Going to the nail salon can seem like the perfect way to pamper and treat yourself. Although you may leave feeling beautiful and refreshed, you may have harbored serious infection or minor injuries in the process. When my aunt informed me that she contracted gangrene from her nail salon, I decided to look into the risks associated with such pampering.
Infection begins with a nick in the skin, a simple clip of the cuticle that is just a hair too deep. Because 75 percent of salons in the U.S. don’t follow state protocols regarding proper disinfectant, it is possible that you may have been exposed to bacteria transferred from one client to the next.
Potential infections include but are not limited to fungal infections such as athlete’s foot, viral infections such as plantar warts and HPV, Hepatitis and HIV. More serious infections arise after an instrument that has made contact with a client’s blood due to a clip or nick has not been sterilized properly, allowing blood-borne diseases to spread from one client to another.
Other unsightly ailments contracted from the nail salon include head lice, staph infections and nontuberculous mycobacterial infection, an infection of the skin and soft tissue that is identified by dermal abscesses and pustules.
To minimize your risk of infection you might consider bringing your own tools or inquiring about sterilization methods. Don’t visit the salon if you have exposed cuts that could be easily infected by bacteria and pathogens.