Better Hygiene

Body acne is a horrible skin condition that affects both teenagers and adults. Body acne typically appears on the chest, back and buttocks. It also is present on most areas of the body. There are many contributing factors to what causes these blemishes, including stress and hormones.
There’s still the matter of preventing acne from forming in the first place. Take a moment to consider if you are doing anything that causes acne. If you frequently wear clothing that is not quite clean, you may be giving bacteria an extra opportunity to form. This is especially important for tight clothing that remains close to your skin and doesn’t breathe well. If you wear tight clothes and exercise, make sure not to sit around in sweaty clothes for long.
Be certain to wash towels, sheets and pillowcases every other day.
Dirty towels and sheets allow more bacteria and germs that can make acne worse. Regular exercise can help reduce stress and it increases blood circulation and oxygen entry into the skin, which can also help to prevent acne.
Drinking water reduces chances of Body Acne
Drink at least sixty-four ounces of water a day to help detoxify the body from the inside out. By taking these simple precautions, most people can reduce the occurrence of acne.
The care and treatment of body acne is something that a person must take seriously. If they fail to adopt a comprehensive care and treatment routine, they will fail in their attempts to treat and eliminate body acne.
On the other hand, if they do adopt a truly comprehensive body acne care and treatment pattern, they not only will be able to deal with a present out break of body acne. But they will be well on their way to preventing future development of body acne in both the near and long term future.
People suffering from body acne should consult with their dermatologist about a treatment program that will help with the elimination of the causes of body acne, cleansing practices with soaps and washes designed to combat and prevent body acne, an exfoliation routine and medical treatments to prevent and clear up body acne.

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Monday was always a good day for our daughter. Then, like a stone rolling down the slope, she was just worn out by Thursday. Her problem was not some chronic disease or nutritional deficiency. The culprit was sleep debt and the antidote was sound snoozing. Sleep deprivation plagues most Americans because our lifestyles do not accommodate our natural sleep rhythms. Inside every human is a biological clock - a unique mechanism - that, when ignored, can have tragic results.
In the beginning, people must learn their optimum nightly sleep level. This is easier said than done because there are many factors that influence sleep requirements. In general, however, each person should be able to identify a pattern of say 7, 8 or 9 hours per night. A great way to get at that pattern is to retire when you are sleepy and wake when you are refreshed. Of course if you have to go to work or school this is an impossible study so you best undertake it on vacation or summer break. A sleep journal, beside the bed, is helpful in making notes because you won’t remember everything you think you will; especially when you get tired.
Once you know the optimum sleep pattern for your body (at this stage in your life) you can estimate your accumulated sleep debt. According to Dr. William Dement in his book The Promise of Sleep we begin accumulating this sleep debt when we stop sleeping. That doesn’t mean you have to count the minutes you are awake it just means you can consider the energy tank draining once you begin your day. If you don’t get the required sleep each night the sleep debt will build up. And no, you can’t sleep for 49 hours then stay awake for the following five days. Sleep debt calculations are much more complex; just know this, if you don’t average the proper amount of sleep each night you will have to make it up sometime or grow fatigued.
This is where we started with our daughter and her weekly slip slide into unrest and dark circled eyes. Once we learned her pattern we realized she needed nine hours per night – far more than the eight we were planning for. This was the first step in repairing her weekly schedule. The second step was insuring that the hours she spent in bed were actually productive.
Sleep hygiene refers to habits and practices related to your sleeping. For example, do you read or eat in bed? Do you watch TV in your bedroom? Sleep specialists agree that the bedroom is best reserved for sleeping. If you introduce other stimuli you are messing with your bodies natural sleep cues and you won’t fall asleep easily. Dim the lights in your bedroom or develop a routine that relaxes you before bedtime; something like a cup of warm milk or a hot bath. Talk to your doctor or counselor about sleep hygiene to learn more about sleep hygiene.
There are special techniques that can help you fall asleep in addition to proper sleep hygiene. My daughter benefited from self hypnosis or meditation. Under the guidance of a licensed Psychologist she learned to hypnotize herself into a relaxed, worry free sleep state. For most people this state occurs without any aid but for some folks mediation or guided imagery can help. To learn more about mediation visit www.learningmeditation.com or talk to your doctor.
