Cuts, HIV, and the Cosmetology CE

The risk of blood-borne infections such as hepatitis and HIV via non-single-use instruments commonly used in salons and barbershops was highlighted in a new report presented recently at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 76th Annual Scientific meeting in Washington, DC, according to news-medical.net.

At the conference, Dr. David A. Johnson of Eastern Virginia Medical School evaluated a report by the Virginia Department of Health, "Assessment of the Risk of Bloodborne Pathogen Transmission in Nail Salons and Barber Shops and Regulatory Requirements in Virginia," and concluded that that there might be potential transmission of blood-borne pathogens if non-single use instruments are not thoroughly disinfected according to state regulations. 

It’s a fair warning to all salon and barbershop technicians across America, including the professionals now working on their cosmetology CE (continuing education)—from those taking Ohio cosmetology CE to those taking Florida cosmetology CE.

Currently, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not have specific guidelines for preventing HBV or HCV infection in nail salons and barbershops, according the Virginia Department of Health. 

Several recommendations to eliminate the potential transmission of HBV, HCV and HIV infections in nail salons and barbershops have been proposed, said the Virginia Department of Health report. These include: educating nail-salon and barbershop technicians about the transmission of blood-borne infections and emphasizing principles of good hygiene, antisepsis, and disinfection.

The recent warning against HIV and hepatitis infections in salons and barbershops by the American College of Gastroenterology has highlighted again the need to tighten safety regulations in these places. However, it should not detract authorities, beauty practitioners, and salon habitués from being vigilant against other –and more common—infections, especially bacterial skin infections.

Salon and barbershop technicians across America—from those taking Ohio cosmetology CE to those taking Florida cosmetology CE—are taught in cosmetology CE (continuing education) about the dangers of infection from improperly cleaned and disinfected instruments such as scissors and clippers, and on how to mitigate or eliminate these health threats.

Because of lax implementation of regulations in salons and barbershops bacterial skin outbreaks, unfortunately, are not as rare as the public might think. In 2000 and 2004, bacterial skin outbreaks hit northern California, affecting hundreds of nail-salon clients, who developed severe and recalcitrant sores on the lower extremities even after months of antibiotic therapy. In many cases, scarring could not be prevented. 

The outbreaks were caused by two common and fast-growing mycobacteria, Mycobacterium fortuitum and Mycobacterium chelonae, that previously were typically seen only in infection cases involving surgical or clinical devices contaminated with water from a hospital or the municipal water system. 

In a The New England Journal of Medicine article, the authors said, "We believe that these rapidly growing mycobacterial infections associated with nail salons are under recognized and may increase in prevalence."

Cosmetologycampus.com, a top provider of online health-and-safety-aware training for cosmetologists, delivers a fully online cosmetology CE program that includes the prevention of HIV/AIDS and pathogen infection in the practice of cosmetology.