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What is a Pedicurist?
A pedicurist works exclusively on feet while a manicurist works on hands. Pedicurists clean, shape and enhance toenails. Pedicurists often work at nail salons with manicurists, but some may work at resorts, spas or other private venues. Some own their own salon. Many pedicurists are also manicurists.
Typical job duties of pedicurists include:
- Assess problems with feet and provide recommendations for treatment
- Provide treatments to groom nails
- Soak clients’ feet to soften the skin
- Remove nail polish
- Remove dead skin cells
- Clean nails
- Trim and file nails
- Repair nails
- Buff nails
- Use trending designs to beautify nails
- Add nail polish to the nails
- Add other decorative pieces to nails, such as rhinestones or glitter
- Use a variety of tools, such as scissors, nail clippers, nail files, hair dryers, and drying fans
- Airbrush nails
- Apply lotion or hand cream to the clients’ feet
- Clean and sanitize work station and tools
- Manage nail care products
- Work with a variety of nail care products
How Can a Pedicurist Get Mesothelioma by Occupational Exposure to Asbestos?
Pedicurists and nail technicians are exposed to a variety of chemicals and toxins through their job. These professionals often work with products that contain carcinogens, formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, toluene and ethylbenzene. Research has found that some of these toxins in nail salons are similar to the rates of the toxins in oil refineries and auto garages. Research has shown that occupational exposure to these toxins may increase the risk of these professionals in developing blood cancer, leukemia, lung cancer and other health problems.
Another toxin that pedicurists may have been exposed to through their work is asbestos. Pedicurists often use handheld hairdryers to make the process of drying their clients’ nails faster. Until 1979, most hairdryers manufactured in the United States contained asbestos. Asbestos is a good insulator that helps prevent fires, so it was often used in the heating element of dryers to prevent fire from breaking out in other internal parts of the dryer. However, asbestos in these products posed a risk to the people who used them.
In 1979, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that eleven major brands of hairdryers contained dangerous concentrations of asbestos. These hairdryers made up 90% of the annual sales. Additionally, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that the asbestos fibers emitted from these dryers could pose a significant health threat to people who used them, especially if they used the products on a daily basis. These manufacturers voluntarily recalled their products and discontinued using asbestos in them. However, a 1980 article reported that about 15 million of these dryers were not returned, so many of these products may have been continued to be used for years after the recalls.
Pedicurists who did not directly use these dryers could have still faced asbestos exposure if they worked in a salon where other professionals used them. Pedicurists often work around barbers and hairdressers who may have used these driers. Asbestos can become dislodged from the dryer and become airborne where they can be inhaled by those nearby. Additionally, these fibers can adhere to the clothing of those in the salon. When the pedicurist went home, his or her family could have had secondhand exposure to asbestos and breathed in these fibers.
Pedicurists also often work around cosmetologists. It is still legal in the United States for asbestos to be in makeup and cosmetics.
Pedicurists who work in older salons could also be exposed to asbestos because many older buildings were made with construction materials that contained asbestos. This includes floor tiles, shingles, drywall, joint compound and sealants. When these buildings are renovated, asbestos fibers can become dislodged and ingested by the professionals in the salon.
Locations in the United States for the Highest Employment Rates for Pedicurists
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 156,300 pedicurists and pedicurists were employed throughout the country in 2018. There will likely be many more in a few years since this industry is expected to increase by 10% from 2018 to 2028. States with the highest levels of employment of pedicurists and manicurists include:
Similar Occupations as Pedicurists
Similar occupations as pedicurists include the following:
- Manicurists
- Nail care technicians
- Skincare specialists
- Cosmetologists
- Hairdressers
- Barbers
Lawsuits and Settlements Involving Pedicurists and Mesothelioma
While there are no known verdicts stemming from cases brought by pedicurists due to asbestos exposure, settlements are often kept confidential. This allows the manufacturer to continue to deny liability while the plaintiff is able to recover some funds to help pay for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other damages. Before the plaintiff receives settlement funds, he or she may be required to sign a confidentiality agreement in which he or she cannot discuss the case or the settlement value. Some hairdressers have filed lawsuits against the manufacturers of asbestos-containing hairdryers.
Studies Related to Pedicurists and Asbestos
Studies involving pedicurists and their link to asbestos are not prevalent. However, there have been studies conducted about the nail care profession and the dangers these professionals face. The study “Occupational exposure to volatile organic compounds and health risks in Colorado nail salons” was published in the journal Environmental Pollution identified common toxins found in nail salons. Researchers found that nail technicians who worked for more than 20 years may have an increased risk of developing cancer. They also found that the risk of developing leukemia was 100% greater when compared to other professions.
A 2015 study named “Case report: peritoneal mesothelioma from asbestos in hairdryers” that was published in the International Journal of Occupational Health found that hairdryers could have exposed individuals to asbestos and that the exposure risk was greater when they were exposed through their occupation.
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health published a study in 1979 detailing the results of an analysis of 30 commercial and personal hairdryers. It found that the levels of asbestos that were released during use were in excess of the permissible levels established by OSHA.
Researchers from the Lombardy Mesothelioma Registry in Italy reported 30 cases of mesothelioma in hairdressers that occurred during the early 2000s. 17 of these diagnoses were believed to be related to asbestos-containing hairdryers.
Types of Asbestos Products Used by Pedicurists
The tool most commonly used by pedicurists that could have exposed them to asbestos was handheld hairdryers. These dryers may still include asbestos in them:
- Hand Held Pro Pistol by General Electric
- Styler Dryer models by Norelco
- Professionaire products by Sunbeam
Manufacturers of Asbestos Products Used by Pedicurists
Pedicurists may have used hairdryers that contained asbestos that were manufactured by the following companies:
- Conair Corp.
- General Electric Co.
- Gillette Co.
- C. Penney Co.
- Korvettes, Inc.
- Montgomery Ward
- Norelco
- Schick, Inc.
- Scovill Manufacturing Corp.
- Sears, Roebuck & Co.
- Sunbeam
