hygiene&sterilisation
Attention to hygiene and sterilisation has always been important in the beauty salon, not just to look 'nice' (although appearance certainly matters in this industry - nobody wants a treatment at a dirty-looking salon), but for the safety of your clients and staff too.
"Infections caught as a result of a treatment are extremely rare; never-the-less the potential is there, so for the protection of both clients and staff alike, good hygiene procedures are essential," saysMarie-Louise Coster ofAllAboutMi BeautyTherapy and Training. "Following a thorough hygiene procedure will significantly reduce the risk of cross infection, it will also ensure that you adhere to the law andmaintain a good, professional reputation."
Angela Barbagelata-Fabes, Chairman of The Carlton Group, continues: "Hygiene is a constant concern for salon operators and owners as it can directly affect the profitability of their facility. The beauty industry is particularly vulnerable because of close contact between the client and the therapist. Indeed, one of the most common sources of infection in the salon is people, both customers and staff."
Of course you want to take precautions to prevent disease and infection spreading around your salon for the benefit of your staff and your clients, but not taking precautions could really damage your business too. "If diseases and disorders are passed between clients it could really hurt your reputation as you could potentially lose clients from it," says Izabelle Hammon, founder of Izabelle Hammon Ltd.
infection
Good practice within the salon can significantly reduce the risk of cross- infection, which is the transfer of infection from one person to another. The most common infectious agents include bacteria and viruses.
Bacteria are single cell living organisms that exist either as single cells (vegative form) or as spores. The vegative forms of bacteria are easily killed by the application of moisture or the use of chemicals but the spores are much more resistant.
Most forms of bacteria exist inside the body (e.g. the throat and the gut) and are harmless, but it becomes an issue when they are transmitted outside the body. "Bacterial infections include Salmonella,
which causes food poisoning, as well as Staphylococcus aureus, which is found on the skin and in the nasal passages. Passed by coughing and sneezing, Staphylococcus aureus may result in skin infections such as boils or even impetigo.Whilst most bacterial infections can be treated by antibiotics your clients won't thank you for food poisoning or boils so care should always be exercised," saysAngela.
Bacteria can also be created in the salon and it's essential that you are careful to reduce this. "When using cotton wool during treatments, it should only bemoistened just prior to the treatment and disposed of after use. If these items are left, bacteria could be encouraged to breed
andmultiply.The result for clients could be infection and even scarring," advisesAngela.
In contrast, viruses are tiny particles that only reproduce within living cells and they can mutate to form new
strains.Viruses are a concern to therapists, in particular those that can cause cross infection via blood. They are also not treatable by antibiotics. Common viruses include Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS and Herpes.
"Therapists involved in treatments where they come into contact with blood, such as Electrolysis, need to be particularly aware of hygiene procedures, as viruses such as Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C are transferable by infected blood. Hepatitis B can survive for long periods of time on work surfaces as it is very robust," saysAngela.
"That said, good hygiene practices could greatly reduce the risk of infection. Both viruses can be killed by autoclaving and a vaccine is available for Hepatitis B."
Before treating a client, hold a consultation with them. "The salon's hygiene procedures are there to prevent
infection.As therapists and nail technicians it is essential that we carry out a thorough consultation to establish the suitability of the treatment to the client and to identify any infectious conditions," saysMarie-Louise.
"Due to the sensitive nature of this, a consultation must be carried out in a private area, and if anything comes up that you're not sure of you must refrain from committing to a diagnosis.We are not qualified to diagnose medical conditions so if there is anything you are unsure of ask your client to visit his/her GP to confirm a diagnosis."
clean tools
One of the many ways to keep bacteria and viruses at bay is by sterilisation of all tools
and equipment used and by using disposable tools. The greatest risk of cross contamination often occurs when the skin is cut or pierced with tools, so it's vital that these are sterile.
"Simple procedures such as sterilising implements before and after each treatment and, very importantly, if an implement is dropped on the floor during a treatment should be rigorously enforced," says Angela.
"If you don't sterilise your tools and equipment you run the risk of cross contamination," saysAngela. "There are a number of different ways to sterilise nowadays ranging from your plug-in electric steriliser to your basic barbicide and marvicide jar on your table. In my opinion no salon should be without a sterilising unit of some sort. This shows the client that you take care of your salon and tools."
Issues can arise here when members of staff don't fully understand the difference between disinfection, sterilisation and sanitisation - they all sound quite similar, but they definitely aren't the same. Get it wrong and you could be responsible for cross-infecting without even realising it. Make sure you take a look at the box over the page to find out what makes them so different!
In short, tools need to be sterilised appropriately in order to prevent the spread of infection and disease. One of the most reliable methods of sterilising equipment is moist heat using steam under pressure, i.e. an autoclave.
However, in order for the autoclave to be effective it is essential that the instruments are thoroughly cleaned to remove any visible contamination before they are
autoclaved.Any debris left on the tools can slow down the sterilisation process, so make sure that they are completely clean first. To ensure that an autoclave is working correctly, coloured paper strips and tapes can be used which change colour in the autoclave when sterilisation conditions have been achieved.
Disposable items are also useful as these are thrown away after each use, preventing the risk of cross-contamination. "The general rule is that you should use disposable items wherever possible," says Janice Brown of HOF Beauty. "Dispose of waste carefully, thoroughly clean and disinfect everything which has come into contact with the skin. Sterilise anything which has become contaminated by inserting into the skin or by coming into contact with bodily fluids."
GUILD NEWS 107
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128