A Letter to Dr. Oz: By Rise’ Carter
This letter is in response to a segment on the Dr. Oz. program called How Manicures Affect Your Health. You can watch the video at http://bit.ly/6lc4XM
Dear Dr. Oz,
After watching a video from a segment on your show called “How Manicures Affect Your Health” I am completely outraged at the inaccurate information on acrylic nails provided by you on the show. I’m writing this letter with the intent to educate you, defend acrylic nail technology and clarify the truth.
The nail industry is over an 8 billion dollar a year industry, with approximately 2 million nail technicians worldwide. This is a 40-year-old industry that utilizes the SAME backbone chemistry found in the dental and orthopedic field. Obviously you and your research team failed to do adequate homework. If you had taken the time to adequately research this topic, you would understand that ANY company involved in the making of products used in the ‘cosmetic’ industry (and this includes the manufacturing of nail products) has to comply with strict guidelines. They only use ingredients that have been approved by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Board, whose mission is to thoroughly review and assess the safety of ingredients used in cosmetics in an open, unbiased, and expert manner. Instead, you chose to sensationalize and place fear in the minds of women around the world that have been having their nails enhanced for over 40 years.
Acrylics are NOT glued on, as you say in your segment. It is a complex mix of EMA- based monomers and polymers that polymerize into a hard, yet flexible end product.
The picture of the first nail you showed in your segment with the “lines” running from eponychium to free edge is referred to as “ridges” and is simply a sign of aging in the nail plate. This is not a result of having acrylic nails and in fact can commonly occur on anyone (male of female) who has NEVER had acrylic nails.
The second picture of Paronychia is NOT caused from wearing any type of nail enhancement. It is an infection of the tissue around the nail, most commonly caused by a steph or staph bacteria or fungal infection. Paronychia is most often caused by a yeast infection of the soft tissue around the nail. Individuals who work with their hands in water or must wash their hands continually are the most prone for this type of infection.
THE PRODUCTS DO NOT DAMAGE THE NATURAL NAIL. Damage can occur at the hands of an untrained nail technician who utilizes improper product application or removal techniques, such as aggressive filing on the natural nail. That is what causes the damage, not the product.
I am vindicating “educated” nail professionals whose number one concern is maintaining the health of the natural nail. They work tirelessly long hours, often times not taking a break to stretch, eat or go to the restroom. They work without health and dental benefits, paid holidays or vacations, and they work evenings, weekends and holidays. Their time is dedicated to one client at a time, and rarely do they have an opportunity to perform two services simultaneously, which makes it challenging and difficult to increase their income. They are well versed in understanding chemistry and chemical reactions, sanitation, natural nail physiology and natural nail disorders. I’m not even acknowledging the technical skills needed to keep clients coming back!
I know this, because I am nail technician with over 25 years experience and I travel the world connecting and teaching other nail technicians.
Sensationalism may bring in ratings, but is that really worth discrediting the livelihoods of so many hardworking men and women?
Sincerely,
Rise’ Carter,
National Director of Sales & Education for NSI
Nail technicians – forward this on to everyone you know. Let’s defend our industry with the truth!
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Great letter!! Thanks
Kudos Ms. Carter,
I thought about writing Dr. Oz something along the same lines! Its terrible how people that do not do the research, hurt us good nail techs. names, nor do they care! I have seen so many reports, & have answered so many questions & have educated clients on what the educated nail & non-educated nail techs. work differs. But the bad thing about that is, i have seen a few schools pass these so called “people” just to make the money! I experienced this in a school I had to go for a course in Nail Drilling, cus you had to have a certificate in order to use a drill in this state, when I had already been licensed in PA. for over 10 yrs. & had almost that much time in, using a drill!
But as long as there is non educated people opening these salons in the Malls & Plazas, whether lis. or not, there will always be a Bad name out there! Its just ashame, there is not something we can all do, to get these places Closed!
But as long as there are non educated people also going to those places, they will always stay in business, unless our state boards can come up with a way of checking how the peoples nails look walking out of those places! I feel The State Boards need to have an undercover person, go into these places like the Malls & Plazas to Check on the Work done & also The Sanitation practices.
Lets All Pray For Better Common Practices in Our Nail Industry!!