10:00 PM CST on Friday, January 20, 2006

WFAA-TV

Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services tips on checking out a salon before getting pampered:

Manicures and pedicures should not be painful or leave your cuticles bloody and swollen.

Manicurists/pedicurists should wash their hands with soap and water before touching a client's hands/feet.

Thorough washing and disinfecting of all tools should be performed after every use. Make sure the technician is washing the instruments in hot soapy water and that disinfectant is applied to the instruments. Soiled instruments must be stored separately from clean instruments.

Emery boards that are not approved for disinfection should be discarded after use to prevent transmission of yeast or bacterial infections from one client’s nails to the next.

Instruments and supplies that cannot be disinfected, such as orange sticks and the sponges placed between the toes should be thrown away immediately after use.

The salon should have adequate ventilation without an overwhelming smell of nail polish or polish remover that may cause an increased fire hazard.

Drill bits should be cleaned after each client.

Foot spas or foot bath units should be cleaned and disinfected after each use. The technician’s work area should also be free of debris and dirt.

The salon’s license should be posted in plain view in the reception area and the nail technician’s license should be posted at his or her work station. Both licenses should be current. A recent inspection report by the commission should also be posted.