Why all the fuss about sleeping? Sleep is a critical restorative process for your entire body. People with sleep disorders are at risk for sickness resulting from a weak immune system. Of special concern to parents is the brain development credited to sleeping; children’s brains develop while they are sleeping. It is possible that kids who get good sleep do better in school. Intuitively, I would have to believe that kids were healthier, happier and did better in school when they regularly got the proper amounts of sleep. This has certainly been our experience. It doesn’t take much to study sleep in your household – set the alarm for 2:00 am and see who is slumbering soundly.

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Even before the new carry on restrictions, traditional hygiene products were a danger to anything else in your luggage. Rather than planning on double bagging and checking your bag, or buying sample sizes of your favorite products, consider alternate versions of your favorite beauty products. These products are formulated with minimal moisture and feature less additives, which also has the added benefit of taking up less space for the same amount of product. Make the switch to some of these products and reap the benefits while sailing through security during your next trip.
Bar shampoo has long been ignored in favor of liquid varieties, but new luxurious shampoo bars have recently gained popularity. By adding essential oils and natural ingredients instead of water and preservatives, companies make products which help your hair retain natural oils. Online you can find a variety of formulas, ranging from gentle formulas for dry hair to more stringent cleansers for those that have oily hair. The same herbs and essential oils that provided the cleansing properties of these bars also offer relaxing aromatherapy as you wash your hair.
Many of the brands that offer bar shampoo also have statements against animal testing and chemically altered products. Longtime users also claim that your hair is healthier while using all natural shampoo. If you use a moisturizing shampoo bar you may not even need conditioner. However, conditioner bars are also available from most brands.
Even if you regularly use bar soap in the shower at home, consider switching formulas when you travel. Soap is famous for drying out skin, making adding moisture with lotion a necessary step. Eliminate the need for lotion with a moisturizing body bar. Look for a bar soap that contains natural oils or nut butters.
If you wear makeup, consider using powdered products for the duration of your trip. Often makeup in powdered form is far less heavy than its liquid counterpart, making it perfect for a breezy summer vacation. There are hundreds of products to choose from, ranging from powdered foundation to mascara. Some of these products are even better than liquid formulas. Cake mascara, for example, is often used on the runway to produce thick lashes and is relatively inexpensive.
Another luxury that is often used for its superior quality are shaving bars. Before the invention of shaving cream, a brush and bar were used to create the lather needed to shave. Now men are discovering the superiority of the brush and bar method to help raise hairs for a closer shave.
Even if you are skeptical of making the switch, consider packing a few of these products in your carry on while checking your liquid products. If your bags get lost, you can take a long luxurious bath while you wait for them to be recovered.

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Sleep disorders are being increasingly recognized. They take a toll on your work performance if neglected and cause variety of other psychological problems like mood disturbances, weakness, headaches e.t.c. A sound sleep is important for a sound mind.
How to get a sound sleep?
It is recommended that sleep be taken seriously and everyone of us has to be aware of a new concept called Sleep Hygiene. This mainly refers to the psychological strategies to prevent and treat sleep problems. Contrary to popular belief, amount of sleep is only one of the parameters to judge the usefulness of sleep. Small measures which can be incorporated in daily routine can make a huge difference.
The sleep architecture(mixture of sleep stages) determines the morning freshness on waking up.Recommendations for a proper sleep hygiene are :
1. Avoiding sleep related drugs to as far as possible. Although some drugs give close to normal sleep quality but one can get addicted (dependent) to these drugs.
2. One should go to bed only when one is sleepy and try to make sleep time regular on day to day basis.
3. One should use the bed and bedroom only for activities like sleep and sex and not for anything else.
4. Proper sleep hygiene also involves Inculcating good habits like not snacking, taking coffee, or exercising before going to bed. One should also switch off all lights so that the clock inside our brain know its night time. Any source of noise should be turned off too. Snoring partners should be made to see the doctor. Such partners should not use high pillow and try to lose weight and might suffer from a medical problem.
5. Daily day time work out also benefits in getting a proper night time sleep. Sleep amount, last but not the least, varies from individual to individual.But less than 5-6 hrs of sleep everyday might cause impairment in fine activities and attention span.
