Nail Salons Under Scrutiny

I am a Nail Technician/Cosmetologist since 1982.  I’ve witnessed how dramatically the nail salon industry has changed, and it hasn’t always been for the good.  There has been a price war in the nail industry which started around the mid 1990’s that has brought on many of the illegal activities we see in the news today.   The recently published NY Times expose “The Price of Nice Nails” and “Perfect Nails, Poisoned Workers” has brought some of the problems within the Nail Industry to light.  While underpaid and exploited immigrants is a huge problem, there are other problems within the nail industry that were touched on by these two informative articles. 
 

Here is how to be a knowledgeable and conscientious nail consumer.

1.       Make certain your nail technician and the nail salon are licensed.

2.       Try to avoid salons who use illegal products , like Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) which is banned by the FDA for use as Acrylic Nails.

3.       Look around, be aware.  Are the tools, towels, manicure and pedicure stations sanitary?

 

Unlicensed Nail Salons & Nail Technicians 

To help you to understand about licensed and unlicensed nail technicians and nail salons, let me say that most states require licensing for nail technicians and salons.  Depending on the state, there may be legislation in place for nail tech “trainees” or “apprenticeship”.  In the NY Times articles mentioned above, unlicensed nail salon workers are mentioned.  A nail salon owner will issue an American name to an immigrant, so how can the customer know the immigrant’s real name which should appear on their nail tech/cosmetology license?  Ask the technician questions and look for the nail salon license and the expiration date and also ask to see the technician’s nail tech license.  These licenses must be publicly displayed.
 

Methyl Methacrylate (MMA)

An FDA Banned Product that is Sometimes Used for Acrylic Nails 

A big issue, and one that is hard for the unsuspecting consumer to detect, is the use of illegal products, such as Methyl methacrylate (otherwise known as MMA, an FDA banned acrylic liquid).  MMA is regularly used in nail salons who discount their prices so low as to compete with other nail salons.  According to ABC News “Some Nail Salons Still Use Dangerous Liquid”, 20/20 Investigates found eight out of the eight Dallas, Texas nail salons were using MMA liquid.  In 2014, 20/20 Investigates noted that 14 out of 26 nail salons in the cities of Phoenix, Boston, Houston and Dallas, were using MMA liquid.  That is more than half of the nail salons across the country are using MMA.
 

Here is how to spot some of the signs that the nail salon is using MMA;

            (Warning: graphic image below of MMA nail damage)

§   Unlabeled containers and the technician will not tell you the brand of acrylic used

§   A very low price for acrylic fills and full sets

§   MMA has an unusually strong odor

§   MMA does not soak off easily with regular solvents and is very hard to file off thereby the nail technicians will pry off (rip it) from the natural nail

§   MMA usually looks cloudy and not clear.

§   MMA nails don’t usually break like other acrylic nails.  They will usually rip completely off and take the nail bed with it.



MMA has been banned in the USA by the FDA for use on nails.
 Statistics show that more than half of the nail salons across the country
are using MMA on unsuspecting consumers.

 

Nail Salon Sanitation

Lack of sanitation is a factor in some nail salons.  Yes, nail salons are regulated and inspected but unfortunately, some sanitation requirements are lax in the assumption of getting the clients in and out quickly.  There are many articles and TV news reports, that can be found online, on the lack of sanitation.  Staph infections can spread easily along with toenail fungus and other micro-organisms that can cause all kinds of infections.  A client of mine, who is aware of sanitation requirements in a nail salons, reported that she was in a Texas nail salon and watched technicians use a warm wet towel on a client and after it was used it was placed in a dryer to be used on another client.  She also noticed implements being used on multiple clients without cleansing or disinfecting the tools.  That’s just plain NASTY! 
 

 

You CAN Find an Ethical Nail Salon

There is a positive note to the New York Times expose on nail salons. New York is changing legislature to help prevent the exploitation of the immigrant workers and to aid them in becoming “trainees” and to assist in education surrounding sanitation and bacteriology.  There are many nail salons and nail salon owners who are legitimate in how they run their salon.  Cleanliness, sanitation and state beauty culture rules and regulations are observed.  The nail salon industry is a 7.9 billion dollar industry, but at whose expense.  Be a knowledgeable and conscientious nail consumer. Be aware. There is a website that can help consumers find safe nail salons, it is safesalonrating.com and I recommend their ”Study Guide List of Questions” and their  “Before Booking an Appointment” pages.

For more information on ethical nail care, especially in NYC, check out the website handlewithcarenyc.com, #handlewithcare.

