colors progressed from French manicures and standard reds to various palettes of color choices, usually coordinated with the fashion industry's clothing colors for the season. By the 1940s the whole nail was painted; before that, it was fashionable to leave the tips and a half-moon on the nail bed bare. It is less common for men to wear nail polish, and can be seen as a divergence from traditional gender norms. Uses include clear polish to protect nails from breakage or impart a well-groomed sheen, and colored polish on fingernails and toenails. Professional baseball players, especially catchers, may wear nail polish on the field. Finishes There are 17 principal nail polish finishes: Shimmer Micro-shimmer Micro-glitter Glitter Frost Lustre Creme Iridescent Opalescent Matte Duochrome Jelly or translucent Magnetic Crackled Glass-flecked Holographic Prismatic micro-glitter or shimmer Nail polish remover Nail polish remover is an organic solvent that may also include oils, scents, and coloring. Nail polish remover packages may include individual felt pads soaked in remover, a bottle of liquid remover used with a cotton ball or cotton pad, or a foam-filled container into which one inserts a finger and twists it until the polish comes off. The choice of remover type depends on the user's preference, and often the price or quality of the remover. The most common remover is acetone. Acetone can also remove artificial nails made of acrylic or cured gel. An alternative nail polish remover is ethyl acetate, which often also contains isopropyl alcohol. Ethyl acetate is usually the original solvent for nail polish itself. Acetonitrile has been used as a nail polish remover, but it is more toxic than the aforementioned options. It has been banned in the European Economic Area for use in cosmetics since 17 March 2000. Health concerns The health risks associated with nail polish are disputed. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "The amount of chemicals used in animal studies is probably a couple of hundred times higher than what you would be exposed to from using nail polish every week or so. So the chances of any individual phthalate producing such harm [in humans] is very slim." A more serious health risk is faced by professional nail technicians, who perform manicures over a workstation, known as a nail table, on which the client's hands rest – directly below the technician's breathing zone. In 2009, Susan Reutman, an epidemiologist