How Clean Is Your Nail Salon?

 

 

 

 

Nail salons are notorious for causing bacterial and fungal infections. So how clean is the salon that you go to? I'm going to show you a few things to look for the next time you go get a manicure and pedicure.

In case you're wondering, I'm sitting in the Foot & Hand Spa, which is located inside the Foot & Ankle Center on the campus of Johnston-Willis Hospital. I'm the medical director here, and this is Richmond's first medical spa specifically for the hands and feet. We follow cleanliness standards that are the same as what you'll find in hospitals. So, I'm going to show you some of the things we do to help keep our spa clean and keep you safe from infections. If you're currently going somewhere else for manicures and pedicures, then keep an eye out for some of the things I'm about to show you as it relates to cleanliness.

The first thing to look for when it comes to nail salon cleanliness is the foot basin. Oh sure, most salons will wipe the outside with a disinfectant solution between uses, but what do they do about the inside? Do they clean the filter that's inside the tub? Do they run a disinfectant through the motor to clean it? Because, most of the really disgusting stuff is in the motor — so, when you put your foot inside a whirlpool, as soon as they turn on the motor, all the stuff from the last 50 people who were in there before you comes out. Here at the Foot & Hand Spa, we fill the tub with a disinfectant solution and run it through the motor for 10 minutes, then we drain it and disinfect the outside of the tub, and we do that between every patient.

The next thing you should look at in your nail salon is the emory board that they're using on your nails. If it looks like it's been used, it probably has been. Do you see scratch marks on it? That means probably someone else's nails have been on that, and parts of someone else's nails are probably still in it. Possibly someone with a fungal infection. At our spa, we never re-use any non-sterilizable instruments. We use a new emory board with every client. You'll probably see us take it out of the bag before we ever use it on you.

Your pedicurist may use a file to remove dead skin from your feet. Is this new? Or does it have someone else's dead skin on it? Remember, that dead skin can contain bacteria and fungus. At our spa, you'll never have to worry about this.

If you'd like to experience the benefits of a medical grade pedicure and manicure, give us a call at 804-320-FOOT or make an appointment today!