| Mary's daughter was getting married. So as a last | | | | foot bath? |
| minute surprise she took her daughter and all of the | | | | Next, ask some questions. Are all of your nail |
| bridesmaids out for an outing to get pampered at a nail | | | | technicians licensed? If they are licensed you can be |
| salon. But just before the wedding, the bride and all her | | | | sure they have at least taken a test about ways to |
| attendants developed big black draining sores all over | | | | decrease the spread of nail infections. Unsanitary |
| their lower legs and ankles. So how can you make | | | | practices are common, but less likely in nail salons that |
| sure your nail salon is safe and avoid this sort of | | | | follow the rules. |
| pedicure disaster? | | | | Ask them how they disinfect their instruments. Do they |
| As a podiatrist, I get lots of questions about the | | | | re-use any disposable instruments. This is a real no-no. |
| relationship between pedicures, foot fungus and | | | | Re-using disposable instruments is an easy way to |
| infections. But the most passionate discussions seem | | | | spread fungus and bacteria from one foot to another. |
| to revolve around pedicures. I even remember one of | | | | How do they clean the foot bath? Most of the really |
| my instructors in medical school telling all of us medical | | | | contagious infections involved a germ called |
| students to warn our patients to avoid salon pedicures. | | | | mycobacterium. It lives in water and can grown on the |
| But we have to be realistic. Women love to be | | | | dead skin and hair that gets stuck in a little filter inside |
| pampered and a pedicure is a great way to relax, and | | | | the foot bath motor. If the salon staff can't tell you |
| feel special. You just have to know the risks | | | | quickly the exact protocol for cleaning the foot bath, |
| associated with nail salon infections and follow some | | | | you may be soaking your feet in an alphabet soup of |
| simple rules to keep your pedicure experience safe. | | | | infection causing bacteria. |
| If you don't think pedicures can be dangerous, you | | | | Look for labels and covers on all containers. If you |
| must not watch the news. In September of 2000, 110 | | | | don't see clear labels such as "dirty," "clean," "water," |
| people were infected during an outbreak in a nail salon | | | | "disinfectant," etc., don't expect the workers to always |
| in the San Francisco Bay Area. Within days of the | | | | grab the clean ones when working on your feet. Lids |
| soothing foot bath and pedicure, pimple-like bumps | | | | on the containers may not seem like a big deal, but all |
| appeared. These little bumps got worse and turned | | | | of those infection causing fungal spores and bacteria |
| into red or black pus-filled sores. Many of these | | | | can float through the air from that nasty yellow toenail |
| women got permanent scarring on their legs as a | | | | in the chair next to you and then settle right on the |
| result. | | | | cuticle pusher the nail tech is about to use on you. |
| In 2004 there was another outbreak only miles south | | | | Watch for hand washing. Doctors and nurses wash |
| of San Francisco in which pedicure-related infections | | | | hands before and after every patient contact. Simply |
| were identified in 143 pedicure customers linked to 33 | | | | washing hands is one of the best ways to prevent a |
| different nail salons in Santa Clara County. In 2005 | | | | contagious infection from spreading. Your nail tech |
| there was yet another outbreak of infections related | | | | should do the same. While you are waiting for your |
| to nail salons involving 17 people. | | | | turn in the pedicure chair, just watch and see if the nail |
| A pedicure lawsuit was born after a Mountain View | | | | technician washes her hands or just changes gloves |
| California woman died after a bacterial infection | | | | between clients. |
| allegedly contracted from a pedicure in 2004. A similar | | | | Ask them if they ever fix ingrown toenails. If the |
| case in Fort Worth, TX involved a 46 year-old woman | | | | answer is yes, you may be putting yourself at risk. |
| who allegedly contracted an antibiotic-resistant | | | | Ingrown toenails are often teeming with |
| infection and eventually died from the staph infection. | | | | infection-causing bacteria. And you don't want to be |
| On shocking study conducted in Arizona in 2009 | | | | sitting in the pedicure chair following a pus-filled ingrown |
| showed that 181 nail salon establishments agreed to | | | | nail. Only licensed podiatrists (foot doctors specializing |
| pay fines to settle health code violations in the Tucson | | | | in feet and toenail surgery) should be working on these. |
| area alone. | | | | Just cutting out the corner or the ingrown nail has |
| Although the statistics and headlines can be alarming, | | | | many risks and is illegal when performed during a nail |
| you should know that not all pedicures lead to | | | | salon pedicure. Once you have found a clean, |
| infections. There are laws and professional guidelines | | | | reputable nail salon, don't shave your legs before you |
| that help nail salon workers protect you from infections | | | | get a pedicure. The one risk factor that links pedicures |
| and the spread of disease during a pedicure. | | | | to horrific infections is open wounds. If you shave less |
| The first thing you should do when you visit a nail salon | | | | than 48 hours before your pedicure, you create |
| is look around. Use a little common sense. If you go to | | | | invisible little cuts in the skin that allow bacteria to get in. |
| a restaurant and see flies buzzing around the kitchen, | | | | If you shaved your legs the morning of your pedicure, |
| would you still eat there? Does your nail salon look | | | | you can still get your toenails done, but you should |
| clean? Do you see health and safety rules posted in | | | | avoid the foot soak. |
| the waiting area? This is one of the most common | | | | Keep in mind that there are lots of safe, comfortable |
| reasons for citations in California nail salons during | | | | places for you to get a pedicure. You just need to ask |
| state inspections. Lets face it, if they can't follow the | | | | a few questions so that you can feel sure you will |
| simple rules, would you really trust them to sterilize | | | | leave the salon with pretty, soft, pampered feet... and |
| instruments or meticulously clean the massage chair or | | | | not with an nasty infection. |