6. One should also avoid excess water intake in the evening.
7. Avoidance of alcohol to as much as possible will cause least disruption of sleep.
8. Relaxation techniques like Yoga has been shown to be very beneficial in inducing a sound sleep in most people who practice it.
All these practices will help get a sound sleep. This therapy is also called Behavioral therapy and surprisingly has been found to be as effective as drugs in the treatment of patients with Insomnia(sleeplessness). But lack of the awareness of the potential in these small measures makes people running for the doctor for sleep problems.
It is thus recommended for everybody to maintain proper Sleep hygiene.

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We have all heard of deadly diseases that are spread through cross contamination of food, poor personal hygiene and unhygienic methods of handling food products. Salmonella and MRSA are just two diseases that have affected humans, and have proved deadly. Proper food hygiene can help to protect families from contracting these deadly diseases. It all starts in the home.
How to maintain proper food hygiene and keep the whole family safe #1 Wash your hands whenever you handle food
This seems to be such a simple, basis reminder. But it is the most effective in combating bacterial growth in the kitchen. Hands need to be washed after using the toilet, before food preparation, after coughing or sneezing and during the preparation of food. It may seem excessive to wash your hands five times or more while preparing just one meal, but this is just what it will take to keep hands clean and free of any dirt and bacteria that can easily spread from the body, to the hands and then onto food.
How to maintain proper food hygiene and keep the whole family safe #2 Work in a clean, uncluttered work area
Wipe down work surfaces that you will be using with a clean cloth or sponge. Remove food debris from a previous meal and then start work on the next meal. Make sure that the area you will be working in is also uncluttered and tidy. Have all the equipment you will need to hand and ensure that it is clean before you use it.
How to maintain proper food hygiene and keep the whole family safe #3 Tie long hair back
Girls and women with long hair should make it a regular practice to tie back their long hair. Hair can easily fall into food during food preparation if it is hanging loose.
How to maintain proper food hygiene and keep the whole family safe #4 Remove jewellery
Jewellery may look clean and sparkly, but think of all the bacteria it harbours if you never take off rings, bracelets and watches. It is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, which can then contaminate food. Before cooking, remove jewellery and then wash your hands. It also makes cooking easier without the obstruction of diamond rings or bracelets getting in the way.
How to maintain proper food hygiene and keep the whole family safe #5 Use different chopping boards
Ideally, you should use different chopping boards for cooked meat, raw meat, dairy products, fish and salad items. If possible, look out for different colour chopping boards or ones that are colour coded for each type of food item. But if you cannot find a selection of chef chopping boards, make sure that you thoroughly wash each chopping board in hot soapy water between uses to prevent cross contamination.
How to maintain proper food hygiene and keep the whole family safe #6 Cook food thoroughly
Cook food thoroughly until it is done. Use meat thermometers to make sure that the internal temperature of chicken or beef is high enough to kill any existing bacteria. Serve the food soon after it has been cooked and refrigerate leftovers.
How to maintain proper food hygiene and keep the whole family safe #7 Keep food apart in the fridge
When arranging the fridge, be mindful of the way you stack food items. Raw meat should never be placed at the very top of the fridge, especially if there are dairy products or desserts placed beneath it. Meat juices and blood can drip onto these other food items and contaminate them, resulting in food poisoning for families. Place raw meat and fish dishes towards the bottom of the fridge in covered containers and put fresh produce, dairy and salads towards the top in plastic Tupperware containers or other sealed containers.
Following these suggestions can help to protect families from cross contaminated food in the form of food poisoning. The side effects are very unpleasant and can lead to nausea, vomiting and stomach upset. In severe cases, food poisoning can cause death.

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Moving from living life as a care free tween into the teenage years is hard enough on kids without having the added teasing of poor hygiene. Many teens, especially those without older siblings, have little or no knowledge of proper personal hygiene. When teens seem to be having trouble with personal hygiene, the problem may be deeper than a parent thinks.
Personal hygiene, for most, is a second nature task. Good grooming and healthy body image are two tasks teens need to survive in a world of peer pressure and teen angst. For some teens, the lack of proper personal hygiene practices points to a learning disability.
