By Shannon Farrell, Self
Recent reports in The New York Times
may have you rethinking your weekly manicure. Causing much of the
outcry are heath concerns for salon employees—side effects listed
include miscarriages, respiratory problems from breathing fumes and even
cancer—and those dangers could hit even closer to home.
[post_ads]Nail
technicians aren't the only ones experiencing adverse side effects:
"Short term exposure is still exposure," says Donna Perillo, the owner
of Sweet Lily Natural Nail Spa & Boutique
in New York. "When you are exposed to these kind of chemicals, they
never leave your body. Once you absorb something like formaldehyde, it
goes into your cells and it doesn't come out." But what can you do?
Turns out, a lot.
Change to Make: Find a Green Nail Salon
Perillo
and other nail polish enthusiasts have slowly added an alternative,
green nail salons, to the mix, creating safe, non-toxic havens for
themselves, employees and clients who believe that health and beauty
shouldn't be mutually exclusive.
"I
have been a nail technician for 10 years and I became allergic working
in salons and I couldn't do it anymore," says Jenny Duranski, the owner
of Noktivo Nail Spa.
Opening her salon was very much to create the ideal work environment
for herself as well as a healthy option for her clients. But Chicago,
where Noktivo is located, wasn’t necessarily ready for the appeal of a
non-toxic salon seven years ago, says Duranski. "We've definitely
attracted a mentality of people caring about the chemicals they put into
their bodies. But there's still a huge educational curve."
Change to Make: Look For 5-Free Polish
5-free
nail polishes, which ban formaldehyde, formaldehyde resins, dibutyl
phthalate (DBP) and camphor, have been around for years—with Zoya
being the first non-toxic formula in 1986. What was once a wellness
junkie-buy is gaining the attention it deserves. Look to any major
brand, like Essie and OPI, and they're 5-free. Mintel's Nail Color and Care US 2015 report
found that 67 percent of its respondents reported interest in using
natural brands that offer chemical-free, or at least, low-chemical
polishes (all polish must have some chemicals to even adhere to the
nail). So making the switch is easy—in fact, you may already have made
it.
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Change to Make: Bring Your Own Tools
But the danger in salons doesn't end with non-toxic polish. Dermatologist Dr. Dana Stern, M.D.,
one of the only nail specialists in the country (90 percent of her
practice is nail related) cites salon practices—which cause both trauma
and infections—as major health concerns. "These salons are working under
major economic duress because there are so many of them, and when time
is money, compromises are made to clients' health." The main
compromises: reusing tools and breaking sanitation protocols.
Natural
salons provide their customers with their own tools and sanitize with
care. "I buy my disinfectant products from a dental distributor," says
Perillo. "My cousin is a dentist and I consulted with him on the right
practices." At Sweet Lily her technicians use Diamancel nail files
($28) and metal versions of the orange sticks so that both can be
sterilized. Buffers, which cannot be sterilized, are only used once.
Not
the case in your local salon? "I always tell my patients, 'you need to
put your health into your own hands,'" says Dr. Stern. "You need to
bring your own tools." And if your nearby salon doesn't offer 5-free
polish, bring that as well.
Change to Make: Skip the Acrylics
Both
Perillo and Duranski don't offer gel manis or acrylics to prevent
debris and fumes in the air. Dr. Stern recommends all of her patients
avoid salons with acrylics on the menu, especially. "When you file
artificial nails, it creates a lot of particle pollution that can be
inhaled and go into your eyes," says Dr. Stern. Acetone, which is
mandatory to remove gel, will also release fumes.
Change to Make: Do Your Research
[post_ads]Bottom
line: women shouldn't be afraid to go to salons. "That's the last thing
anybody wants," says Duranski. Even if you can't find a salon that
promises a strictly natural service, you can find the second best thing.
How
so? Look to the overall appearance of the salon. Does it look clean?
Are the technicians' licenses displayed, and if so, do the photos match
up and are they up to date? Is the salon well ventilated? Do the nail
technicians wash their hands after every client? "This may sound simple,
but I have almost never seen anybody wash their hands," says Dr. Stern.
Change to Make: Spread the Word
While
we're all looking to change, it may take some time to get there. "Right
now it's extremely expensive to be green," says Duranski. But that
might not be the case for much longer. "With more consumer demand, it
will drive down our product charges and in turn, the cost to consumers."
Spread the word for change with the hashtag she launched, #handlewithcare. Pippa Lord, a Brooklyn native and the founder of Sous Style,
wants the industry to know that women are willing to pay more for
better service and treatment of employees. "It's not about a pay
increase for the sake of it. It's about raising the bar."
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