Beware: Infections in Nail Salons

Discounting for a moment the all-too-real risks of HIV and hepatitis infections at the nail salon, other infections await the careless or unsuspecting client. Of course, salon workers who are cosmetology license holders (such as those who have finished their Texas cosmetology CE or Kentucky cosmetology CE) are trained to know how to make the salon a safe place for their clients.

Athlete’s Foot. No. 1 cause célèbre you can get at your fungus-friendly nail salon. The cause? The common pedicure bath that often doesn’t get the thorough washing it needs between clients. It’s a serious fungal infection and a pernicious one, so be wary of the foot bath that has seen too many feet.
What to do? Put your foot down on the lightly washed foot bath and demand (but not soto voce) that an antifungal cleaning solution be used to clean it.

Warts. They’re ugly and they’re definitely contagious. They’re caused by a virus, the human pappillomavirus. Warts spread via physical contact with an infected person, particularly if there is a break on the skin.
To avoid getting infected, make sure to bring with you your own pumice for your salon worker to use to scrub your feet. Make sure your beautician is wearing gloves.

Mycobacterium fortuitum. Hard to pronounce but not that hard to get. This nasty bug can infect you during a leg shave, especially if you soaked before that. M. fortuitum causes large boils on the toes, feet and legs. Strong antibiotics kills it.

MRSA. Otherwise known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This nasty, nasty infection can leave a patient severely scarred. In really severe cases, it can lead to amputation and even death.
To avoid getting infected by this superbug, insist that your nail technician sterilize nail files, nail cutters and cuticle pushers between uses.

Cosmetologycampus.com provides comprehensive online cosmetology CE training (if you’re in Texas it’s called the Texas cosmetology CE; if you’re in Kentucky, it’s called the Kentucky cosmetology CE), that includes health and safety practices to ensure the well-being of the salon client.