If a child has trouble with visual discrimination, this problem may manifest itself with trouble matching clothing and coordinating colors, patterns and styles. For some teens, this lack of matching may be a personal choice, but for others, this symptom may point to a learning disability.
In children who have trouble gagging water temperature when showering or bathing, spatial perception may be lacking. Spatial perception is used in humans to maintain thoroughness in daily tasks, including many of the tasks used to complete good personal hygiene practices.
Attention Deficit Disorder can also affect a teens personal hygiene habits. A major symptom of Attention Deficit Disorder is easily being distracted. Many personal hygiene practices, including teeth brushing, hair brushing and even remembering socks before shoes, requires a high level of attention to detail. For a child with Attention Deficit Disorder, this distractibility can cause a lax attitude in regards to good personal hygiene.
For parents of children who are affected by learning disorders or Attention Deficit Disorder, patience is the key to maintaining healthy grooming and personal hygiene habits with their child. Marking the shower for the proper temperature or hanging a list in the child’s bathroom to help them remember to complete all personal hygiene tasks, are simple ways to make life just a little easier.
While many teens simply care less about personal hygiene than adults, those with learning disorders and Attention Deficit Disorder may not be properly caring for their bodies through no fault of their own. For parents of these children, vast attention and help should be given to personal hygiene tasks in order to ensure proper bodily care. For parents who feel their teen is lacking in personal hygiene above and beyond the normal, testing is available to simply be sure there is no underlying problem.
Good personal hygiene is important during the teenage years. Parents need to keep track of how their teens and teens are caring for their bodies.

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The essence of good hygiene is not only in the appearance, but the sense of smell. It is a fact that what comes natural to homosapiens and animal species is not a pleasant odor. There are certain measures than everyone must do for themselves, their pets, their home and business to make life healthier.
Personal Hygiene
*It is necessary to bath once or twice a day depending on the weather as well as the amount of your tasks. A good shower is preferable to clean out the pores with H2O. Water is good for cleansing the impurities from the body. You should use a good soap,and loofah all over. Next, use a lotion to close your pores to keep any dirt from entering the skin. You will look radiant afterward. Throughout the day wash your hands every time you travel out of your home, relieve yourself in the laboratory, touch any chemical or garbage.
*Once your body is thoroughly cleaned it is best to put freshly washed clothing on each day. You will feel fresh and new each time you leave the home. Make sure to change your shoes often if you are required to be on your feet a lot. Use odor eaters in your shoes, sneakers or boots.
*Make a good habit of washing your hair weekly or daily depending on the type of hair. Oily hair will need to be washed very often, while dryer hair can wait each week.
*Oral hygiene is a requirement to fight against plague and halitosis. Brushing your teeth with toothpaste that has baking soda, flossing daily, and using mouth wash will fight against germs. It is best to get a new toothbrush every month to guarantee a good clean.
*Avoid contact with bodily fluids, use a tissue when sneezing or with a cold, no licking fingers when counting money or turning pages of a book,
no biting finger nails full of germs, no petting animals and forgetting to wash hands, don’t share personal items for your grooming, no picking noses and change the bedsheets weekly.
Kitchen Hygiene
* The ingestion of food from a clean kitchen with clean utensils lessens the chances of illness. An untidy kitchen and unclean foods and utensils can bring on disease. Make sure to avoid food poisoning and germs by practicing clean habits.
*Sterilize your equipment and food preparation area for cooking with bleach. All in the name of sanitizing when preparing your food. You should also make sure the counters, refrigerator, stove, oven cabinets, floor, and sink are cleaned before you begin to prepare your food. Comet or Dutch boy is good for sinks, Clorox is good for floors and counters. Clean behind your stove and refrigerator to get the ultimate clean kitchen. Wash your dishes everyday top make them suitable for using.
* Wash your produce, eggs and meats to take away the germs from the food before using them. Remember to wash the tops of your canned foods before opening them to prevent any germ from getting into the product. Feel free to wipe off every article of food you bring in the home that could have carried germs into your home. This will help your refrigerator stay cleaner inside. You should also check for expiration dates to avoid consuming something stale.
