The Whole Truth About Artificial Nails

Most people these days only know about artificial nails through seeing or visiting one of the nail salons that are in EVERY strip mall, in every city, big and small. They know that it’s cheap, fast and that it stinks in there. Nine out of ten people that walked into my salon were so thrilled to hear English. Not only because it is hard to communicate your desired service in a non English speaking salon, but that they feel like the nail technicians are talking about them. Just a silly feeling I know, but more over, they miss the relationship and experience with the person that is holding their hand.

I was a manicurist back in the day when the only manicurist that people knew was Madge, in the Palmolive commercials. A time when getting a manicure was a real sophisticated experience. You’ve heard no doubt that people tell their hairdressers everything. Well, they were always willing to tell me their whole lives story in the first ten minutes of meeting them. I guess it feels secure while holding hands and I was looking down, not at their faces while they spilled everything, and I mean intimate summarizations to a total stranger. They raised me from a sheltered eighteen year old to a shocked and well informed adult. Let’s say I got a valuable education in human behavior. Never a dull moment!

Hairdressers did manicures until the introduction of artificial nails. They came to my part of the world (Southeastern United States), in the late ’70s. In 1981 I earned my Cosmetology license and unlike most hairdressers, I decided that specializing in nails was more to my liking. In addition to having very sensitive skin that couldn’t take all that shampooing I didn’t like standing with my arms up all day. So, I opted to set down with my head hung over a table. At that time, most states did not require ANY kind of licensing. But, as a cosmetologist, I was covered. In fact, every one in our nails only salon worked under my license while they went to school to become licensed manicurist. What’s that awful smell in salons?

That smell is Methyl methacrylate (MMA). It is used in the manufacture of resins and plastics. In my first days as a manicurist, I went home high as kite. That might explain why the customers didn’t mind that they were done poorly and that they had paid a high price for it. They were enjoying the buzz!

Later, I guess I became immune to it because it became hard work instead of fun and I really didn’t smell it anymore.

MMA is strongly sensitizing although, some people may use it just fine.