We can’t talk about safe and spotless nail salons without talking about the dreaded coal tar polish, aka lead paint. As the federal government has reclassified lead from hazardous to hazardous and the Environmental Protection Agency is poised to ban it, nail salon workers around the country are worried that paint remnants found in their common polish will be unearthed, contaminating the air and water supply.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17,580 salons have been inspected, and 29 have been found with “a record of possible evidence of environmental contamination of an air toxics source.” However, a pair of dosens (which will make it look like the lead got completely excised) can’t completely eliminate any trace of lead. In fact, lead (as well as another toxin commonly found in nail polishes, chrome) are carcinogenic in large quantities. That said, lead is particularly dangerous for pregnant women or babies. Plus, we know pregnancy definitely ups your chances of getting lead poisoning, so plenty of pregnant women have decided to go without nail polish until safer alternatives become available.
However, news of the impending ban has some salons raving that they have been fighting the paint for the past five years. “This paint is all about promoting healthy nails, so it was quite depressing to see our nail salon come under review to, in essence, be closed and shut down over unsafe practices,” says Oscar Gonzalez, the owner of Ink Da Pearls nail salon in Bakersfield, CA. Gonzalez says he spent the past two years removing the paint, while other salon owners with similar stories say they’ve proactively worked to sanitize their facility and eliminate any remaining paint. “To help increase the safety and health of the salon, we have sanitized our workplace thoroughly. We have professional environmental consultants verifying compliance with all of the government requirements.”
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What’s to prevent lead contamination? Basically, follow these tips:
Carefully clean to remove any residue that your polish may have. Using a cotton swab, rub it around on your cuticles and anywhere else where you may be using your polish at the salon. If you don’t have the right products to properly clean the nail salon room, use a disposable soft cloth, such as hand towels, tissues, or a makeup wipe. Brushing through the fine dust and dirt can make it go away with foam sponges or shampoo. Use soap and water to clean your hands and polish with. Dirty nail polish tends to accumulate in drains. Cover the drain with a piece of paper towels if you know you may be cleaning with dirty products. Check the drain every couple of days to make sure it’s not blocked. Though the government is currently on a quest to ban lead, it may take years before those regulations take effect. In the meantime, we highly recommend not using lead paint if you do have it, especially if you’re pregnant, nursing, or plan to get pregnant soon.
Once you have a habit of only using clean products (which nail polish manufacturers are constantly developing!), you won’t get rashes or skin conditions that result from contact with the hazardous ingredients. It might seem uncomfortable, but it’s absolutely crucial to stay healthy and safe (for everyone’s sake!).
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