Chapter 8: A Matter of Life or Death: Sanitation and Sterilization in the Salon Industry (Satisfies Sanitation and Sterilization Requirement)
Learning objectives Given the course materials, the learner will be able to: Discuss the importance of sanitization and sterilization in the cosmetology industry. Describe recent events that require your knowledge of sanitation techniques. Sanitation and sterilization is serious business In the entertainment industry, characters that are obsessively clean are often portrayed as amusing. Adrian Monk (played by actor Tony Shaloub), the quirky detective in the television show “Monk,” maintains that germs are at the top of his list of 312 phobias. In addition to germs, Monk has an overpowering fear of door handles, anything dirty, and always carries sanitizing wipes with him wherever he goes. Although we find these personalities in television and movies funny, germs and infections are serious concerns in the cosmetology industry and can be a matter of life or death. Cosmetologists must approach the cleanliness of their salons with an obsessive ferocity - for the safety of both themselves and their clients . Health risks and the beauty industry The health risks associated with the beauty industry include viral infections such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, and herpes . Bacterial infections, such as staphylococcus, streptococcus, and pseudomonas are also of great concern, as well as fungal infections (e.g., athlete’s foot, nail fungus, and yeast). Reactions to nail, hair, and facial products can cause devastating effects such as chemical burns, loss of hair or nails, eyelid dermatitis, and eczema. Furthermore, toxicity from acrylic, lacquer, and hair product fumes and the misuse of chemical peeling solutions can cause a whole host of respiratory problems and diseases. Hepatitis B & C Among the diseases that have the potential to be transmitted at a hair or nail salon, hepatitis B and C pose the biggest threat to public health . One out of every three people worldwide has been infected with hepatitis B. 240 million people have become chronically infected; in other words, they are not able to get rid of the virus. In the United States, over 12 million people have hepatitis B and it is estimated that 40,000 people become infected each year. Unlike hepatitis B, there is no vaccination for hepatitis C . It currently affects an estimated 3.5 million people in the United States. Approximately 75-85% of people who become infected with hepatitis C develop a chronic infection. Hepatitis B can be infectious for at least a week on surfaces commonplace to salons, such as headrests, chairs, and tools or instruments. Prior to 1990, hepatitis C was commonly transmitted through blood transfusions; there is now evidence that it can be transmitted through personal care items that may have come in contact with another person’s blood, such as razors, nail files, and barber’s scissors, among other items commonplace in a salon. Among the diseases that have the potential to be transmitted at a hair or nail salon, hepatitis B and C pose the biggest threat to public health. Unlike hepatitis B, there is no vaccination for hepatitis C.
Describe the difference between “sanitation” and “sterilization” and the significance of those differences. Summarize the purpose of an autoclave and provide details on how to use it.
INTRODUCTION
What’s the worst that can happen? Case histories are littered with “worst-case scenarios” and should be warnings to cosmetologists that bad things can – and will – happen if equipment and tools that are used daily on clients are not properly cleaned and maintained. Equally important are safety measures such as ventilation and proper training about chemical use and the appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Due to the sheer nature of people touching people in the salon atmosphere, killer organisms can occur in your facility if you are not informed and/or not following the proper procedures. Before AIDS and hepatitis became household names, the cosmetology and barbering industry were under little scrutiny as risks for spreading infectious diseases. However, since the 1980’s, an epidemic of blood- borne diseases has forced a reexamination of the beauty industry. Herpes A woman in Colorado was awarded $3.1 million dollars after it was found that she contracted herpes from a manicure. Kristina Preston had her first professional manicure in 1998 at a salon in Aurora, Colorado. Preston reported to ABC News that after she had left the salon, the cuticles of her thumbs felt like they were burning. “Two days later they were swollen and tender,” Preston said. “I knew something was wrong. I started developing blisters, which spread to all 10 fingers.” Blood tests showed that she had herpes and bacterial infections. A second test confirmed these results. Preston also reported that she started suffering with chronic fatigue, ear infections, and strep throat among other ailments following her manicure. This is just one example of why it is so important to properly sanitize and sterilize within the salon. “Since there is an inherent risk that customers may accidentally be cut during a routine hair or nail appointment, it makes sense to use sterile instruments,” says Dr. Shelley A. Sekula-Gibbs, MD, a dermatologist practicing in Houston, Texas. “Nail clippers, acrylic nail drills, cuticle scissors, callus paring blades, and reusable razors and blades all have the potential to transmit infectious disease if they are not properly sterilized. “Unfortunately,” continues Sekula-Gibbs, “we are finding that not all salons are following this simple rule of thumb. As more and more consumers frequent hair and nail salons each year, the risk of becoming infected with hepatitis, HIV, and other transmittable diseases increases as well.” A similar case was reported in a New York salon. Attorney Bruce Egert recounted his client’s experience which resulted in an occurrence of herpes transmission. The client, who visited the salon for an eyebrow waxing, maintained that the attendant applied the wax with “a terribly infected stick.” Egert explained to the New York Post that the stick had been previously “used on somebody else in a rather delicate part of her body.” According to the Post , an ophthalmologist found that the client was suffering from herpetic keratoconjunctivitis in her eyes.
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Book Code: EFL1024
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