Get The Harmful Chemical MMA Banned In Nail Salons In The Entire United States
Get The Harmful Chemical MMA Banned In Nail Salons In The Entire United States
The Issue
Methyl methacrylate, or MMA, originated in the dental industry for making crowns and bridges. It is also used as bone cement by orthopedic surgeons during joint replacement procedures, in some flooring products, resins, and Plexiglas. This chemical was not designed to come in contact with skin or nails. Did you ever had to wait for a permanent crown for your teeth to be made in a lab? The reason for this is that MMA, while in a liquid state, should be used in a controlled laboratory environment by properly trained technicians who are gloved and masked.
In the late 1960s and 70's, some nail technicians began using MMA for acrylic nail services because it was much less expensive than the safer alternative, ethyl methacrylate due to numerous consumer complaints, the FDA determined that any manufacturer who used MMA in nail products was using a 'poisonous and deleterious substance,' and in 1974 took action against a manufacturer for doing so.
MMA is not recommended for use in acrylic nail products because it is much too hard, and can tear the nail off the finger easily. It is also solvent resistant, which makes it very difficult to remove. It takes a long time to remove MMA when soaking in acetone. Many technicians damage the nail plate when prepping for MMA, since that product needs grooves in the nail in order to stick well. A technician should always protect and preserve the natural nail under any enhancement product.
Some signs that your nail tech is using MMA are:
Methyl methacrylate (MMA) has a distinctive strong fruity odor.
Strong odor that physically affects you. If you experience any tightness in your throat or chest, tingling in your fingers, lightheadedness, dizziness, or an odd taste in your mouth, it is possible that MMA is being used.
No manufacturer’s labeled containers -- your technician should show you what products they are using on you. If the acrylic liquid is not kept in a manufacturer’s labeled container or if it is in a gallon jug.
Physical reaction -- If your fingers burn, itch or hurt after receiving nail services, this can indicate MMA exposure. Ask yourself, if you went to a hair salon and got your hair colored or permed and your head hurt, but only for a couple of days, would you go back? No, you would not. It is not normal for your fingers to hurt after professional services.
I got my nails done for homecoming as my first time getting acrylic nails done. It’s been three weeks and I cannot remove the nails. When I went to soak my nails in acetone, my nails turned to goo. This is a huge sign that my nail tech used MMA on my nails without telling me about the risk factors before hand. If we can’t get MMA banned all across America, then let’s start by banning it in one state at a time. We can start with my state, lovely wild and wonderful West Virginia! If we could get this harmful substance banned in nail salons all across West Virginia, it could be a start in banning it all across the United States.
Why is MMA illegal in only 30 states in the US? Why is something that is potentially very seriously damaging to your health be allowed to still be in use? Most people who are exposed to MMA don’t even know that their nail techs used MMA until after they try to remove the acrylics and are met with nails that turn to goo and much difficulty and pain in removing them. That’s how I found out that my nail tech used MMA on my nails without my consent or even to my knowledge.
As citizens of the United States, we can work together to ban MMA, a harmful substance that goes unnoticed until it’s too late. Woman who are going to a nail salon to get their nails done for the first time should not have to suffer forever because their nails were ruined by MMA. Let us, the people of the United States remove MMA from the shelves of nail salons for good!
I got my information about the harmful affects of MMA from the websites listed below, but I have suffered from the dangers of MMA myself.
201
The Issue
Methyl methacrylate, or MMA, originated in the dental industry for making crowns and bridges. It is also used as bone cement by orthopedic surgeons during joint replacement procedures, in some flooring products, resins, and Plexiglas. This chemical was not designed to come in contact with skin or nails. Did you ever had to wait for a permanent crown for your teeth to be made in a lab? The reason for this is that MMA, while in a liquid state, should be used in a controlled laboratory environment by properly trained technicians who are gloved and masked.
In the late 1960s and 70's, some nail technicians began using MMA for acrylic nail services because it was much less expensive than the safer alternative, ethyl methacrylate due to numerous consumer complaints, the FDA determined that any manufacturer who used MMA in nail products was using a 'poisonous and deleterious substance,' and in 1974 took action against a manufacturer for doing so.
MMA is not recommended for use in acrylic nail products because it is much too hard, and can tear the nail off the finger easily. It is also solvent resistant, which makes it very difficult to remove. It takes a long time to remove MMA when soaking in acetone. Many technicians damage the nail plate when prepping for MMA, since that product needs grooves in the nail in order to stick well. A technician should always protect and preserve the natural nail under any enhancement product.
Some signs that your nail tech is using MMA are:
Methyl methacrylate (MMA) has a distinctive strong fruity odor.
Strong odor that physically affects you. If you experience any tightness in your throat or chest, tingling in your fingers, lightheadedness, dizziness, or an odd taste in your mouth, it is possible that MMA is being used.
No manufacturer’s labeled containers -- your technician should show you what products they are using on you. If the acrylic liquid is not kept in a manufacturer’s labeled container or if it is in a gallon jug.
Physical reaction -- If your fingers burn, itch or hurt after receiving nail services, this can indicate MMA exposure. Ask yourself, if you went to a hair salon and got your hair colored or permed and your head hurt, but only for a couple of days, would you go back? No, you would not. It is not normal for your fingers to hurt after professional services.
I got my nails done for homecoming as my first time getting acrylic nails done. It’s been three weeks and I cannot remove the nails. When I went to soak my nails in acetone, my nails turned to goo. This is a huge sign that my nail tech used MMA on my nails without telling me about the risk factors before hand. If we can’t get MMA banned all across America, then let’s start by banning it in one state at a time. We can start with my state, lovely wild and wonderful West Virginia! If we could get this harmful substance banned in nail salons all across West Virginia, it could be a start in banning it all across the United States.
Why is MMA illegal in only 30 states in the US? Why is something that is potentially very seriously damaging to your health be allowed to still be in use? Most people who are exposed to MMA don’t even know that their nail techs used MMA until after they try to remove the acrylics and are met with nails that turn to goo and much difficulty and pain in removing them. That’s how I found out that my nail tech used MMA on my nails without my consent or even to my knowledge.
As citizens of the United States, we can work together to ban MMA, a harmful substance that goes unnoticed until it’s too late. Woman who are going to a nail salon to get their nails done for the first time should not have to suffer forever because their nails were ruined by MMA. Let us, the people of the United States remove MMA from the shelves of nail salons for good!
I got my information about the harmful affects of MMA from the websites listed below, but I have suffered from the dangers of MMA myself.
201
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Petition created on October 23, 2018