects of prolonged exposure to these chemicals to UV rays, but experts' heightened suspicions should raise alarms.
Finally, there’s the question about whether the treatments are damaging people’s real nails beyond repair. There are incidents where real nails become extremely brittle, lose their thickness, start cracking and have skin peeling around the edges. Worse, if you seek to remove the gel manicure, you have to soak in the chemical solution acetone for up to 15 minutes. Plus, artificial nails are prone to bacterial infections growing beneath the real nail.
Look for Brands
If you still wish to have your nails treated, then look for salons that are transparent. You should be able to see clearly marked brand names on the products that are being used to treat your nails, not unmarked containers. You also should be impressed with the cleanliness of the shop and the professionalism of employees. This is particularly true in locations where price is the main incentive to get customers in the door. As with most things, you get what you pay for, and the corners that are cut to achieve a certain price point may put your health at risk.
Good salons will make sure that all of its instruments are clean. They will also administer sunscreen to make sure your hands are protected against repeated UV ray exposure. One other solution is to wear gloves with the fingertips removed, thereby shielding your hand from a good deal of exposure.
The staff should take great care in removing artificial nails so as not to damage the underlying nail. Think of the nail like a tree. If you remove its bark and layers, the tree will weaken from having too much taken away. So it is with nail removal, as cracks and thinning can occur if care isn’t taken when stripping away the outer layers.
Be wary of nail workers who are aggressive in trimming your cuticles, which serve as a barrier to the outer environment. Your health may be damaged if too much is stripped away.
It’s probably a good idea not to go more than twice a month to the nail salon. And even do-it-yourself nail kits for home use should be used prudently. While they offer less powerful UV exposure than salons, the chemicals used differ in their formulas and may require more time under the UV lights.
While it’s clear that the nail business in the United States will continue to grow, the number of discount houses and fly-by-night small operations should give those partaking of their services pause. We don’t tend to think of our hands as sensitive, but they are part of the skin that covers your body. Any exposure or damage to it could have ramifications for your health and well-being, so be cautious in your patronage of nail salons and make sure they are taking proper care and precautions against the industry’s dangers.