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iStock-838483760What is a Manicurist?

A manicurist works exclusively on hands while a pedicurist works on feet. Manicurists clean, shape and enhance fingernails. Manicurists often work at nail salons, but some may work at resorts, spas or other private venues. Some own their own salon.

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Typical job duties of manicurists include:

  • Provide treatments to groom fingernails
  • Soak clients’ hands to soften the skin
  • Remove nail polish and rough skin
  • Clean nails
  • Trim and file nails
  • Repair nails
  • Polish or buff nails
  • Add nail polish to the nails
  • Add other decorative pieces to nails, such as rhinestones or glitter
  • Add artificial nails
  • Airbrush nails
  • Apply lotion or hand cream to the clients’ hands
  • Clean and sanitize work station and tools
  • Manage nail care products
  • Work with a variety of nail care products

How Can a Manicurist Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?

Manicurists and nail technicians are exposed to a variety of well-documented hazards in the workplace. The products they use contain several carcinogens, formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, toluene and ethylbenzene. Some of these dangerous toxins are at rates comparable to those found in oil refineries and auto garages. These dangerous toxins may increase the risk of these professionals in developing leukemia, blood cancer, lung cancer and other respiratory and health problems.

Manicurists may have also been exposed to asbestos in their line of work. Manicurists often use hairdryers to help aid the process of drying their clients’ nails. Up until the late 1970s, hairdryers often contained asbestos, including those dryers manufactured by 11 major manufacturers that were responsible for 90% of annual sales of these products. Manicurists who used these products on a daily basis could have been exposed to asbestos.

In 1979, the Consumer Product Safety Commission found that eleven major brands of hairdryers contained dangerous levels of asbestos. It found that asbestos fibers that were emitted from handheld hairdryers could pose a significant health threat and noting in particular that repeated exposure from occupational exposure could have an elevated risk of exposure to asbestos. The 11 manufacturers voluntarily recalled their products and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission accepted voluntary correction actions from them to remove asbestos from their products or issue refunds to consumers who purchased the dryers. However, the New York Times published an article in 1980 that said that only about three million of the contaminated hair dryers were returned out of the 18 million impacted by the recalls. Some salons may still be using these older contaminated hair dryers.

Even if manicurists did not use these dryers, they could have still been exposed to asbestos if they worked in a business that used these dryers. Nail technicians and manicurists often work around hairdressers and barbers. Asbestos fibers could have become dislodged in the salon and breathed in by manicurists and others in the salon. Additionally, these microscopic fibers could have wound up on their clothing, posing a risk for secondhand exposure to their loved ones.

Manicurists also often work around cosmetologists. Asbestos is permitted to be used in makeup and cosmetic products today.

Since asbestos was not banned for most uses until the 1980s, those who work in older salons may work in buildings that were largely constructed out of materials that contained asbestos.  At-

Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Manicurists

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 156,300 manicurists and pedicurists in 2018. With an expected growth rate of 10% from 2018 to 2028, there may be many more within the next decade. States with the highest levels of employment of manicurists and pedicurists include:

Similar Occupations as Manicurists

Similar occupations as manicurists include the following:

  • Pedicurists
  • Nail care technicians
  • Skincare specialists
  • Hairdressers
  • Cosmetologists
  • Barbers

Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Manicurists and Mesothelioma

There are no known verdicts stemming from cases brought by manicurists due to asbestos exposure. However, settlements are often kept confidential so that the manufacturer can continue to deny liability. As a condition of receiving settlement funds, the plaintiff may be forbidden from discussing the case or how much money he or she received. There have been lawsuits filed against the manufacturers of hair dryers that contained asbestos.

Studies Related to Manicurists and Asbestos

While studies involving the connection between manicurists and asbestos are in short supply, there have been a number of studies related to the nail care profession and similar occupations. For example, the study entitled “Occupational exposure to volatile organic compounds and health risks in Colorado nail salons” published in Environmental Pollution identified common pollutants found in nail salons, including formaldehyde, benzene and toluene. They found that manicurists who worked for more than 20 years may experience an increased risk of cancer. The increased risk of developing leukemia by working at a nail salon was 100% and some other carcinogens appeared at rates comparable to oil refineries and auto garages.

A 2015 study entitled “Case report: peritoneal mesothelioma from asbestos in hairdryers” and published in the International Journal of Occupational Health found that hairdryers could have exposed people to asbestos and the risk of exposure was greater when people were exposed to them through their occupation.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health published a study in 1979 that analyzed 30 hair dryers to study the concentration of asbestos that was released when they were used. It found that the released asbestos exceeded the permissible exposure limits published by OSHA.

Researchers from the Lombardy Mesothelioma Registry in Italy reported 30 cases of mesothelioma in hairdressers identified during the first decade of the 21st century. It found that 17 of these diagnoses could have been due to using hair dryers that contained asbestos.

Types of Asbestos Products Used by Manicurists

Many hairdryers that contain asbestos that manicurists may have used may still be in use today, such as:

  • Hand Held Pro Pistol by General Electric
  • Styler Dryer models manufactured by Norelco
  • Professionaire products manufactured by Sunbeam

Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Manicurists

Manufacturers of hairdryers known to have contained asbestos include:

  • Conair Corp.
  • General Electric Co.
  • Gillette Co.
  • C. Penney Co.
  • Norelco
  • Korvettes, Inc.
  • Montgomery Ward
  • Schick, Inc.
  • Scovill Manufacturing Corp.
  • Sears, Roebuck & Co.
  • Sunbeam