Mary's
daughter was getting married. So as a last minute surprise she took her
daughter and all of the bridesmaids out for an outing to get pampered at a nail
salon. But just before the wedding, the bride and all her attendants developed
big black draining sores all over their lower legs and ankles. So how can you
make sure your nail salon is safe and avoid this sort of pedicure disaster?
As
a podiatrist, I get lots of questions about the relationship between pedicures,
foot fungus and infections. But the most passionate discussions seem to revolve
around pedicures. I even remember one of my instructors in medical school
telling all of us medical students to warn our patients to avoid salon
pedicures. But we have to be realistic. Women love to be pampered and a
pedicure is a great way to relax, and feel special. You just have to know the
risks associated with nail salon infections and follow some simple rules to
keep your pedicure experience safe.
If
you don't think pedicures can be dangerous, you must not watch the news. In
September of 2000, 110 people were infected during an outbreak in a nail salon
in the San Francisco Bay Area. Within days of the soothing foot bath and
pedicure, pimple-like bumps appeared. These little bumps got worse and turned
into red or black pus-filled sores. Many of these women got permanent scarring
on their legs as a result.
In
2004 there was another outbreak only miles south of San Francisco in which
pedicure-related infections were identified in 143 pedicure customers linked to
33 different nail salons in Santa Clara County. In 2005 there was yet another
outbreak of infections related to nail salons involving 17 people.
A
pedicure lawsuit was born after a Mountain View California woman died after a
bacterial infection allegedly contracted from a pedicure in 2004. A similar
case in Fort Worth, TX involved a 46 year-old woman who allegedly contracted an
antibiotic-resistant infection and eventually died from the staph infection. On
shocking study conducted in Arizona in 2009 showed that 181 nail salon
establishments agreed to pay fines to settle health code violations in the
Tucson area alone.
Although
the statistics and headlines can be alarming, you should know that not all
pedicures lead to infections. There are laws and professional guidelines that
help nail salon workers protect you from infections and the spread of disease
during a pedicure.
The
first thing you should do when you visit a nail salon is look around. Use a
little common sense. If you go to a restaurant and see flies buzzing around the
kitchen, would you still eat there? Does your nail salon look clean? Do you see
health and safety rules posted in the waiting area? This is one of the most
common reasons for citations in California nail salons during state
inspections. Lets face it, if they can't follow the simple rules, would you
really trust them to sterilize instruments or meticulously clean the massage
chair or foot bath?
Next,
ask some questions. Are all of your nail technicians licensed? If they are
licensed you can be sure they have at least taken a test about ways to decrease
the spread of nail infections. Unsanitary practices are common, but less likely
in nail salons that follow the rules.
Ask
them how they disinfect their instruments. Do they re-use any disposable
instruments. This is a real no-no. Re-using disposable instruments is an easy
way to spread fungus and bacteria from one foot to another.
How
do they clean the foot bath? Most of the really contagious infections involved
a germ called mycobacterium. It lives in water and can grown on the dead skin
and hair that gets stuck in a little filter inside the foot bath motor. If the salon
staff can't tell you quickly the exact protocol for cleaning the foot bath, you
may be soaking your feet in an alphabet soup of infection causing bacteria.
Look
for labels and covers on all containers. If you don't see clear labels such as
"dirty," "clean," "water,"
"disinfectant," etc., don't expect the workers to always grab the
clean ones when working on your feet. Lids on the containers may not seem like
a big deal, but all of those infection causing fungal spores and bacteria can
float through the air from that nasty yellow toenail in the chair next to you
and then settle right on the cuticle pusher the nail tech is about to use on
you.
Watch
for hand washing. Doctors and nurses wash hands before and after every patient
contact. Simply washing hands is one of the best ways to prevent a contagious
infection from spreading. Your nail tech should do the same. While you are
waiting for your turn in the pedicure chair, just watch and see if the nail
technician washes her hands or just changes gloves between clients.
Ask
them if they ever fix ingrown toenails. If the answer is yes, you may be
putting yourself at risk. Ingrown toenails are often teeming with
infection-causing bacteria. And you don't want to be sitting in the pedicure
chair following a pus-filled ingrown nail. Only licensed podiatrists (foot
doctors specializing in feet and toenail surgery) should be working on these.
Just cutting out the corner or the ingrown nail has many risks and is illegal
when performed during a nail salon pedicure. Once you have found a clean,
reputable nail salon, don't shave your legs before you get a pedicure. The one
risk factor that links pedicures to horrific infections is open wounds. If you
shave less than 48 hours before your pedicure, you create invisible little cuts
in the skin that allow bacteria to get in. If you shaved your legs the morning
of your pedicure, you can still get your toenails done, but you should avoid
the foot soak.
Keep
in mind that there are lots of safe, comfortable places for you to get a
pedicure. You just need to ask a few questions so that you can feel sure you
will leave the salon with pretty, soft, pampered feet and not with an nasty
infection.
HOW TO AVOID A PEDICURE DISASTER
When
I first decided that I wanted to get a pedicure I had no idea what to expect. I
had never had a pedicure, and I didn't really know what they were like or what
I should bring. What I did know was that was getting a pedicure done
professionally will be a much better experience than if you were to try and
give a pedicure at home with a pedicure set.
When
you go into the beauty salon for your pedicure, you should make sure that you
bring a pair of sandals or similar shoes with you and also some entertainment.
I usually bring a magazine but you might want to bring a book or newspaper. You
should also probably bring with you your own nail polish so that when you want
to top up your pedicure in the future you will have exactly the same colour
available to you.
If
you do want to try and give yourself a pedicure at home, then it is a good idea
to try and find a good pedicure set. You can find these sets all over the
place, but that doesn't necessarily mean that all of them are of a good
quality. Take your time to try and find a pedicure set that is of a good
quality so that you can give yourself and your nails are treatments that will
compare to that you will get at a professional beauty salon.
When
you're getting a pedicure at a professional beauty salon the treatment is only
as good as the experience, so make sure you are in a place where you can relax
and enjoy your pedicure. The equipment such as the pedicure chair is also
important.
