During the summer, women like wearing sandals, exposing their toes and feet to the world. Getting a pedicure removes dead skin from feet and enhances the look of fashion summer footwear. However, people can become exposed to infections if they are not careful. There are various ways to prevent pedicure infections.
How Pedicure Infections Occur
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states that the common form of pedicure infection is caused by Mycobacterium fortuitum. This organism grows in wet, moist areas, so they thrive in spa footbath systems. According to the EPA, the bacteria forms a layer of cells and proteins called biofilms. These layers of biofilms are difficult to remove. When a person gets an infection after a pedicure, they appear as boils that resemble spider bites that grow large and produce pus.
Pedicure Infection Prevention
One of the best ways for preventing pedicure infections is checking out the spa before going to it. In any given city, nail salons are ubiquitous, at almost every street corner. Since most of them fall into the same price range, it is important to make sure the nail salon posts a current license distributed by the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, which is located in each state. They should also display a form signifying that the establishment has passed their state’s Board of Health inspection.
Call different spas and ask them how often they clean footbaths and remove debris from filters. A spa should clean their footbaths once a day with a bleach solution. The bleach solution should sit for at least 15 minutes to kill the bacteria. Even if the spa verifies that they clean and sanitize their footbaths, look inside the tub to see if dirt is present and observe whether or not they dump the water after every customer. Don’t be embarrassed to say something.
In addition to cleaning the footbath tub to prevent pedicure infections, customers should ask salon owners if their medical equipment has been sterilized. As a further precaution, they can bring their own pedicure equipment with them, if the salon allows it. Beauty supply stores like Sally’s or Drugstore.com sell personal pedicure kits for as little as $10.
Just as people have to worry about the cleanliness of the spa, they have to do things on their own to prevent pedicure infections. The EPA states that broken skin increases chances of getting pedicure infections. They state that people should avoid shaving their legs or use hair removal creams 24 hours before their planned pedicure. If scratches, bruises, bug bites, or poison ivy develops, don’t go in for a pedicure. People should also trim their own toenails and not cut cuticles.
Conclusion
Pedicures are a nice accessory for summer sandals; however, preventing pedicure infections saves people from possible months of antibiotic treatment. In order to prevent these infections, people should make sure that the establishment is clean and safe and that they don’t do things on their own that increases their chances of getting pedicure infections.
