Why you should avoid fish pedicures and not allow callus removal: important tips for safe manicures and pedicures
Kyiv • UNN
The Public Health Center has provided seven rules to reduce the risk of infection during manicures and pedicures. These tips will help avoid bacterial, fungal, and viral infections that can lead to onycholysis, warts, and nail fungus.
Professionally done manicure and pedicure in a salon is a common practice for many. However, during the process, the skin on our hands and feet can easily be scratched or cut — and we may not even notice it. This creates open wounds through which there is a risk of the client becoming infected with bacteria, fungi, or viruses, especially if the salon staff does not follow the rules for sterilizing equipment and surfaces, and the master does not perform proper hand hygiene for themselves and the client. These bacteria, fungi, or viruses can lead to the development of a number of infectious diseases, including onycholysis (detachment of the nail plate from the nail bed, one of the most common consequences of an "improper" manicure which, among other reasons, can occur due to infections), warts (caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV)), and nail fungus.
In the third week of October, which is traditionally International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW), the Public Health Center shares seven rules that will help you reduce the risk of infection when visiting a manicure and pedicure salon, UNN reports.
The Center gave advice on what to do and what to avoid in beauty salons:
1. Follow hand hygiene rules.
Wash your hands thoroughly before the procedure and make sure the master has done the same. Also, the manicure and pedicure master must work in disposable medical gloves.
2. Pay attention to the preparation of tools for the procedure.
Manicure and pedicure masters must clean and disinfect metal tools, and then sterilize them in an autoclave. Tools must also be stored in safe conditions. Files, orange sticks, polishing buffs, and other materials that are difficult to disinfect should be discarded after each use.
Do not hesitate to ask the master about processing methods and refuse the procedure if you are not sure about the safety of the tools.
3. Postpone your visit if you have a skin disease or damage.
If you have been diagnosed with an infectious skin disease, such as mycosis (more common name — fungus) or there are visible signs of it — you should postpone your visit, even if the disease has not affected the skin of your hands or feet.
It is better to reschedule your appointment if you have open wounds on your hands or feet, including cuts, as well as dermatitis, exacerbation of psoriasis, etc.
4. Do not shave your legs at least 24 hours before a pedicure procedure.
Freshly shaved areas of skin may have invisible small cuts, vulnerable to various infections.
5. Do not allow calluses to be removed.
During a manicure or pedicure, the master may offer to "polish" or remove calluses. However, such procedures should be performed by a podiatrist or dermatologist if there are indications.
6. Refuse fish peeling.
Some salons, in addition to the usual procedures, offer Garra rufa fish peeling (fish spa). The principle seems simple: a person immerses their feet in an aquarium or other vessel with fish that "eat" keratinized skin particles. Such a procedure increases the risk of spreading infections. Among the reasons: aquariums are more difficult to disinfect, as fish need to be removed after each procedure, and the fish themselves can be used to provide services to different clients.
7. Protect your cuticles.
Cuticles create a barrier that protects the nail from bacteria, fungi, and viruses getting under it. Cutting cuticles destroys this barrier, and there is a risk of cuts during the procedure itself. It is better to choose an unclipped manicure and pedicure.