Prevent Polish Chipping and Peeling

This is the most common issue most people have with regular nail polish.  So what are some of the causes of nail polish chipping and peeling?

PROPER NAIL PREP- This is the most important step to prevent polish peeling.  If there is any natural oils on your nails, the polish will peel up, usually in sheets.  To effectively remove oils from your nails without thinning them (ie, buffing), wash your hands with soap and water and use a nail brush to clean around the cuticle and under the nail.  After washing your hands, cleanse the nail surface with a nail prep or rubbing alcohol. After prepping your nails, immediately apply your base coat of polish.  Note: Do not let the nail surface you want to polish touch your skin or hair before you apply your polish.  If you do, you put oil right back on the surface and your polish might peel.
 
USE BASE COAT - Base coat nail polish is usually more "rubberized" than other nail polishes and can cling to the natural nail better than applying polish without it.

USE A TOP COAT- A top coat will not only protect your polish color and add shine but it also adds durability and hardness. After your manicure, if you apply a top coat every 2-3 days after your manicure and cap around the tip of your nail where you file, your polish will last longer than if you do not.

WATER - Washing your hands before you polish is a good idea but too much water after you polish your nails, especially the first 4-6 hours afterward, can be detrimental to your manicure.  In the first 4-6 hours, your polish is still not completely dry, your nails will swell and expand the polish with the nail.  When the nail drys and shrinks back to it's normal size, your polish won't and increase the chance of it chipping when it finally does finish drying.

OLD OR CONTAMINATED POLISH - Old nail polish is thick and hard to work with.  It also takes forever to dry!  Some people decide that they need to thin out their polish with polish remover but this breaks down the polish in a manner that reduces it's adhesion properties.  Thin your polish with Nail Polish Thinner.  This can be found in your local beauty supply.

For more information on how to properly thin out and care for your polish, 

see Reviving Old Nail Polish and Maintaining Your Favorite Nail Polish.

Trip to a Nail Salon

A regular client of mine came in the other day and wanted to tell me a story about her trip to Texas and a nail salon that she visited with her son.  They wanted to get a pedicure together.  She remembered all I told her about how to make certain that the salon and the technician were clean and especially sanitized.  (See "Finding a "Well-Manicured" Nail Salon/Technician")

She told me that one of the first things she noticed was that the technician brought out the implements and they were in a sealed bag.  She said that she thought, "This is a good sign".  But then she noticed that they used some of the same implements between herself and her son.  She then started to notice more!  She didn't see anyone clean the foot bath before they sat down for the pedicure and didn't see any of the foot baths being cleaned in between the other clients.  That's when she started praying "please don't cut me, please don't break my skin"!

The part that shocked her the most was after the pedicure, she saw the technician rinse the pedicure implements in cold, and she emphasized it wasn't hot, water, dry off the implements in a towel then put the implements back into the bag and resealed the bag.  Ugh!   They hadn't even been sanitized!  And they were probably like that before they were used on her!

In a salon, implements need to be sanitized for a minimum of 10 minutes in disinfectant that kills bacteria, viruses, fungus and tuberculosis.  Pedicure foot baths must be cleaned out and sanitized with the same type of disinfectant between every client!  There are many different products that can be used to disinfect properly.  Some of them are Barbicide, Ultracare, Cavicide and Citrus II Germicidal Cleaner (all are registered trademark). 

Who wouldn't want a quality manicure set? This one is Awesome!!!
INOX Stainless Steel Manicure Set in Nappa-Leather Case

Here is where I would suggest that more people should start bringing their own implements unless you know for a fact that the salon and technician are cleaning and sanitizing regularly between clients.  I have found a few manicure sets through a company called Zamberg.  They have high quality manicure and pedicure implements along with complete manicure sets that will last you a lifetime compared to the cheap tools you find elsewhere.  The nice thing is that you can sanitize your own implements with something as simple as alcohol.

FINDING A “well manicured” NAIL SALON/TECHNICIAN

Part 4 of 4

Congratulations!  You’ve found a great salon and a fantastic nail technician.  Here are just a few added practices that you can do for yourself and for your nail technician.

A Few Added Guidelines

1.      Never shave or wax your legs within 24 hours of a pedicure. Don’t leave yourself open by giving bacteria or infection a way into your skin and body.

2.      Cutting callus (especially with a razor), cutting ingrown toenails or cutting live skin is not permitted in a salon environment.  These types of procedures are for the doctor’s office only. Please do not expect your nail technician to act as a physician.

