With so many lawsuits connected to deaths, chronic
infections and disfigurement from pedicures; you would
think the public would be clamoring for reform. Just the
opposite, most consumers completely blow off the risks and
have the "it won't happen to me" attitude.
Approximately $6 Billion dollars are spent on spa related
nail care every year, making it a huge industry.
Unfortunately, along with that pretty pedicure you can take
home: hepatitis, cutaneous herpes, warts, HIV, bacterial
and fungal infections. These can be deadly, especially in
the diabetic or immuno-compromised patient!
A 43-year-old San Jose, California woman's husband
remembers the small cut on her toe that led to her death
from a skin infection in 2004. A 46-year-old Ft Worth,
Texas mother left the pedicure salon with a small abrasion
on her heel from a pumice stone in July 2005 and died of
staph related illness in Feb 2006. Her family is still
embroiled in a wrongful death lawsuit. Texas, California,
and Florida have taken a closer look at the cosmetology
industry and have put stronger sanitation laws in place,
but the consumer needs to be more aware of their risks and
simple precautions!
You may never be 100% safe from infection when receiving a
pedicure, but there are many simple precautions consumers
can take to protect themselves.
1. What does the salon look like? If it's not clean and
shiny like a doctor's office, don't stay! Cleanliness is
next to godliness in the nail salon!
2. Check the photo on the license of the nail technician.
Make sure they match.
3. Ask about sanitation procedures. Instruments should be
autoclaved in a steam sterilizer just like surgical
instruments. When in doubt, bring your own! There are lots
of instrument sets available to purchase and clean yourself.
4. Is the spa chair pipe-less and cleaned after each
pedicure? This is a new chair technology that is available
to make you safer. Has the spa updated their old whirlpool
chairs with this pipe-less technology?
5. Did the nail technician wash their hands after their
last pedicure? Hand washing should be standard protocol and
prevents spread of almost all pathogens including the
common cold.
6. Is the nail technician wearing gloves? This is the only
profession that handles sharp instruments putting the
client and the technician at risk that OSHA does not
require them to wear gloves. You wouldn't let a dental
technician clean your teeth without gloves, would you?
7. Never let the technician use a sharp blade to trim a
callus or cuticle. This puts you more at risk. If your
calluses or heel fissures are that thick, please visit your
podiatrist prior to the nail salon.
Nail salons are definitely improving their sanitation and
trying to make you safer, but you must be a savvy consumer.
The risk of infections from pedicures can be virtually
eliminated if the operator used autoclaved or disposable
instruments, used a pipe-less pedicure spa chair, wore
gloves, employees washed their hands, and used proper
sterilization techniques. Demand a safe pedicure or you and
your family may be sorry!
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Dr Marybeth Crane is a board certified podiatric foot and
ankle surgeon. Your feet should last a lifetime! For more
foot health tips and doctor-approved foot care products
inclding safe pedicure instrument sets, visit
http://www.faant.com or read my blog at
http://www.myrundoc.com
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