I admit that while the beautician is working on my hair the last thing I am thinking about is safety. But maybe I should after learning about some of the diseases linked to salons. An article on the American Academy of Dermatology website talks about some of these risks:
The health risks associated with the beauty industry include viral infections (HIV, hepatitis B and C, warts). Bacterial infections (staphylococcus, streptococcus, psuedomonas); fungal infections (athlete’s foot, nail fungus, yeast); reactions to nail, hair and facial products (hand eczema, eyelid dermatitis, chemical burns, loss of hair and nails); toxicity from acrylic and lacquer fumes; inappropriate use of chemical peeling solution (AAD, 1999)
It is hard to imagine the person’s reaction when they found out that a happy trip to the salon turned out to be life threatening. While doing my research I could not find regulations for each state but I did come across articles that talked about selecting a safe salon and selection a safe nail salon:
Selecting A Safe Salon (ABCNews.com, 2001)
Licenses- a salon license should be visibly posted and the technician’s licenses must be posted at the workstation.
Cleanliness- workstations should be clean. Foot spas or pedicure baths should be washed and disinfected after each use.
Selecting A Safe Salon (Kurtzweil, 1995)
Licenses- should be licensed nail technicians working there
Sanitation- autoclaving (heat sterilization) is best but most states allow chemical sterilization as long as the implements are immersed in solution for at least 10 minutes between customers.
Pre-Service Scrub- technicians such wash their hands between clients with an anti-bacterial soap
The point of this article was just to point out that while you go to salon you should be aware of some of the hazards that are out their. I did not know about them until I started to look for the information. Safety is important, so go to the salon and be safe. But more important be relaxed but life is too short to be too stressed.
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