In the past decade nail salons have sprouted up just about everywhere. When I was a little kid, painting your nails with nail polish was an occasional treat that you did on your own. It was not a weekly ritual costing $20 or more.
The Price of Nice Nails- New York Times
Not long ago, the New York Times ran a series on health hazards and social justice issues connected with nail salons. It caused some conversation for a while, but did not result in any significant decrease in nail salon visits.
We really must ask ourselves what happened? Why does this mani pedi madness exist? Especially as cancer rates continue to skyrocket.
From a health perspective, painting questionable chemicals on our nails is really kinda nuts. The toxic trio found in all nail polishes have documented health hazards. Some of these same toxins are in the air near fracked gas compressor stations as well.
Toluene creates a smooth finish and keeps pigment from separating in the bottle. It is also an additive in gasoline. It gives nail polish that sweet smell. It impacts your lungs and nervous system.
Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, helps harden nail polish. It can also irritate the eyes, skin and throat, inducing coughing, allergic reactions, asthma-like attacks or difficulty breathing.
Phthalates are chemical plasticizers which provide flexibility to nail polish. This toxin is an endocrine disrupter wrecking havoc in our bodies at extremely low levels.
In addition to this trio, there are many other harmful chemicals used in nail care products. And let’s not forget nail polish remover, acetone. Breathing moderate-to-high levels of acetone for short periods of time can cause nose, throat, lung, and eye irritation. It can also cause intoxication, headaches, fatigue, stupor, light-headedness, dizziness, confusion, increased pulse rate, nausea, vomiting, and shortening of the menstrual cycle in women.
Just like smoking one cigarette won’t bring on stage 4 lung cancer, one mani pedi won’t doom you to a cancer ward. Duh.
But consider the frequency of this toxic activity, and think twice about bringing little kids into these fume filled nail salons. Find another pampering treat to do for yourself and with your daughters. A walk in the woods instead of a mani pedi. Buff your nails instead of polishing them. Play spa at home and create a homemade foot soak with warm water, epsom salts and fresh ginger instead of a pedicure. Use clay and make your own mud masks. Your hands, feet, liver, lungs and bank account will thank you.
Have some fun with home made mud masks.
Foot soaks can be cooling or warming.