3.      Do not expect service to be performed on any infected area (skin, nail, foot, etc), please see a physician before attempting any kind of nail service. 

4.      You should not go to a nail salon for a services if you have a contagious or infectious disease (fungus, athlete’s foot , eczema) or any other unhealthy conditions of the skin or feet.

5.      For those who are unaware, nail service prices usually do not usually include a tip for the technician.  Please use the same tipping principles for your technician as you would for a waitress or waiter.

Just a few simple steps to assure your perfect nail experience! Manicures and pedicures are a wonderful way to relax and take care of yourself, just be informed and sit back and let your favorite nail tech lead the way!  And may you both enjoy each other’s friendship for many years to come!

 

Read Part 1 in this series!

The Basics

Read Part 2 in this series!

A Simple Checklist

Read Part 3 in this series!

Five Easy Questions

    

 

FINDING A “well manicured” NAIL SALON/TECHNICIAN

Part 3 of 4

So you are in the salon of your choice and you’ve seen some of what they can do and you’ve determined, on sight, that you may want to utilize them as a service provider.  This is where you really learn if you can trust them.  It doesn’t matter if you are there for a full set of acrylic or gel nails, a shellac or basic manicure or even a pedicure, here is where you ask your technician a few simple questions that you are entitled to ask.  Don’t be afraid to ask these questions, it shows that you are an informed and intelligent consumer. 

What to Ask

1.      Can they show you a current beauty license when asked?

2.      Can they explain their sanitizing/disinfecting process for their files, buffers and implements? 

3.      Does the sanitizing solution look contaminated?  Sometimes it’s hard to tell.  If uncertain, ask!

4.      Can they explain their sanitizing process in between clients for the foot spa?  IF you are concerned ask if they have a sanitizing logbook for daily sanitation processes of their foot spas?  This is not always a nail salon requirement, some states require it, some states do not.  If they have one, they should not mind you asking for it.

5.      What product brand do they use to create their artificial nails?  Can they give you an answer or is it “proprietary”?  Ask to see the original container if it is in an unmarked one. This could be a potential indicator of MMA.

After getting a few satisfying answers from your technician, you are on your way to a perfect nail experience. Now relax and let your new nail technician lead the way to manicure and/or pedicure bliss.

 

Read Part 1 in this series!

The Basics

Read Part 2 in this series!

A Simple Checklist

Read Part 4 in this series!

Added Guidelines

FINDING A “well manicured” NAIL SALON/TECHNICIAN

Part 2 of 4

In part 1, I gave you some of the basic knowledge when trying to find the right nail salon/technician. But how do you know if they are being safe and sanitary.  Here is a great checklist to help make you comfortable about your choice of nail salon/technician.  When you are relaxed about the technician and the salon you are in, your nail experience is better because you have more peace of mind!!! Remember, you are there to relax, and not come home with a toenail fungus.

Simple Observations in the Nail Salon

1.     Does the salon, nail station, and/or pedicure area look clean?  Clean is good.  Dirty stations and floors with nail clippings, etc, should make you wonder how clean is everything else?

2.     Have you observed the technician cleaning their implements and sanitizing their implements in liquid sanitizers?  Does the sanitizing solution look contaminated?  All sanitizing liquids are different, but a clean liquid should usually look free of debris.

3.     Do they consult with you and ask questions before performing a service?  People who are diabetic, have peripheral vascular disease, neuropathies, or who are on blood thinning medications should be especially cautious, especially before pedicure services.

4.     Do the files, buffers and other tools look clean?  Did they come out of a clean drawer/container or directly out of a sanitizing solution? 

5.     Are you provided with clean linens and towels?

6.     Do they wash or sanitize your hands/feet AND their own hands before providing any nail service?

7.     Did you observe them cleaning and sanitizing the foot spa in between every client? This should be done before you put your feet in it.  All implements, basins, and bowls must be clean and disinfected before a pedicure service.

8.      Do they use an implement to forcibly remove or pry off artificial nails?  Is this nail service painful or does it damage your skin and/or nails?  Remember, nail services should never be painful!

9.      Do they use care when using an electric filing machine (drill)? Are the bits clean and sanitized? 

10   Do they use a spatula when retrieving product from jars and containers? They should never use their hands for this process.

11   Is the salon using products from unlabeled or unmarked containers? If so ask them to provide you with the label or ask not to use it. 

