Identifying Health and Safety Concerns in Southeast Asian Immigrant Nail Salon Workers

Nail salon workers are exposed to a variety of toxic chemicals at levels that remain unreported and have undetermined health consequences. The objective of the study was to gather information about the hazards in nail salons along with safety practices and health concerns of nail salon workers. A survey was conducted on 65 nail salon workers who were immigrants from Southeast Asia in Oregon, USA. More than 20% of the participants reported nose irritation and allergies as the most common health problems. Rare and no use of gloves and mask were reported among 72% and 32% of the participants, respectively. A significantly higher number of participants with "fair" or "poor" self-reported general health condition was found among the workers who applied acrylic nails compared with those who were not involved in this application. Findings of the study emphasize the need for more research to determine the relationship between chemical exposures in nail salons and health outcomes.