Aloha Nails & Spa is a beauty salon that offers a variety of services for improving beauty, health, and relaxation through personal care treatments. The salon provides services such as manicure, pedicure, and waxing. The products used in the salon are rich in natural ingredients. However, it is important to note that nail salon products may contain chemicals that can affect worker health. Some of the chemicals that can be found in nail salon products include:
- Ethyl methacrylate (EMA), (artificial nail liquid): asthma; irritated eyes, skin, nose, and mouth; difficulty concentrating. Exposures while pregnant may affect your child.
- Formaldehyde (nail polish, nail hardener): difficulty breathing, including coughing, asthma-like attacks, and wheezing; allergic reactions; irritated eyes, skin, and throat. Formaldehyde can cause cancer.
- Isopropyl acetate (nail polish, nail polish remover): sleepiness, and irritated eyes, nose, and throat.
- Methacrylic acid (nail primer): skin burns and irritated eyes, skin, nose, mouth, and throat. At higher concentrations, this chemical can cause difficulty breathing.
- Methyl methacrylate (MMA), (artificial nail products, though banned for use in many states): asthma; irritated eyes, skin, nose, and mouth; difficulty concentrating; loss of smell.
- Quaternary ammonium compounds (disinfectants): irritated skin and nose and may cause asthma.
Employers and workers can take steps to protect health when working with products that contain potentially hazardous chemicals. They can choose safer products and read about the products being used.
