Why You Should Be Wary of Super-Cheap Manicures
If the devastating exposé published by the New York Times back in May shocked you into canceling your standing weekly manicure appointment, you’re not alone. The sad truth is that ethical nail salons are greatly outnumbered by those that are guilty of low wages, long hours, health violations, and even emotional abuse. It’s enough to make the case against getting our nails done at all.
That said, Luna Ranjit, a cofounder of the New York Healthy Nail Salons Coalition, told Allure that doing your nails at home instead is not the solution. Of swearing off professional manicures, she said, “That’s not going to help manicurists who rely on their paychecks.” But you should skip that oh-so-tempting $20 mani-pedi. “If a salon is charging only $10 for a manicure, it’s virtually impossible for them to pay their workers minimum wage and still clear a profit,” Ranjit explains.
That’s bad news for most of us who go for the cheapo job rather than the luxury salons, but while paying more money doesn’t necessarily guarantee better treatment for manicurists, Ranjit says it’s a pretty good place to start. Tip your manicurist “generously and in cash”; many women she’s spoken to in the field have said that they don’t know whether they’ve received their full tip when it’s given on a credit card.
There are too many salons that don’t uphold ethical standards, but we can all help by giving our patronage to the ones that do … even if it means giving up our favorite $10.50 mani spot.
