1 – Choose your salon wisely. When visiting a nail salon, be sure to choose a salon that is clean. It is okay to ask questions about how instrumentation and soaking tubs are sanitized between patrons. Keep an eye out for any instruments that are left out. Some technicians will wear gloves when performing pedicures. If so, make sure a new pair is used for you prior to the beginning of your service.
2 – Bring your own tools. Contact with equipment that is unclean can cause unsightly fungus and even painful bacterial infections that may require antibiotics or surgery. The CDC classifies salon instruments as critical instruments, meaning they are exposed to skin and vascular structures. Bringing your own instruments will allow you to be sure that they are only used for you each time. Some salons will keep your set of instruments in a separate storage area away from the communal tools. If this is not an option, be sure to observe the nail technician removing the nail pack from a sterilized pouch prior to beginning your service.
3 – Bring your own polish. Just like the instrumentation mentioned above, the polish at nail salons is communal. Meaning, the color you choose for your service has been used on the fingernails and toenails of countless other patrons. To be sure that your polish is not contaminated, bring your own!
4 – Ask for soaking tubs to be lined with plastic. The soaking tubs at nail salons have a basin to collect the dirty water after completion of your pedicure. While the tubs are usually cleaned between patrons and filled with fresh water, the dirty water and debris from the basin can back into your clean water. To help prevent this, more and more salons line their tubs with a plastic bag to ensure that your water stays clean. If the salon you frequent does not supply this, go ahead and bring your own. A regular trash bag will do!
5 – Have toenails cut straight across. When going to the salon, ask the technician to cut your toenails straight across and avoid rounding or digging into the corners. Doing so may increase your chances of developing a painful ingrown that could become infected. If you are able to, trim your own toenails prior to your salon visit to be sure that they are not trimmed improperly.
