Looking Your Best

How To Tell If You're In A Clean Nail Salon

Maybe you’ve seen the news or read about people getting infections, nail fungus or worse from careless salons. The truth is, nail and pedicure services are perfectly safe when performed by properly trained licensed professionals. Educated consumers who can recognize a safe service and environment and know how to respond to questionable practices will be protecting themselves and possibly others from what could become a serious outbreak. Flowery Beauty Products offers some simple ways to identify a safe salon:

Look For A License

When choosing a salon for safe service, the first step is to look for licenses. Each salon and every operator should have a current license to practice. If you don’t see them and the salon can not produce them, find another salon.

Look Around The Salon

Evaluate the general condition of the salon. Look for clean tools, equipment and work areas. If the salon is dirty, chances are the tools and equipment are dirty as well. You should see clean files and tools every time you get a nail service. Never let a technician use dirty files or tools during your service.

One-Time Use Tools

Many states require their salons dispose of their nail files, manicure sticks and buffers after each service. Individually wrapped nail files and buffers and complete kits have become the industry standard because clients can see that the product is fresh as the nail technician opens the pack in front of them. Disposable products are the only 100 percent guarantee against cross-contamination.

Sanitizing vs. Disinfecting

Nippers, drill bits and pedicure equipment must be cleaned and disinfected after every use. Disinfecting is the only guarantee against cross-contamination.

Multiple-Use Files

Some nail files can be safely cleaned, disinfected and used more than once. If a technician follows proper cleaning and disinfecting procedures, re-use is perfectly safe. Ask your technician to explain to you what procedures they follow for cleaning and disinfecting. Even tools and files that are stored for a specific client should be cleaned and disinfected before being used again.

Pedicures

Pedicure equipment must be cleaned and disinfected after every use by scrubbing with soap and a brush, then circulating a disinfectant through the foot bath for 10 minutes. There are foot files available with disposable abrasive pads so that the foot file is free of another person’s debris when it is time for your service. There are specific procedures that a salon must follow at the end of each day. Ask to see the pedicure log—each salon should keep a detailed record of the exact cleaning and disinfecting procedures for each pedicure station.

Interview The Technician

The technician should be able to tell you what steps the salon takes to protect their clients’ health and safety. If they cannot answer your questions, leave.
Informed Consumers Are The Best Inspectors Most states are under-funded and can only respond to complaints after something has happened. If you know of a salon that is dirty and/or does not follow the above protocol or you have suffered an injury or infection from a nail service, report it in writing to your state board of cosmetology. Many states allow complaints via email. Written complaints will be followed up with an inspection. Always refer your family and friends to a safe salon. In the long run, informed consumers are the best advocates for safe services.

Information supplied by Flowery Beauty Products, Inc. Call 800-545-5247 for more information.