Guard yourself from potentially hazardous salon situations
with these precautionary measures.
by Tracy Morin
Salons are places of relaxation and beautification—but as a nail technician, you should also be concerned with potential health hazards at the workplace. Because you work a full day in the salon, you’re more likely than your client to need protection from harmful elements that accumulate throughout the day, such as fumes and dust, as well as one-time hazards, such as pieces of acrylic flying through the air as you work on backfills. Many nail techs have found that the use of proper protective gear, for example, face masks and gloves, helps them work more safely and efficiently. In this month’s Nail Clinic, we discuss how you can benefit from incorporating some of these protective items into your work routine.
Eye Injury Statistics* |
- Each day, about 2,000 U.S. workers have a job-related eye injury that requires medical treatment.
- The majority of these injuries result from small particles or objects striking or abrading the eye.
- Over 100 of these injuries result in one or more days of lost work.
*Source: cdc.gov/niosh/topics/eye
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Gearing Up
There are plenty of reasons to become a gearhead; below, nail professionals and industry experts weigh in on the benefits associated with some common protective gear used by nail techs.
Gloves The most common protective item used in the salon setting, gloves protect your hands from coming into contact with water, which can dry out the skin, and potentially irritating chemicals, and they promote hygiene and prevent cross-contamination. “Our protection includes gloves for all nail technicians for all pedicures,” says Gale Pyles, general manager of Studio 21 Salon & Spa in Gurnee, Illinois. “We used to use gloves with latex in them until a guest had a latex reaction. So we set protocol for all nail techs to wear vinyl gloves for the protection of the guest as well as the technician.”
Gloves can also help prevent allergic reactions that occur on the skin due to a variety of culprits. “About three years ago, I developed allergic reactions to acrylic dust on my hands and experienced redness, rough skin and itching,” says Jan Studesville, owner of Just Nails in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. “I tried barrier creams but nitrile gloves work much better; I wear them whenever I’m filing acrylics. One of my nail techs is terribly allergic to acrylic monomer and gels, and has to wear nitrile gloves to work with either of them.”
 If you choose to use gloves, you’ll need to follow some basic rules to ensure that you are remaining protected. “Make sure they’re medical-grade gloves,” advises Vicki Malo, president of the Toronto-based North American School of Pedicuring and member of the International Pedicure Association advisory board. “You don’t want bacteria to seep in or out.” She notes that if harmful bacteria or fungi do get inside the glove, they can easily grow and multiply in that environment—warm, moist and right next to your skin—and could lead to infection. “Gloves are not a replacement for hand washing,” she adds. “If you walk away from the client to do something else in the salon, put new gloves on when you come back. And, of course, if the client or nail tech has any cuts or abrasions on the working area—even just a hangnail or chapped skin—the nail tech should wear gloves, as these can be portals of entry for bacteria.”
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