12  Concerning acrylic nails: Does the acrylic liquid used in creating acrylic nails have an unusually strong odor?  Is the nail enhancement extremely difficult to file or does it require more than an hour to soak off?  Both are possible indicators of MMA.

13  Does your technician use a coarse nail file when “roughing up” the surface of your own natural nail before applying your acrylic nail? While some “roughing up” is required in preparation of an artificial nail, usually a medium grit file is all that is needed, just to remove the shine. 

 

Read Part 1 in this series!

The Basics

Read Part 3 in this series!

Five Easy Questions 

Read Part 4 in this series!

Added Guidelines

 

 

FINDING A “well manicured” NAIL SALON/TECHNICIAN

Part 1 of 4

          I receive numerous questions about choosing the right nail salon/technician. Most consumers assume that if they are in business, they have customers, then they must be safe and sanitary. Unfortunately this isn’t always true. Rather than bore you with a list of laws and regulations I am going to provide you with a handy checklist and a few insights to make your nail experience even better!!! Remember you are there to relax, coming home with a fungus (or much worse) definitely wouldn’t be an AHHH experience.

The Basics

1.     Nail Technicians need to be licensed within the state that they practice and these licenses should be posted and visible to the public. 

2.     All salons and nail technicians should clean and sanitize stations, implements, and tools between every client.

3.     Nail services shouldn’t be painful nor should they damage the nail or skin.  If there is any pain ask the tech to stop.

4.     The use of MMA (Methyl Methacrylate) is prohibited from use by the FDA on soft tissue like nails and it’s illegal to use on nails in most states. (MMA is the chemical adhesive used to apply acrylic nails and the like)  In an educational update, the Nail Manufacturers Council (NMC) issued this statement:  “Serious adverse skin reactions and permanent nail deformities are only part of the risk of using MMA.--- Some of the primary consumer complaints range from ‘skin allergy, loss of sensation in the fingertips, permanent loss of the nail plate,’ usually the result of repeatedly exposing the client’s soft tissue to the monomer liquid.”

 

Read Part 2 in this series!

A simple checklist

Read Part 3 in this series!

Five easy questions

Read Part 4 in this series!

A few added guidelines to your nail care comfort.

 

Chipped Polish

Why do most women, even after a great manicure in their favorite nail salon, have problems with their polish chipping.

There are several reasons that polish chips or peels.

Let's take a look at application first.

Peeling is usually because there is too much oil on the natural nail between the nail itself and the base coat of polish. It is very important to clean the natural nail of any and all oils, creams and lotions, paying special attention to the tip and cuticle area. This is a very important step if you want your polish to stay. Polish itself, should also be kept out of the cuticle area. Applying a base coat (because it is more flexible and adheres better to the natural nail), two coats of the color polish and then a good topcoat (which adds shine and protects the color from wear) is important. When applying the base coat and the top coat, it is always a good idea to apply the polish around the tip of the nail where you file the nail.

The polish itself. . .
 

It is always a good idea to use fresh polish and not polish that is too old or thinned out improperly. This type of polish will usually breakdown quicker than a fresher polish. To keep your polish fresher, longer, keep the neck of the bottle and the inside cap free of polish as this allows air into the bottle and thus thickens it more quickly.

Water

Stay out of water for long periods of time 24 hours after having your nails done. The reason is that your nails are made of the same types of cells as your skin, they have just dried out and flattened out as they grow out from your cuticle area. Also, your skin swells as it absorbs the water that you are in. It doesn't take too long for this to happen. So if your skin swells when it is in water, so do your nails. If your polish has not fully set (which it takes a full 24 hours to completely set) and you are in water long enough for your nails to start swelling, your polish is going to swell with it. When your nails contract again, your polish won't. You have increased your risk of your polish chipping just by taking a quick swim in the pool, or soak in a hot tub.

Maintenance

 

Yes, I said maintenance. We can't apply polish to our nails and expect it to just magically stay there without any wear and tear. If your polish can chip by having your nails swell while the polish is drying, imagine that your polish has completely dried. Polish is plastic and while it is slightly flexible, it is not invunerable. Your nails, through wear, are continually expanding and contracting when it is in water. Eventually, the polish will disengage from the nail where it keeps expanding and contracting. Like water under a shingle. So all you have to touch is a towel and the polish chips off where it loosened. The trick is to keep applying polish down the nail and around the tip of the nail (where you would file) starting the day after your manicure.It really isn't difficult to maintain your polish if you follow the above procedures. 

For more info on natural nail care and to get the latest book

"The Secret to Beautiful Natural Nails"

Visit the following websites
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or
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