A descriptive survey on microbiological risk in beauty salons

Inhalational exposure to formaldehyde, carcinogenic, and non-carcinogenic risk assessment: A systematic review

Formaldehyde is one of the most widely used substances in a variety of industries, although it was classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The present systematic review was conducted to retrieve studies related to occupational exposure to formaldehyde until November 2, 2022. Aims of the study were to identify workplaces exposed to formaldehyde, to investigate the formaldehyde concentrations in various occupations and to evaluate carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks caused by respiratory exposure to this chemical among workers. A systematic search was done in Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science databases to find the studies done in this field. In this review, studies that did not meet the criteria specified by Population, Exposure, Comparator, and Outcomes (PECO) approach were excluded. In addition, the inclusion of studies dealing with the biological monitoring of FA in the body and review studies, conference articles, books, and letters to the editors were avoided. The quality of the selected studies was also evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist for analytic-cross-sectional studies. Finally, 828 studies were found, and after the investigations, 35 articles were included in this study. The results revealed that the highest formaldehyde concentrations were observed in waterpipe cafes (1,620,000 μg/m³) and anatomy and pathology laboratories (4237.5 μg/m³). Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk indicated the potential health effects for employees due to respiratory exposure as acceptable levels of CR = 1.00 × 10^-4 and HQ = 1, respectively were reported to be exceeded in more than 71% and 28.57% of the investigated studies. Therefore, according to the confirmation of formaldehyde's adverse health effects, it is necessary to adopt targeted strategies to reduce or eliminate exposure to this compound from the occupational usage.

Licensure and citations among nail salons in Michigan from 2017 to 2021: A cross‐sectional study of an overlooked and vulnerable industry

Background

Nail salon workers (NSW) in the United States (U.S.) are predominantly immigrant women who face a number of occupational hazards, such as biological, ergonomic, and chronic chemical exposures. Additionally, there are challenges to keeping up with the latest practices in this evolving small business industry. Licensure requirements are intended to keep not only consumers but also workers safe, however licensure requirements vary between states creating little skill, education, and occupational health and safety knowledge and practice consistency among the nail salon workforce. The current state of nail salons and licensure of workers in the State of Michigan—an overlooked state and region (Midwest) in NSW research—was determined to better characterize this workforce.

Methods

A Freedom of Information Act request was submitted to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs regarding nail salon establishments and their workers, formally termed manicurists, and citation data for breaches. Data were provided on the number of licensed cosmetologists and cosmetology businesses from January 2017 to March 2021. From there, the total number of licensed manicurists was determined, and the cosmetology establishment list was analyzed to see if the businesses exclusively or predominantly provided nail services.

Results

As of Mach 2021, there were 1372 nail salons that exclusively provided nail services and over 12,000 licensed manicurists. Over half of the disciplinary actions cited were for salons not officially licensed. Michigan has reduced licensure requirements compared to other states and no continuing education (CE) requirements for license renewals.

Conclusion

There is a need for industry educational and training standardization, across the nation, as well as heightened licensure requirements for these vulnerable workers. CE not only keeps workers abreast of the latest practices in the industry, but also provides them the skills and knowledge to enhance their worker health, safety, and wellbeing.

Ultraviolet-C Light-emitting Device Against Microorganisms in Beauty Salons

Background.

Ultraviolet light in the UV-C band is also known as germicidal radiation, and it is widely used for decontamination and disinfection of environments, water, and food. The ultraviolet source transfers electromagnetic energy from a mercury arc lamp to an organism's genetic material. When UV radiation penetrates the cell wall of an organism, it destroys the cell's ability to reproduce, through a physical and not chemical process. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of a new UV-C generating device (Asepsis) against clinically important microorganisms that may be present in beauty centers.

Methods.

We present here a set of tests performed on tools easy to find in beauty salons (hair-brushes, nail pliers, makeup brushes, and, due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, face mask samples). They were individually contaminated with bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus), fungi (Microsporum canis, Trichophyton rubrum, Candida albicans, Malassezia furfur), and the Chikungunya virus. Different times of exposure were evaluated (1, 3, and 5 minutes).

Results.

There was notable reduction in the microbial load in every test, in comparison with control groups. Best results were observed on face mask samples, while the makeup brush showed less reduction, even with longer periods of exposure.

Conclusions.

Beauty salons present a risk of infections due to microbial exposure. The device tested can efficiently inactivate, in a short time, microorganisms contaminating most tools found in this setting. The device also showed promising results against enveloped virus.

Assessment of Occupational Safety and Hygiene Perception among Afro-Caribbean Hair Salon Operators in Manchester, United Kingdom

Because of exposure to a number of potential health hazards within the work environment, hairstylists experience occupational diseases that include occupational asthma, skin conditions and musculoskeletal diseases. The paucity of studies assessing occupational safety and hygiene management among Afro-Caribbean hair salon operators in the UK promoted the study. Qualtrics^TM was used to assess the participants' perception of exposure to hair products and their personal safety and hygiene knowledge, attitudes, awareness, and risk perceptions at work. In five salons, indoor air quality was monitored over one working week for selected environmental pollutants: temperature, humidity, CO, CO₂ and Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOCs) using a GrayWolf Direct Sense Indoor Air Quality-IAQ (IQ-610). The use of unflued gas heating to raise the indoor temperature was common among the salons' operators which explains the high carbon monoxide readings recorded. Itchy eyes and nose (44.4%) shoulder, neck and back pain (39.2%) were frequently reported. Age-stratified analysis of reported occupational ailments showed participants within an age bracket of 31-35 reported allergies (24%) and itchy eyes and nose (19.1%) as the most common of occupational ailments. Respiratory, skin and musculoskeletal symptoms ranked as major occupational ill-health experiences among the study population. The study outcome demonstrated that the type of activity and the hair products used play an important role in the level of pollutants in the working environment. The substitution of the more harmful hair products with safer alternatives is needed, as is the encouragement of health surveillance.