No matter how busy you are, or how
late you're running, a clean, disinfected salon station
is a necessity.
Medical professionals touch, on average,
five strangers a day-and are required to wear
personal protective equipment or at the very
least gloves. Plus, they always ask about the
patient's medical history. Yet, as a hair
stylist, you may touch up to 15-20 strangers
a day, and it's not appropriate to ask
about medical history and you don't always
wear gloves or protective equipment.
"It is often hard to impress upon cosmetologists
the risk that exists when combs,
shears and other
tools are not properly disinfected-
particularly as it
pertains to consumers who
quite possibly have immune
system impairment," says
Leslie Roste, a registered
nurse and national director
of education and market
development for Barbicide.
"Since we rarely know who
these people are when they sit in
our chair, it is important to treat
everyone as though they may be immune impaired."
In addition, Roste says, probably the scariest, most
lethal and easily transmitted bacteria found in a salon
is MRSA-which can cause critical (even fatal) infections
in only a few hours. "Proper disinfection could protect
clients and cosmetologists from MRSA associated with
salon equipment and furnishings," she says.
"There are several cases of clients getting nicked with
shears or clippers and being hospitalized within hours for
MRSA infection."
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