*Store your food in clean containers, refrigerate, and throw away your trash to keep away bugs. When dealing with melons, wrap them in newspaper then place in the trash. In the case of squirrels, put the shells of your nuts into a paper milk carton and dispose of it.
*Make sure that every time you use the table or a food tray it is clean. Never leave drops of sauce or gravy on the counter or tray. Do not lick your utensil or your fingers that can carry germs from the air.
*Use different utensils with each item of food, and do not use the same one again. Do not let another person eat off your spoon. In fact it will still bring germs to you even when eating after your infant.
*Do not eat anything that has dropped off your plate, on the floor or trash. Kissing the item up to the sky will not help you from getting germs.
The Bathroom Hygiene
*It is important to keep the commode, floor, sink, counters, shower, and tub absolutely clean. Martha Stewart cleans her bathroom daily since it is used often. Bleach is an excellent cleaner for porcelain surfaces and comet for the sinks. Clorox Ready Wand is good for the loo.
*Always wash hands thoroughly when in contact with bodily fluids. Be sure to give a courtesy flush or get a special plumbing job that does this automatically.
*Do not allow children play in the bathroom toilet because of obvious reasons of germs. Not only germs can make them sick, but the chemicals used to clean it is not for people to play with.
Home Hygiene
*To keep dust mites from biting and entering the lungs there are things you must do. You can purchase an air filtration system or Hyper Hepa Filtration System to filter the air. You can use a bagless vacuum cleaner over your carpets and rugs to remove dust. You can use a tiny one to vacuum the drapery and curtains. Use a duster to dust off furniture and electronics. Make sure your windows are clean with Windex. Sweep away your cobwebs, and make sure to clean your filters. If you gas heat, you will need to have yous air ducts cleaned at least once a year or sooner.
*To make sure your floors are clean, you can use a buffer or swiffer wet jet to cleanse away the dirt. If you have a dirty broom or mop it is best to throw them out. Nothing that is dirty can help you keep a clean home.
* Dispose of old batteries, light bulbs, medicine bottles, shampoo bottles, and other things no longer in use. A neat and tidy home will help you feel better, because it looks better.
Wound Hygiene
*When you first injure yourself tend to it immediately. With a cut it must be washed with soap and water, Next , a first aid disinfectant should be sprayed on the wound. Lastly, the wound should be bandaged to allow it to heal. Change bandages often like applying a new gauze.

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Some germs are good and some germs are bad, but let’s face it: germs are here to stay, and they are everywhere, including the soil, the air, our water and food supplies, our pets, people we come in contact with and the surfaces we touch. With germs running rampant it is inevitable that an infection will probably occur sooner or later. Although our technology over the years has made some amazing advancement of treatments for infections, such as antibiotics, it seems too many people have become complacent about preventing the spread of germs and bacteria that cause infections in the first place.
And to make matters worse, with the over use of antibiotics, germs are mutating, thereby becoming anti-biotic resistant. We know that germs are lurking everywhere, but most people don’t realize that your home of all places is host to the most bacteria that can and will breed, thereby infecting those in it’s midst.
A new global hygiene study was conducted recently by The Hygiene Council, which is funded by Reckitt Benckiser, the parent company of the disinfectant products under the name Lysol. The study they conducted included more than 10,000 people worldwide, including about 1,000 people in the U.S. In the survey, only 5% of the U.S. participants answered “in the home” when they were asked where they thought children are most likely to come in contact with the most germs.
Their study also revealed that 55% of all respondents worldwide thought the garbage can would pose the greatest risk of transmitting germs to the family. However, the fact of the matter is the bath tub actually harbors more germs than the average garbage can.
Another interesting, yet forgotten fact is that a lot of bacteria can be found in some unsuspecting places as well, such as light switches, door handles, everyday appliances, and faucets. And not only that, germs, such as the Rotavirus (the one that causes severe diarrhea) can survive up to 14 days. Others that can cause wound infections can survive weeks to months. Yikes! is all I can say.
According to The Hygiene Council, research from 17 studies now prove that good personal hygiene such as simple handwashing, can reduce the risk of getting a stomach virus by up to 47%. The problem is, most people ignore this simple, yet effective way to killing the germs dead in their tracks.
