Nail Fails
As a college student, I hardly ever have time to pamper myself, and when I do, I never want to pay for it. So, in the middle of fall semester 2020 I decided that every month I would treat myself to a manicure, and if I was stressed out enough, a pedicure as well. I’m a chronic nail biter so I always get fake tips on top of my regular nails and whatever Pinterest design catches my eye. I learned that I love expressing myself through my nails and they just make me feel prettier and more confident.
Because of COVID-19, aka “covid,” if I ever wanted to get my nails done, I’d choose the place I went to based on its cleanliness and the precautions it had in place. If I didn’t feel safe somewhere, I wouldn’t go back. And while I questioned the strength of the cleaner they used and how heavily they drenched all surfaces in it to ensure nothing could possibly survive on it, I never even considered what they were using on my nails.
I’m only starting to think of this now because, well, I saw a TikTok video about nail salons, and it made me panic. I don’t remember who made the video, or what she said exactly, but this is the basic summary: a girl was showing how her nails were infected and she had to go on medication for how bad the infection was, and a different girl stitched the video (“stitched,” meaning, the girl attached a video of her own to a clip of the original video) and said that she got the same infection from the dip powder at a nail salon. At that moment, my nail history flashed before my eyes.
Because of my history with nail-biting, my cuticles and the skin around my nails are fairly weak and I’m prone to getting infections. The first three times I got my nails done during the fall semester I had gotten the dip powder, and never thought anything of it. After watching the TikTok and freaking out to my dad, who’s a doctor, about it, I realized just how gross getting your nails done is.
When using dip powder, the nail tech dips your nail until your first knuckle into a pot of acrylic powder. Now think about just how many other people have dipped their fingers into that same pot. Disgusting, right!? I always wash my hands before I sit down with the nail tech, but it’s not like that’s enforced by the salons. How is this even allowed, and isn’t it a health issue!? How many people have gotten infections because of dip powder!?
That’s why when the spring semester rolled around and I started looking for a new nail salon (because my old place used dip powder), I was so happy to have found BV Nails and Lounge. This isn’t even an ad for them, but they made me feel safe not just with covid: they had me wash my hands multiple times throughout the process and didn’t use dip powder. And when they created the acrylic nail, the nail-tech saturated his brush in acetone to kill off any bacteria, and he used gel polish to paint my nails. But there are still issues with this system. Unless the brush that is being dipped in acetone is being washed after every use, it can still carry some sort of bacteria, and the UV light not being wiped down can also cause cleanliness issues. I guess there’s just no completely safe way to get your nails done, but what safety and cleanliness measures are in place is enough for now.
I will still continue to get my nails done once a month, and I will still continue to express myself through my nails. But, because of that TikTok, I’m now extra careful about what products I allow on my nails and make nail health a top priority when going to the nail salon.
