Sanitation Nation!

How safe are your nail services?

A lot of people think because we are working on their 'nails', which are hard or solid, that there isn't much risk for infection. Even if they've hear about infections from acrylic nails, they pass it off as because the acrylic caused it or the nail wasn't allowed to 'breathe'.

Wait, what???

Doesn't that mean it's not solid? You see my problems with the logic, right? People just don't think it's an issue or they don't get how delicate their skin and nails can be. A way I like to think about it is, your nails are your weapon, not your shield. You have to be on the offense and actively ensure your services are preformed in a safe manner, with safe products and sanitary implements and tools.

Prevention starts and ends with the client.

You may ask how is it up to you that your nail services are done in a safe and hygienic way. You decide where you get your services. Clients need to be informed and proactive about your hand and nail care. Here is a list of ways to protect yourself and that your nail tech should utilize.

1. You and your Nail tech should sanitized your hands before any part of the service is preformed. Feet should be soaked for 5 minutes in foot bath and techs hands sanitized.
2. Tools and implements should come from sealed packages from a heat sanitizing system, taken from sanitizing liquid, or taken from a dry storage marked clean and you can see where used implements go after they are used and it is clearly different.
3. Files need to come from same sanitized areas as tools and be clearly marked Sanitizable OR be new for each client and given to client or disposed of after use. (We use new file and buffer for each client, send home file and throw away buffer.)
4. Know what products are being used on you. Know that they are, what they are supposed to be. Antiseptic foot bath instead of Windex (Yes, it has happened), Hand Sanitizer or antibacterial lotion instead of plain lotion in bottle.
5. Pay attention to the cleanliness of your salon and nail tech. Notice if they have healthy hands and nail. If they are wearing gloves, make sure they change into new gloves and toss last pair between each and every client. Gloves are awesome for preventing disease, but only work for the nail tech if they are changed for every client.
6. If you have overlays and see discoloration make sure the product is filed away and the nail exposed so it can be determined if it is in fact a fungus or infection or just something like makeup or dirt that was able to get between nail and product because of lifting.

These are all things we as nail techs and manicurist should be doing, but it's up to you to make sure your services are done safely.

Puh, Push it real good!

No???
I can't help it.  Every time I say, think, or hear the word push(er), those lyrics bust into my thoughts.  Can you imagine what it's like as a nail tech, using a cuticle pusher everyday.  The fact that I don't break out into my middle school dance routine to it 3 times a day is a miracle!  I only do it every now and then!

Today I want to talk about my favorite natural nail manicuring tool.  Can you guess what it is?

Not just any cuticle pusher, the OPI Pusher plus*.  I mean, I'm not breaking out in song and dance over an orange wood stick, folks!

Isn't it beautiful?  Seriously though, it's a nice looking tool, but that's not why I think it's beautiful. It has may qualities that place it ahead of other tools for me, and pushers especially.  I love this implement more then any another for the most important of reasons.

SANITATION!!!!!!!!!!

OPI's Pusher Plus is Made of high-quality, disinfectable, corrosion-resistant 420 stainless steel. Coated in Titanium that won't corrode with repeated disinfection. The ultra-hard titanium
gives unsurpassed precision and corrosion-resistance! Everything I've ever wanted in a cuticle pusher!

Most people worry about sanitation with acrylic, but it can be an issue with natural nails in manicures and pedicures too.  The implements your nail tech uses need to be more then clean. They need to be disinfected or sanitized. If it touches your natural nail, cuticle, finger or nail quick it needs to be able to be completely sanitary. The design of the tool has more to do with that then almost anything your nail tech can do. If the surface isn't completely smooth germ can hide from a disinfect. If it's absorbent, well, I'll just say, "gross", and leave it at that. I know they seem harmless but think about how many client we do. Have you ever been nicked or seen how the cuticle hoovers over nail creating a little germ hiding crevice? If the cuticle pusher presses germs against or under there you could be at risk for an infection. It won't always happen. Hopefully, never will, but it could. I don't want to be the reason it happens to anyone. 

The run of the mill metal pusher can corrode after repeated use of disinfectant solution baths. This orange wood stick can't even come sanitized because it's a natural product.  The plastic gets nicks and scratches on it just from being in a clean draw with other tools, that can hide germs safely away from even liquid disinfectant.  Think cutting boards....

This pusher has a wonderful shape that makes pushing back the healthy cuticle and removing the nonliving material from the nail quick and easy. It doesn't have sharp corners that can poke or cut into healthy cuticle or finger. I love the balance of it in my hand and it make me a lot more comfortable know while I do this I am using as safe an implement as I can on my clients.

This bad boy isn't that expensive, considering it last forever compared to others. So, if your nail tech isn't using the OPI Push Plus or another high-quality coated metal cuticle pusher, look around at her other tools and sanitation procedures. If they look questionable, find another salon! If she is using a sanitizitable pusher and you see she puts them in disinfectant solutions between clients or breaks and tosses orange wood sticks after each client, ask her if she's seen OPI's titanium tooling collection and what your learned about them. She may have a great tool she loves, but she may not know their are better options her customers may prefer.


*This post is not meant to be a review of the product mentioned. It is meant to be an informative piece on my choice of implements and client safety. OPI doesn't endorse my blog and has no knowledge of my post as of publish date.