The Hygiene Council recommends a multi-faceted approach to washing your hands with soap and warm water, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available will help prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria. Besides hand washing, keeping surfaces, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom disinfected, and frequent laundering are the keys to helping keep germs and viruses from spreading not only in the home, but throughout the community as well.
I would recommend checking into the “green” products available on the market that most likely work just as well without the harmful chemical side effects.
Obviously, keeping in mind where germs live and breed as well as killing them as frequently as possible would behoove us all.

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When a person does not take care of his/her body it shows and smells. It is very hard to be around someone who stinks. However, no one wants to be mean or cruel so a lot of times people do not speak up, even nicely, to let that person know how offensive they are actually being. Poor hygiene is a factor that everyone dislikes, but it takes sensitivity and perseverance to help an offender.
I had a friend in high school who smelled terrible. It did not matter what day, or occasion it was, she always had body odor and bad breath. I tried to offer her Tic-Tacs; she declined. I asked her to try my new perfume; she refused. I had to do something because I could not stand the smell any longer. So I came up with a way of letting her know that she did not smell good.
My first step was to somehow nonchalantly hint that she had poor hygienic qualities. So I decided to buy her a gift basket. The gift basket contained anything a stinky person could ever want: toothpaste, a toothbrush, perfume, body wash, shampoo, Tic Tacs, and Winterfresh gum. However, I did not want her to feel bad so I told her that I was giving gift baskets to all of my best friends. As nice as the gift basket may sound, her smell stayed the same. She must have re-gifted my gift because she still smelled horrible.
I had already been very nice and gentle, so now it was time to hint a little less nonchalantly. I chose to make obvious comments anytime she came around to try to let her know she stank. Sometimes when she would come to the lunch table, I started acting like I was smelling something, and I would look directly at her and say that something reeks bad. I would ask her if she smelled it. Most of the time she would say, “No, I don’t smell anything.” However, one time she smelled herself and said, “It’s not me.” I was laughing so hard on the inside, but I did not want to let it show.
Finally I decided to invite her over to my home for a makeover. I showed her all of my perfume, my new makeup, and many sundries that I thought she would like. I let her pick which ones she wanted to use. I tried to encourage many perfumes on her, telling her how great they smelled all mixed together. After the new makeup, hairstyle and cleaner skin, her hygiene was completely changed for that day. After the makeover we went out to celebrate her new look. At the restaurant she received many compliments from the workers about how nice she looked that day; however, beforehand I did have to bribe a few people with some five-dollar bills. The compliments were wonderful and made her happy to hear them. We enjoyed our meal, and then it happened. As soon as we were done eating she started to take her new makeup off, and her pretty hair down, while we were still at the table. I knew the smell would not be far behind. I had hoped she would have kicked up her hygiene after that, but she did not.
By that time I had had enough. I decided to confront her nicely yet directly about her continuing hygiene problems. As I was walking beside her in the hall one day I told her that she did not smell good. I also told her that when she does not take care of herself it is easy to detect. I told her that if she does not care about her hygiene, she must not care for herself. Something really had to change. She said that she did not know that people saw it that way, and she would try starting the next day to take care of herself the right way.
The next day came about and there was still no change. That was the last straw. Maybe she was not an easy learner; maybe she needed to have her cage rattled in order to get her to do something. That is what I decided to do: I would rattle her cage. I walked up beside her in the hall and the first words out of my mouth were “You stink. You need to use deodorant and brush your teeth. It is not right for someone to be that offensive and uncaring of others that they let themselves go like you do.” The only thing that she could say was “Can I have a Tic-Tac?” When I gave her the Tic-Tac I also sprayed her with perfume. Surprisingly she said, “Thanks.”
There are a lot of different ways to let someone know that he/she needs to work on something that is offensive to you; however, a lot of times people tend to ridicule rather than taking certain steps that could prevent a conflict. In my case, only after I directly confronted her did she start to keep up with her hygiene. She was not offended by my actions and continues to be one of my best friends to this day. However, if I would have confronted her first I would not have such a great friend today, because even though your intentions are good people can still have hurt feelings. Everyone cares about themselves; sometimes it just takes a little motivation to show them that they do. It might take courage, but speaking up will be beneficial to both parties.

