California is a major hub for the nail salon industry, with more than 100,000 licensed manicurists throughout the state. Most of the nail salons are small mom-and-pop businesses, and are primarily staffed by women and Vietnamese immigrants and refugees. Nail salons, in particular, were upended by COVID-19 and the shelter-in-place order of March 2020 that forced their closures for most of that year. Nail salons were allowed to reopen and then were forced to close again as cases surged, and finally reopened again in early 2021. This cycle of openings and closings took a tremendous emotional and financial strain on owners and workers alike. Although the industry is expected to bounce back, a new plethora of factors may affect the future of the industry. Drawing on a survey of 158 nail salon workers and 42 owners and interviews with 4 workers and 2 owners, this report provides insight into the economic and emotional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on nail salons in California. The results shed light on the financial fragility of workers and owners alike, and the significant—yet distinct—impact on their livelihoods

As a leading hub for the nail salon industry, California comprises more than 100,000 licensed manicurists who work in mom-and-pop salons throughout the state. With the sudden rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, nail salons were upended as they were forced to shut down to comply with shelter-in-place orders. A Survey of Nail Salon Workers and Owners in California During COVID-19 analyzes and summarizes the socio-economic impacts that COVID-19 had on the nail salon industry through both owner and worker perspectives. Based on 636 worker and 90 owner online surveys, this report provides a brief snapshot of the experiences, needs, and challenges facing workers and owners during the COVID-19 shutdown and as they anticipate reopening.

Vietnamese immigrants tend to cluster in targeted geographic areas and occupations with resulting disproportionate exposure opportunities to hazardous environmental chemicals and neighborhood stressors; yet there is little research on environmental health in this population. Vietnamese communities in Alameda, Marin, Santa Clara, and Orange counties in California conducted community mapping audits (i.e., collecting air-contaminant data, observational survey information, and photovoice documentation) in neighborhoods where they live, work, and play. This paper describes the community-based participatory research process that helped to raise awareness about the environment for participating communities, and looks at how community engagement can lead to action for change.

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities face enormous health disparities, with tobacco use contributing to high rates of cancer and heart disease. There is growing interest nationwide on the influence of environmental factors on tobacco use. AAPI communities have been found to have higher exposures to tobacco company marketing compared to the general population. The authors describe the use of Photovoice (a qualitative needs assessment technique) to empower AAPI youth to identify and understand environmental characteristics associated with tobacco use in four AAPI communities in California and Washington. Of the six major environmental themes identified from the photos, three themes were found across all four communities. Debrief sessions with youth and community leaders underscore the relevance of Photovoice for identifying community needs and motivating community organization for change. Despite some logistical challenges, Photovoice exemplifies the power and potential of this community-based methodology to capture how the environment influences youth on tobacco use.

The nail salon sector is booming, predominantly with Vietnamese immigrant workers who regularly handle nail care products containing harmful chemicals. Based on lessons learned from an ongoing randomized controlled trial, occupational interventions need to incorporate inputs from different stakeholders, including salon owners, workers, and customers as well as governmental regulatory agencies.

Background

Chemicals in nail products have been linked to numerous health concerns.

Methods

We recruited Vietnamese-American nail salon owners and workers in California and randomized salons into an intervention or control group. Owners in the intervention group received training and then provided education to workers in their salons on best practices to reduce workplace chemical exposures. Methyl methacrylate (MMA), toluene, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) were measured using personal air monitors worn by workers during the work-shift.

Results

We enrolled 77 salons (37 intervention and 40 control) and 200 workers. There was no significant intervention effect between the two groups. However, MMA and TVOCs were higher for workers who used gel polish and acrylic nails as well as in busy salons.

Conclusions

Although the intervention did not show reductions in chemical levels, identifying worker tasks and salon characteristics that predict chemical levels can inform future interventions to reduce exposures.

Background

Personal care products may contain many chemicals, some of which are suspected endocrine disrupters. This is an important source of chemical exposure for women, but little is known about how chemical exposure differs among different races/ethnicities.

Objective

This study examines differences in personal care product use among Black, Latina, Vietnamese, Mixed Race, and White women in California.

Methods

We used a community-based participatory process to create and administer a personal care product usage survey to 321 Black, Latina, Vietnamese, Mixed Race, and White women. We used multivariate regression models with pairwise comparisons to examine the frequency of product use by race/ethnicity.

Results

We found distinct trends of personal care product use by race/ethnicity: Latina women typically used makeup most frequently; Black women used certain hair products or styles most frequently; and Vietnamese women were most likely to use facial cleansing products compared to other races/ethnicities. Latina and Vietnamese women were less likely to try to avoid certain ingredients in their products.

Significance

These findings can help estimate disparities in chemical exposure from personal care product use and complement future research on health inequities due to chemical exposures in the larger environmental and social context.