Nail salon fumes; what chemicals are you exposed to?

Nail salons have come under close scrutiny as advocate organizations team up with local governments to prevent nail salon workers from chemical exposure. This comes as concern on the type of chemicals and fumes nail salon workers are exposed on a daily basis.

As the client, you ought to be concerned about the bad nail salon fumes that you are exposed to during your ritualistic three-hour manicure or pedicure in the nail salon.

In this piece, we shall be focusing on the fumes that are synonymous with salon parlors and what damage they cause to your health.   Regular nail salons products contain dangerous chemicals, and your health can be affected by the dust, fumes, or mist that you are often exposed to when in the nail salon.

This is even more damaging for the nail salon workers who are around these fumes for around nine hours each day. These harmful vapors and fumes can get onto food or smokables like electric or traditional cigarettes thus making their way into our bodies.

Some of the dangerous chemicals and fumes you can be exposed to in the nail salon

The products used in nail salons often have strong smells and rightly so as they are usually concentrates of highly dangerous chemicals. When these chemicals make it into our bodies they could affect our health in adverse ways that are costly to treat. Some of the chemicals you are likely to be exposed to when you get to the nail salon include: Butyl acetate from nail polish removers; causes headaches, irritation to the eyes, nose, throat, and mouth. Acetone from nail polish removers; irritation on the skin, throat, and eyes. Will also cause dizziness and headaches. Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) from nail polish; causes irritation in the eyes,  nose, skin, and throat. Long term exposure causes much worse effects. Formaldehyde from nail hardener and nail polish; causes breathing problems,  asthma-like reactions, coughing, wheezing and allergic reactions such as irritation on the skin, eyes, and throat. This chemical is also known to be a cancer-causing agent. Ethyl methacrylate (EMA) from artificial liquid use for the nails; causes loss of concentration, irritated skin, eyes, mouth, and nose. Exposure to pregnant mothers can affect the unborn baby.

 Safety measures you can take Industry 

safety standards require that manufacturers state what chemicals that are used in the products they sell. The standards have changed in recent times forcing manufacturers to be more accountable about the chemicals they are pushing into the cosmetic market. The classification of chemicals has changed requiring manufacturers to use the Harmonized  System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.

You can also do something to make yourself better protected

To begin with, you should know what products you are using and what they contain. There are a lot of safe alternatives for the chemically concentrated options you should be avoiding. It is also recommended that you go to a nail salon that is well ventilated. Proper airflow alone can reduce the nail salon fumes you are exposed to by a large extent. There is a lot of research going into checking for salon products for growing health concerns among workers in salons. As the client, you should also take care of your health in any way you can.