The next time you go to a new salon for a manicure or pedicure observe the nail salon. After all, you could risk more than just a subpar nail polish job. Your nails create big beauty salon business. Spending anywhere from $10 - $45 for a manicure and $15 - $50 for a pedicure (not including tip), your weekly or monthly salon visits are costing you precious pampering dollars. No wonder it's a six billion dollar a year industry. To be a smart consumer, you should consider the points below:
1.
An autoclave is the only safe bet for sterilization: Many salons use Barbicide, UV light "sterilizer"
boxes, or other chemical solutions to disinfect their tools, which is legal and
standard. It is not totally effective at killing all bacteria and infection. The only solution that works
completely is an autoclave, a machine used to sterilize equipment and supplies
using high pressure and steam.
It kills 100 percent of all
infective organisms. Only three states (Texas, New York and Iowa) require
autoclaves in nail salons by law, which means that less than one percent of
salons use them regularly. How can you find out if your salon is using an
autoclave so that you're a 100 percent protected?
First, ask the salon manager how
they disinfect their tools. Look for the color change pouches that the
instruments are prepared in. The color changes on the bag once correct
sterilization conditions have been met. This color change indicates that the
object inside the package has been processed. Autoclave pouches are therefore
sealed and should be opened in front of you.
2.
When you shave matters:
You shouldn't shave before getting a pedicure, as pedicurists do not care if you have hair on your
legs. Shaving your legs makes you more prone to infection as newly shaved legs
have open pores (and often tiny nicks you can't see) that are susceptible to
infectious diseases.
3.
Many nail technicians are working in toxic environments: The nail industry is relatively unregulated, which can
result in dangerous work environments for nail salon workers. Many nail salons
select low-quality products due to their relatively low cost. Technicians are
breathing in harmful chemicals like formaldehyde (which potentially causes skin
cancer), on a daily basis.
Despite wearing face masks, it's
common that salon workers will experience headaches and nausea as a result from
working in a chemical-ridden environment.
In extreme, long-term cases, these harmful ingredients can have negative
effects on the reproductive system.
While new ventilation requirements went into effect October of 2016, many nail salons licensed
before this date has an additional five years to comply (2021). So many nail
salons can still legally expose their employees (and customers) to a toxic
environment.
4.
Some tools can't be sanitized: You can only put metal tools in the autoclave. Nail salon
tools like pumice stones, emery boards, nail buffers and foam toe separators
need to be swapped out after each use to prevent the spread of bacteria. That's
why you're best off bringing your own
just in case the salon doesn't follow this practice. If you see any
white residue on a nail file, it means it's been used on someone else
5.
They swap and dilute bottles: Some nail salons fil expensive lotion bottles with a cheap
generic lotion. That way the salons can charge you more for the manicure by
claiming to use prestige products, but in reality are just deceiving you. Other nail salons will dilute with nail
polish remover nail polish bottles that have become clumpy from old age or from
too much air exposure.
This action compromises the quality
of the polish, which will make the formula chip easier once on your nails. To
ensure the life of your color and to protect any possible germ spreading, tote
your own bottles.
6.
No blood doesn't mean you haven't been cut: A break in the skin can be either microscopic or highly
visible. They can either come in with the client via cuts, scratches,
hangnails, bitten nails, insect bites, paper cuts, split cuticles or be created in the salon. Nail technicians
using callus-cutting tools and nail nippers, files, cuticle pushers, and
electric burrs and drills can and do scratch and nick skin sometimes drawing
blood and sometimes not.
Just because no blood is visible
doesn't mean these "portals of entry" aren't susceptible to infective
organisms. If you've ever had your nails filed and it momentarily feels
"too hot in the corner for even a second then you've had the surface layer
of your skin broken leaving it open for infection.
7.
All costs are not
included: Some salons will try to keep
certain added costs a secret. They try and up charge you for nail strengtheners
or base coats, and won't tell you until it's time to check out. A quality nail
salon will include all costs in the advertised price of the service. So make
sure to ask if all costs are included before soaking your hands or feet.
8.
You are always
at risk: An estimated one million
unsuspecting clients walk out of their chosen salon with infections --
bacterial, viral or fungal. 75 percent of salons in the United States are not
following their own state protocols for disinfections, which includes not
mixing their disinfectant solutions properly on a daily basis, not soaking
their instruments appropriately, and using counterfeit products to reduce costs
(for example Windex substituted for Barbicide). And the problem is that there
is no way to really verify an instrument has been properly soaked and
sterilized without watching the process.
9.
They don't turn customers away: Most nail salons won't turn away paying customers, which
means people who are sick, have nail infections or foot fungus are being worked
on next to you instead of being referred to an appropriate medical
professional. Millions of people whose
immune systems are compromised by diabetes, HIV, cancer, hepatitis and other
infective organisms are booking services offered in nail salons.
10.
You don't need your calluses removed: Many salons will try and talk you into callus removal, as
it is usually an additional service and charge. If you're an athlete then you
should never remove your calluses as these actually help level your
performance. I
If you are not an athlete, you
should have your calluses removed with a deep soak and scrub once they become
thick and uncomfortable. If you do opt for callous removal, always choose
scrubbing or a chemical remover. Never allow your nail technician to cut or
shave the skin off your feet.
“We believe that all
workplaces should be safe by now, but they’re not.”
(David Rosner)[i]
[i] Sources used:
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