Nail Time

During our first UEL cohort in August, we were all riding the subway and Melanie was chatting away about all of the environmental hazards in her neighborhood— and I specifically remember her mentioning nail salons and how environmentally destructive and harmful to human health these businesses are, not to mention that they produce a tremendous amount of hazardous waste.

I knew I was in trouble right then and there. See, you will rarely seem my naked nail bed. My nails are almost always polished—covered in Ballet Slipper Pink, Big Apple Red or Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ.

In terms of urban issues, this is certainly one that I grapple with (I actually had a 1 o’clock mini-mani appointment during my lunch break today).

Before I left for my appointment, I started researching…In 2007 Time magazine named nail salon work one of the worst jobs in the United States because of the toxic products used in most shops. Nevertheless, the industry has more than tripled in size during the past decade and rakes in $6 billion annually. I also read a story about a nail technician who worked in nail salons for over 15 years and discovered that her baby had died in the womb when she was eight months pregnant. She believes the fetus died because of exposure to toxic chemicals in salons, specifically from acrylic, or fake, nails.

I found this terrific Boston-based organization, The Safe Nail Project, that is working towards protecting workers and the public from nail salon chemicals including feature formaldehyde-free polishes, organic lotions, and improved ventilation, proper disposal, among other things.

Plus the organization created these cute little wallet-sized cards with a list of “three free” nail polishes (“three free” are nail polish without toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate). I printed one out and brought it today to my appointment; I doubt I’ll ever give up manicures and pedicures, but I will definitely make an effort to choose healthier products.

Getting a manicure with environmentally friendly nail polish: