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Research Evidence

There is a growing body of evidence in literature supporting the argument that nail polish chemicals have adverse health consequences to women that are exposed to chemical fumes. Initial studies such as that conducted by Zota, Aschengrau, et. al., (2010) showed that nearly 50 percent of nail chemicals such as gel nail polish contained toxic chemicals in the form of polymer plastics such as acrylates and methacrylate’s. The study further revealed that unlike regular polish which drying over time, gel nail polishes undergoes a curing process through exposure to ultraviolet light. While the curing process is intended to form a tough bond between the nail and polish, it has been known to have adverse health consequences (Zota, Aschengrau, et. al., 2010). A test of the acrylates and methacrylate’s conducted on 115,000 patients, including cosmetologists and nail artists showed that 67.1% of the respondents reacted to exposure to the chemicals. The study linked gel chemicals in nail polish to allergic dermatitis that were found to be common among consumers nail artists and cosmetologists. These conditions included swelling, itching, red rash and burning. The fact that gel polish is provides a natural and professional look, is less expensive and simpler to apply has led to its popularity among consumers and nail artists, thus placing two groups at a higher risk of exposure to acrylates and methacrylate’s chemicals. Comment by Michelle Davidson: This study is a survey of breast cancer patients and their beliefs about what caused their disease…specifically, exposure to household cleaners. There is nothing in this article about gel chemicals and allergic dermatitis, about tests of acrylates and methacrylates.

Another study that revealed critical health risks associated with prolong nail can pose a dangerous health hazards such as irritation nose eye and can cause cancer. The organization has for several years advocated for Federal regulation on the chemicals used in nail polish products citing several research findings that linked reproductive health complications of salon workers to the long hour exposure to toxic fumes in their workplaces. Study findings by the Asian Health Services revealed that skin ailments, respiratory problems, miscarriages, abnormal fetal development and other reproductive health complications were prevalent among Asian women working in salon establishment compared to women working in areas where they were least exposed to these chemicals. However, despite the growing pressure by the advocacy group to enlist support from the state and federal government to institute safety regulation measure, the fact that the existing legal framework does not require cosmetic manufacturing firms to disclose safety details of products to Food and Drug Administration has remained a significant setback to the efforts in protecting women working in salons from the risks associated with long exposure to toxic fumes from nail polish gel products (Edwards & Cooper, 2006). The fact that state and federal legal frameworks do not enforce law to evaluate the effects of chemicals used in cosmetic products to the users of the product provides a major loophole through which cosmetic manufacturers use to reverse bans. For example, efforts to restrict chemicals used in nail products in California a decade ago were countered with a ban from the cosmetic industry, which was a major setback in protecting Asian women working in nail salon establishments that were growing in Oakland, Calif and California at the time. Comment by Michelle Davidson: This article is about Environmental exposure and the development of Lupus. You are crediting it with causing cancer respiratory ailments, miscarriage and reproductive problems.

Comment by Michelle Davidson: This is NOT in Roelofs. In fact the label on the graph says PAPERS MENTIONING RADIATION HORMESIS. This is defined as Radiation hormesis is the hypothesis that low doses of ionizing radiation (within the region of and just above natural background levels) are beneficial, stimulating the activation of repair mechanisms that protect against disease, that are not activated in absence of ionizing radiation. This has nothing to do with your paper topic, nor with the article that you list as written by Roelofs “Perfect nail, poisoned workers and where is the law.” Here is the link to the Roelofs article. http://www.thepumphandle.org/2015/05/11/perfect-nails-poisoned-workers-and-where-is-the-law/#.WvNRq5ch2Uk This graph is not there.

Figure 1.0: Papers mentioning nail polish chemicals by year (Roelofs, 2015).

An environmental advocacy organization, Harlem conducted a study in 2016 to investigate the health implications associated with nail salon products. The findings of this research supported the growing concern on the toxic exposure of women working in nail salons by establishing that nail salons are often small workspaces that are poorly ventilated which places women at a higher risk of exposure to the toxic fumes that emanate from nail polish gel.

A critical point to note in the argument is that despite nail salon product manufacturers absolving themselves from the potential health risks associated with nail products, a recent report by Zota, Aschengrau, et. al., (2010) showed that more and more manufacturers are confirming that they have removed the toxic elements in the nail products. However, a random sampling of gel nail products conducted by Maddox (2010), on government departments in the United States revealed that majority of the product still contained the controversial toxic chemical products. This supports the growing research on the existence of toxic chemical. However, there is still little research evidence on the level of health implications these products have caused on the United States pollution since studies have focused on small racial, economic or professional groups thus narrowing the real health impact. Further a research by Maddox (2010), revealed that both the gel nail polish products and their removers contained toxic elements that posed general health and reproductive health risks to women exposed to the fumes daily. The lights that often used to dry the gel polish have also been known to cause types of skin cancer. Comment by Michelle Davidson: I mentioned this to you in conferences….This source does NOT contain the material you claim it does here. https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1476-069X-9-40 I specifically pointed to these items that did not seem to match. I see that the are still in the paper. Comment by Michelle Davidson: This article is a study of chemical toxins in communities of color. This DOES mention nail salons in one paragraph, but if does not discuss a random sampling of gel nail products as you have claimed here. http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/04/backyard.html. Comment by Michelle Davidson: Nope. Maddox didn’t do ANY research

Most research findings focusing on the general health and reproductive health impact of gel nail polish products have often sampled on specific communities and regions. However, it is important to point out that complaints about the dangers of the toxic chemicals have been reported from different parts of the country. The most common ones include cancers, painful skin afflictions, miscarriages, coughs and children born slow (Environmental Working Group (EWG), 2005). Body. Further, a study by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2003), which focused on the health implications of working in nail salons recommended that women in their child-bearing age should keep away from the business due to the potential exposure to solvents, polishes, glues and nail polish hardeners daily.

