A little nail art can cure the common cold.
But for the manicurist, who is often out of work and out of money, it can also be a source of anxiety.
The New York Times reported last month that the American Heart Association has urged manicurists to rethink their advice on the safety of manicures, noting that they can be the culprits behind many of the nation’s ills.
“I get a lot more anxiety about my patients and what they’re doing than I do about what they put on their nails,” said Robert M. Hahn, who teaches at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.
“It’s kind of a double-edged sword.”
For Dr. Hohn, the biggest challenge is making the nail art look nice.
“If I can’t make the nail look good, it doesn’t matter what I put on my nails,” he said.
“They can’t be good enough.”
To keep nails healthy, Dr. Gattuso recommends a simple but effective strategy: “When you go in the salon, the first thing you should do is make sure that your nails are clean.
Don’t use a lot or use too much nail polish,” he says.
“The more you polish, the worse your nails will look.”
This article was updated with information from the American College of Surgeons.