It’s strongly recommended that a salon have both a local exhaust system — which captures dust and vapor at their source — and general room ventilation. Ideally both these systems should vent outdoors so air is not simply recirculated. Yet we know that sometimes we have to deal with situations that are less than ideal. Here are some questions to keep in mind when trying to determine if your salon ventilation is adequate:

1. Do strong product odors linger for more than 10 minutes after use?

2. If someone uses a strong-smelling product, can people on the other side of the salon detect the odor?

3. Can you smell product odors when you open the salon in the morning?

4. Do the walls ever “sweat” with moisture or do the windows fog?

5. Do any employees frequently complain of one or more of the following symptoms: headaches, dry or sore throats, blurry vision, watery eyes, insomnia, irritability, nausea, dizziness, cough, a runny or bloody nose, sneezing, tingling toes or fingers, drowsiness, chest aches or pains, shortness of breath, loss of coordination or appetite?

6. Do your clients ever complain about offensive odors?

7. Do you ever open the windows or door because the odors become too strong?

8. Do strong odors no longer bother you, or have you become unaware of them?

9. Do you get funny tastes in your mouth or does food lack flavor?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should probably look into updating your ventilation system

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