Monday, April 14, 2014
Color Me Non Toxic by Momo Chang
When people think of dangerous jobs, manicurist isn't usually what comes to mind. Momo Chang, in her article "Color Me Non Toxic", speaks out for the nail salon workers who are exposed to chemicals throughout the work day. Chang wrote that workers breathe in chemicals from the different nail products all day long, and without protection! Her article caused me to think back on my past few trips to get my nails done and think about the atmosphere and the people working there. The second one opens the door to a nail salon, there is a powerful wave of air that smells like nail polish and chemicals. I am very conscious of chemicals and sprays; I don't like to expose myself to lysol or febreeze because they are not healthy to breathe in. I could not imagine working in an environment where the air is mixed with formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate (I don't even know what these chemicals are, but they are obviously not natural and do not belong in the human body!). Many of these workers are foreign and do not speak english or have much other work experience, so they don't have the option of leaving their job because of the air. Also, a lot of them probably do not realize how awful the chemicals are for their body. One woman at my local salon worked throughout her pregnancy, as did the owner. The owner's daughter was then basically raised in the salon, and now at eight years old, all of the customers know her and love to play with her. She does her homework, plays with dolls, and watches movies from her own spot in the corner of the nail salon. Her mother probably has either no idea or no other choice but to expose her child to these chemicals. I agree with Chang that salons need to move towards eco friendly practices, especially for the health of the manicurists.
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I as well didn't really put much thought into the danger of certain jobs such as a manicurist. Even though now, I see a lot more employees wearing masks then in present years, I couldn't imagine that damage that could do if a women, like you mentioned, worked through her pregnancy or was a child born and raised in such a toxic environment
ReplyDeleteAs a feminist who also really likes having nicely done nails, I always feel really guilty getting my nails done. I always wonder if the women who do my nails know how much of a risk the chemicals are to the women's health. I agree that we need more eco-friendly nail salons for the safety of the workers. I always tip extra well to compensate for my guilt :(
ReplyDeleteYou see a lot of manicurists wear masks to avoid breathing in the harmful chemicals, but these masks are made of thin cloth. They really aren't protecting them from anything! I agree that changes in salons need to be made for the sake of the customers, but especially for the workers.
ReplyDeleteI wrote my blog about getting my nails done by a pregnant woman. It just makes me sad that the workers either do not know about the harmful effects or like you mentioned they do not have the choice to leave their job. Every time I go to the nail salon I wonder about these things and reading this article has definitely made realize how big of an issue it really is. -Dee
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