The formation of collaborative and advocacy groups to propagate the health agenda of women working in nail salon environments has however served as a strong tool to bring together consumers and a poisonous industry, thus initiating new discussions on the roles of each stakeholder in the cosmetic supply chain. One such group is the California Health Nail Salon which brings together interest groups that aim to protect women from exposure to toxic chemicals contained in nail products. The group not only pushes for regulation but also considers the role of safety equipment for women working in the nail salon environment (Roelofs, 2015). Comment by Michelle Davidson: Again, this material is NOT in this cited article.

Figure 2.0 Loss of fingerprints due to chemicals in nail polish gel (Roelofs, 2015). Comment by Michelle Davidson: Again, you have misrepresented the source. I did not see this image at the link to this article: http://www.thepumphandle.org/2015/05/11/perfect-nails-poisoned-workers-and-where-is-the-law/#.WvNRq5ch2Uk

In the counter-argument, cosmetic manufacturing companies have instated that studies linking general health and reproductive health complications among nail salon workers to toxic chemicals used in the manufacturing of the products are few and narrowly focused on minority groups (Steingraber, 2007). Further, the firms have always used the existing legal support which does not require state and federal governments to require nail polish manufacturers to disclose the ingredients of nail polish products (Bird, 2010). Further, literature refuting the claims shows that manufacturing companies link the exposure to chemicals because of inaccurately labeled products, lack of proper protective gear and lack of proper regulation on nail salon work environments. Comment by Michelle Davidson: This source is ‘The falling age of puberty in US girls. Am I to understand that this article published by the Canadian’s Women’s Health Network includes information about studies done on the health of nail salon workers exposed to toxic chemicals? I checked and the link you provided is to an abstract that does not mention the material that you are attributing to Steingraber. http://www.cwhn.ca/en/node/43399 Comment by Michelle Davidson: This material here is inaccurately, irresponsibly and deceptively cited. You have presented this material stating that nail polish manufacturers don’t have to label products because the law does not require it. Then you attribute it to C. Bird… the author of the article “Gender, Household Labor and Psychological Distress.” https://www.jstor.org/stable/2676377

The Workers should wear since quite a while ago sleeved shirts to secure their arms and pants or skirts that are at least knee-length to shield lap from acrylic nail and different tidies. I think they should must Wash hands when working on clients; before eating, drinking, putting on cosmetics or smoking; and after handling or transferring items. There is another important thing using of goggles and the appropriate sort of disposable gloves when handling and transferring items. For example, nitrile gloves ensure against many chemicals utilized as a part of nail salon items, yet latex or vinyl gloves are appropriate when handling acetone. Using the ventilation strategies described above, using items without harmful chemicals, and following great work practices all decrease the level of chemicals in a nail salon. If you work in a salon that takes after these practices, you may not require respiratory protection.

Nail salon workers can get aches and pains from leaning over a worktable for a long time; doing repetitive movements like filing and buffing nails; and resting hands, wrists, and forearms and/or elbows against hard surfaces or sharp edges of worktables. These are often called ergonomic or musculoskeletal hazards because they affect your muscles and bones. Ergonomics is the science of “fitting the task to the worker” so that you are more comfortable and efficient when doing your job. Good ergonomic practices will reduce stress to your body and help you avoid aches and pains.

Conclusion

In conclusion, research findings show that nail polish products have been linked to various general health and reproductive health conditions reported in different regions in the United States. Consequently, nail product manufacturers should acknowledge the health impact of the products they manufacturer and collaborate with consumer safety organizations, government agencies, and advocacy groups to protect women exposed to fumes from nail polish products. This will provide a platform for discussion that is likely to arrive at a solution that is beneficial to all the stakeholders.

References

Bird, C.  (2010). Gender, Household Labor, and Psychological Distress: The Impact of the Amount and Division of Housework.  Journal of Health and Social Behavior 40(1): 32-45.

Breast Cancer Fund. (2008). State of the Evidence: The Connection Between Breast Cancer and the Environment, fifth edition. http://www.breastcancerfund.org/publications.

Bullard, R; Saha, R; Wright, B. (2007). Toxic Wastes and Race and Twenty 1987-2007: Grassroots Struggles to Dismantle Environmental Racism in the United States.  Report for United Church of Christ Justice & Witness Ministries http://www.ejnet.org/ej/twart.pdf

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (2004).  Exposures Add Up Survey Results June 2004http://www.cosmeticsdata base.com/research/exposures.php

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2003). Second National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals.  Department of Health and Human Services. NCEH Pub No. 02-0716.  2003 Jan; 1-257.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities (2008). Eliminate Disparities in Lupus (Online Factsheet).  http://www.cdc.gov/omhd/amh/factsheets/lupus.htm.

Edwards, CJ. and Cooper, C. (2006). Early Environmental Exposure and the Development of Lupus. Lupus. 15(11): 814-819.

Environmental Working Group (EWG). (2005). Body Burden 2: The Pollution in Newborns. http://archive.ewg. org/reports/bodyburden2/

Maddox, W. (2010). In Whose Backyard? Chemical Toxins, Reproductive Health, and Communities of Color. Center for American Progress. http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/04/backyard.html.

Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment at University of California, San Francisco. (2008). Shaping our Legacy: Reproductive Health and the Environment. Report on Summit on Environmental Challenges to Reproductive Health and Fertility. 2008 Sep; 1-80.