Pace Paw Print

Media Credit: Michelle Callender Melissa Gandarinho, a regular customer at Sun Nail's in Pleasantville.

It is not uncommon to see females lining up waiting their turn to get a manicure or pedicure. It is common to get some type of bacterial infection from all the equipment used on different customers.

Imagine that one nail station has one set of equipment and over ten people have sat there. These customers are getting their cuticles cut and sometimes even nics. Is the equipment then being cleaned or is it stored back into a drawer? Most likely, the equipment isn't cleaned. And if equipment isn't cleaned, there's no guarantee that the next person to sit at the nail station won't contract any infection from the person who was most recently attended to. Well there's no need to imagine anymore; this is reality.

When an individual enters a nail salon they are relying on the technician to know what they are doing. Even if the professional provider does his or her job well, this does not limit the possibility that thousands of infectious bacteria are lingering on the cosmetic tools.

In 2000 a physician in California treated four women who all had similar infections. Below the knee the physician found "treatment-resistant" boils or abscesses. Boils often form when hair and the skin around it become infected. In addition to these women treated by the doctor, 110 other women were treated by other physicians in the same area for the same diagnosis. All of which received pedicures from professional providers.

Pedicures are a prime area for numerous amounts of bacteria to grow due to the warm water used. Any break in the skin puts a customer and future customers at risk. One way to prevent a spread of bacteria is to avoid shaving at least 24 hours prior to receiving a pedicure. Shaving can cause nics or breaks in the skin, leaving it susceptible to bacteria.

In addition, always check that the whirlpool at the pedicure station is cleaned. Watch the manicurist clean the whirlpool out thoroughly before feet are placed in it. This eliminates a substantial amount of bacteria that may otherwise remain in the warm whirlpool water.

Other simple ways to ensure protection are simple. Make sure the technician or licensed professional washes his of her hands between customers. If a professional does not wash their hands, the customer being attended to is at greater risk of getting any germs transmitted to them.

Don't let the manicurist cut cuticles either. The cuticles fasten the space between the nail and the nail bed. If there is an opening, the possibility of various infections forms. One way that the cuticle is opened is if it is cut too deeply or pushed back too far. Open cuticles are great ways to promote nail bed infection, which can lead to fungal growth under the nails.

Bringing personal equipment such as buffers, filers, and nail clippers helps reduce the risk as well. There is no need to use the salon's buffers, filers, and nail clippers if they can be brought in by the customer, primarily because there is no difference in equipment. The job of shaping and filing the nails will still be accomplished regardless of who owns the equipment.

If a customer leaves the salon with the presence of redness and cuts around their fingers or toes, some part of the manicure or pedicure went wrong. This is not normal and should be assessed by a doctor to evaluate if any infection has a possibility of occurring.

Use of common sense is also crucial. If a nail salon looks dirty, smells dirty, or is not up to your standards, select a different salon to get pampered at. Pampering is never fun if the customer is left with more negative results than positive.

A manicure, pedicure, or any other work being performed at a salon, should only be performed by licensed professionals. It is against state laws for any manicurist to operate without a license.

Overall, if an individual continues to get their nails and feet done, it is important to make sure all cosmetic equipment is taken from a germicidal solution, which kills lingering germs. This does not provide sterility, however it does kill many germs that would otherwise be present on tools. Furthermore, a customer should never be embarrassed when ensuring that their health is a priority.

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