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I recently came across an interesting article on nail salon hygiene while thumbing through a magazine at my local beauty salon.
In this study, a group of 15 nail salon shadow shoppers was asked to visit professional nail salons and report on their hygiene levels. (Naturally, I imagined myself being one of these lucky shadow shoppers and told to “go for it” at the nail parlor and to spare no expense - can you imagine? I’ll take a french manicure, no … wait! Make that a natural nail manicure, definitely a pedicure, gimme the latest nail fashion and make sure you use the best fingernail polish money can buy. Or maybe I’ll just go crazy and add Hollywood nails, no … acrylic nails, no, wait … how about some nail tattoos, or some airbrushed nail art … oh I know! Give me some of those fabulous Tammy Taylor nails … my, how lovely it is to daydream!)
Anyway, over 50 nail salons were visited and, according to the study, more than a third of the salons visited were found to be unsatisfactory, with their main complaints being bad hygiene standards, poor customer service and shoddily done manicures.
Upon entering the salon, the participants were instructed to ask for a complete manicure, tell the nail technician that they had never had a professional manicure done before, then ask the salon professional to describe what the process entailed. After the session was over, each of the participants were asked to fill a questionnaire, reporting on various aspects of their experience - levels of hygiene observed, how long the manicure took and how much it cost and whether the experience was satisfactory or not.
According to the report, 92% of the technicians who attempted to use metal cuticle clippers on the shadow shoppers didn’t put on gloves. Even worse, they did not use an implement that was package-sealed, even though half of the nail technicians claimed the instrument had been autoclaved (an autoclave is a pressurized device that uses steam and high water pressure to sterilize equipment). The shoppers also reported several hygiene breaches on equipment such as nail files and buffers, which should either be disposable or cleaned between clients. A few salons had surfaces that weren’t cleaned between clients and were covered in dust, or even pieces of skin. In one salon, a technician kept her dirty implements in the cash drawer.
Some of the actual comments from the survey participants regarding the low hygiene levels they experienced were as follows:
“The technician picked up the metal scissors … used on someone else’s feet … she used them to cut some skin from around her own nail. She then went to use them on me.” “This salon had an overpowering smell that burnt my throat and made me feel ill.” “The technicians washed the hand towels in the foot spas.” “Counters and floors were dirty, instruments reused and technicians did not wash their hands at all.” “The technician had open wounds on her hands. I asked her to put gloves on.”
If a salon has overpowering fumes, it may be a sign of poor ventilation, especially where a salon engages in a lot of acrylic nail work. The preferred substance for making acrylic nails, ethyl methacrylate, can be hazardous if used in a salon without proper ventilation. A strong, unpleasant odour could also mean they’re using dangerous substances, such as Methyl Methacrylate (MMA).
What To Look For In A Nail Salon
Here are some of the things you look for when visiting a nail salon:
- Use only accredited salons and technicians and look for certifications of competency, which should be displayed prominently in the salon. - The salon should be clean and tidy, with linen and towels changed between clients. - All chemicals should be in clearly marked containers. - Metal tools that could penetrate the skin should be sterilized in an autoclave. - Non-disposable nail implements should be rinsed, scrubbed in tepid water and detergent and dried, or wiped with 70% alcohol between clients. - Some nail salons keep implements especially set aside for each regular client. You should ask your nail technician to do this for you, if you are a regular client of a nail salon. - Nail implements need to be clean and dry. Don’t let anyone use an implement on you that’s been left sitting in water, even if the water contains disinfectant. - Don’t use a foot spa if you’ve shaved your legs the night before or on the day of the pedicure, of if you have any cuts on your legs, as this makes you more vulnerable to infection. - If you are having acrylic nails put on, ask your nail artist to explain the procedure, what products they’re going to use and how to care for the nails at home. - Don’t be shy to ask questions about the manicure, the chemicals being used and how the implements have been cleaned.
The salon I normally go to is very professional and clean, the technicians are highly competent and certified and all procedures are explained in great detail when asked. So, I went ahead and pampered myself for almost an hour and got myself some beautiful nails (included in the manicure was a nail bath, filing and buffing and cuticle work) and a massage. Maybe next time I’ll go for nail tattoos or those Tammy Taylor nails!

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