Wearing the perfect nail color for your holiday party may be hazardous to your health.
You have the perfect little black dress and heels to wear to your holiday party – now you’re ready for your mani-pedi at your favorite nail salon.
But how well do you know the salon; do they follow recommend sanitation techniques? We all love to get pampered but not at the risk of our health.
5 Tips to get the most out of your holiday nails.
1. Be choosy - Don’t settle for just any nail salon. Choose a nail salon that is clean and follows proper sanitizing practices. Use your intuition and senses. Is their license prominently posted? Is the nail salon in clean working condition? Is there proper ventialation?
2. Be a clean freak – Make sure the nail salon properly disinfects their instruments. If you’re not sure, ASK! Do not let the nail technician use the same tools or emery board that was used on the last person. Dirty instruments and reused nail files can spread disease from one to person to another leaving you with case of nail fungus or something even worse.
3. To soak or to not soak? Do not soak your feet in a spa chair, instead opt for a foot soak in bucket or basin that uses a disposable liner. Whirlpools and other spa chairs are breeding grounds for bacteria that cause infection, nail fungus, athlete's foot and plantar warts because they cannot be properly disinfected.
4. Speak up – Before your manicure or pedicure let your nail technician know if you are diabetic or have peripheral vascular disease. This will alert them to take special precautions when performing your mani-pedi. Do not let them cut callouses or toenails, instead have the nails filed to your preferred shape.
When you have diabetes or circulatory problems there is a greater risk of cuts and scrapes not healing leaving you at risk of serious infection. If you are diabetic visit your podiatrist for regular nail trimming and foot care maintenance which is often covered by insurance.
5. Wear your polish but don’t let it rule you. First, choose a natural nail polish such as Dr.'s Remedy that contains vitamins to promote nail growth and antifungal ingredients to help kill fungus. Second, remove your polish regularly. Wearing nail polish for weeks or months on end doesn’t allow the nail beds to breathe and can create the perfect environment for fungus to grow. If you have nail fungus you can still wear nail polish to keep your feet looking their best, but remove the nail polish after a few days.
If your nails are yellowing or becoming discolored after you remove your nail polish try using a buffer to remove any leftover residue. If you notice your nail is black, dark green, discolored or are experiencing any toe pain have your podiatrist evaluate the nail right away. Putting off treatment for an ingrown toenail or nail infection will only make the problem worse.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with a podiatrist call our office in Long Beach.
CALL 562-433-0478
Read more about manicure and pedicure safety tips, rules and regulations from the California Board of Consumer Affairs and the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology.