As another hot summer descends on most parts of the country, more and more American women find themselves in an all too familiar quandary: not enough full service nail salons.
Latricia Bell of Westchester, PA says that for years her salon of choice – Magnifique Nails – closed too early or was not open on Sundays when she needed it. “My look would get old but I couldn’t get an appointment after work,” she said. Latricia wears her nails with outlandish designs created by the latest techniques. Her latest look includes simulated gem stones.
A similar refrain has been sounded by even conventional nail enthusiasts. Patricia O’Neil of Plano, TX said that her simple French manicure design has been difficult to maintain due to the lack of nail salons. “When I go to Chicago or New York, there are nail salons on every block,” she said. “Here I have to drive 15 minutes to get to one.” Too often, the lack of nail salon access has prevented American women from looking their best or put the cost of a proper nail job out of reach.
Nail salon owner Pamela Volk of Bethesda, Maryland said that worker shortages forced her to cut back on store hours. “I lost two of my [workers] last month because they went back to Korea,” she said. Within the last six months, Volk estimates she lost six workers due to “nail fever” – a condition believed to be caused by long term exposure to nail polish remover fumes.
Theodore W. Wertzel, a Washington, D.C. lobbyist for the Confederation of Nail Salon Owners said that the shortage in nail salon workers needs to be addressed. “American simply do not want to work in nail salons,” said Wertzel. “These are tough jobs, these are dangerous jobs, and Americans do not have an interest in modern nail artistry.” Wertzel has been working with Congress to pass legislation to grant 50,000 nail salon worker visas per year. Due to the push for comprehensive immigration reform, however, the nail salon worker shortage has taken a back seat.