Cleanliness at the Salon: Protect Your Health

October 12th, 2009 at 11:21am Julie Gulbrandsen

While visiting my mother in Florida, she told me I needed a pedicure and it would be her treat.  It had been a long time since I had one and I wanted Mom to know she knew best. Strip mall here we come!

The place seemed clean to this former nail tech with a germ phobia. Yes, go ahead and tell me I suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder because I’m the first one to admit I have a thing about all the creepy-crawlies we can’t see.

Like many nail salons, the pedicure thrones lined the wall and ladies sat atop like little soldiers, all in a row.  A nice gal asked me to climb in the chair, stick my feet in the tub, turn on the vibrating chair massage and relax.  The caretakers in my line of work sometimes have a hard time relaxing when having someone else do a service on us.  Try as I might I couldn’t help looking up from my magazine to eye all the things she did with her tools on my feet.  An hour later I was callus-free with bright shiny, polish and my feet were now ready to face the world. My euphoria was instantly interrupted as I happened to glance up while she was “cleaning” the sink where my feet and hundreds of others had been filed, scraped and oiled.  Eek, gasp, heart palpitations!  No bleach, no disinfectant!  Nada!  She used the same shampoo she used to cleanse my feet.  For the record, the Department of Professional Regulation in every state requires strict sanitation methods.  Does the salon or spa you frequent use the State’s guidelines?  You’ll probably never know but there are few things to keep in mind when you visit your spa.

Did the technician wash his or her hands with soap and water before beginning your service?  Personally, I do this in front of every client before I touch them and expect the therapists that work in my shop to do the same.  I refuse to believe a hand sanitizer is enough because I doubt the debris left on our hands magically evaporates, too.  Don’t be afraid to ask the person to wash their hands.

“Double-dipping” of waxing applicators should be a major concern.  Did the technician apply wax to your skin and then re-dip the same applicator stick back into the pot of wax?  Bacteria thrives in warm, moist places and what a better place to breed disease causing microbes than in a hot can of wax? 

When I was in beauty school it was common practice to apply hard wax to a client, remove the hair and then just throw it back into the pot where it would melt again to use on the next client.  I always had a problem with this but did as I was told just so I could graduate.  Over twenty years later, I’m still hearing of waxing salons recycling the used wax.  I’m told they are telling their now former clients they use a “specially formulated wax only available from another country and have a secret and specific sterilization method to remove prior clients’ hair and bacteria”.  This is pure nonsense!  What it boils down to is the salon owner is not as concerned about your health as she/he is about saving money on inexpensive hair removal supplies.

As for pedicures, I once worked at a place where they thought cleaning the pedicure bowls with scrubbing bubbles was sufficient.  When I told the owner this wasn’t good enough he just told me to mind my own business.  Don’t think you’re being impolite by asking the owner or technician how and what they use to clean their pedicure sinks, manicures bowls and the tools they use.  If you’re still not satisfied ask them to clean everything in front of you before your service.  If they have a problem doing this then just leave. You shouldn’t be afraid to speak up for yourself or for your own health.  Finally and at last, I’m just minding my own business.

Entry Filed under: health