Anemia is a low red blood cell count, which decreases oxygen delivery to every tissue in the body . Symptoms can be varied and wide-ranging, from fatigue to fainting to heart palpations. A person with anemia should be considered a slow healer, so gentle use of implements is important. It is also imperative that those instruments be sterilized to prevent the transfer of infection. Cancer in any form is devastating to the client and his or her family. A person who has had cancer or is in treatment for it must be treated gently and with high-level infection control. Always ask whether the person has permission from his or her doctor to have the treatment. Unless the person’s skin has become dry as a side effect of chemotherapy, these clients enjoy a soaking in a whirlpool tub. MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus); HA-MRSA (hospital-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus); and CA-MRSA (community-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus – This infection is from the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, a microbe that is routine in the flora on our body. When it becomes out of balance in the body past healthy tolerance or a cut on the skin occurs, it can become pathological (capable of causing illness). MRSA in hospitals is called hospital-associated methicillin Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA), where it primarily was found. However, it has spread into our environment. Known as community-associated methicillin Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), it and HA-MRSA are causing illnesses that kill more people every year than HIV and hepatitis. MRSA is very contagious and is spread by touch between people (direct transfer) and between people and surfaces, such as towels, the clothing of others, just about everything (indirect transfer). The problem is its resistance to cure. Nail technicians are especially susceptible to CA-MRSA because they touch and hold the hands and feet of clients who may be ill or “colonized,” meaning they carry the MRSA infection in out- of-normal numbers but it is not pathogenic to them. Studies show that 30 percent of the U.S. population is colonized, so it is probable that some persons in each nail clientele are colonized with the easily transmittable Staph microbe. These microbes can be passed on to a new host who may become infected and very ill – possibly their nail technician. Symptoms of CA-MRSA infection proceed through stages, with each worse than the last. Too quickly, if not treated, it can carry the infection into the inner body and to the person’s organs. Then it is difficult to treat, and it can kill the sufferer. Even the first stage is treated with very heavy antibiotics because MRSA proceeds through the stages quickly. It must be stopped as early as possible. Many nail technicians have reported incidences of being infected and not knowing what the lesion was until someone suggested they go to the emergency room ASAP. Because MRSA infections can be so serious and are sometimes deadly, it is important to learn to recognize the symptoms of one so that your early treatment can be initiated. The first symptom of MRSA is a little red bump or bumps on the skin that appear like spider or other bug bites. (For a very short time it isn’t even Medications and activities The client health sheet is also important to nail technicians because many of the listed medicines or activities can increase adverse responses of the skin to some treatments. Antibiotics – Clients taking antibiotics may respond to products or treatments as they would not any other time; irritation and exaggerated redness can result in lesions, even scarring in those with slow healing problems. Accutane® and other oral acne products – Use of these medications can cause the skin to turn red, even become inflamed or blister even though it is not in the specific area of the medication application. The skin of the client is very sensitive to scrubbing. No AHA or retinoid product should be used on this
surrounded by redness.) But it doesn’t stop there. The area quickly becomes inflamed and painful, and then develops a boil that is draining or is full of pus. Within three to four days it becomes a deep, damaging abscess that penetrates the skin. By then, the person likely has sought help from a physician or emergency room and been prescribed heavy antibiotics even before lab tests confirm the probable diagnosis. At the same time, the person feels fatigued, much like the day before experiencing the flu, and is becoming irritable. If it does not get better immediately, even stronger antibiotics are prescribed. If it does not begin to get better, other symptoms, such as fever, difficulty breathing, chills or chest pain, would typically be signs of a more serious MRSA infection that has spread beyond the skin and to the blood, lungs or other part of his body. These symptoms require intense and extensive medical attention and possibly hospitalization in an infectious ward of a hospital. It is not unusual for such a person to be off work for months and become permanently incapable of working, or unable to work in a personal care or food industry. (18) MRSA is so infectious and dangerous that it is one of the major reasons nail technicians should use gloves when working on clients. A person with even a first-stage lesion – which looks like a bug bite – should not be provided a service in a salon. Fibromyalgia is a common syndrome in which a person has long-term, body-wide pain and tenderness in the joints, muscles, tendons and other soft tissues. The causes and methods of prevention are unknown. These clients should be treated with gentleness and with questions during the treatment concerning their comfort. These clients enjoy being soaked in a whirlpool and experiencing paraffin and heat. Massage can feel wonderful or be excruciatingly painful. Always be aware of your client’s responses to touch. Stress-related conditions sometimes manifest on clients as being directly related to stress or the flare-up can be attributed to “nerves.” Hives can be caused directly from stress, and flares of eczema, psoriasis and vitiligo and other skin conditions can be directly related. Do not perform services on clients who have lesions on their skin of any kind, no matter the cause. Scoliosis is a sidewise curvature of the spine away from the middle. Knowing a person has scoliosis is not so much a consideration of the precautions of services as a reminder of thoughtfulness towards the comfort of the client. Nail technicians should always ask these clients how they could be made most comfortable. Sensitive skin – Some clients have skin that will respond with irritation with little cause. Even use of a scrub or an exfoliation glove on the arms or legs or even massage can cause them irritation. If clients mark “sensitive skin” on the health sheet, ask questions about the degree of their sensitivity and watch the color of their skin for any indication it is beginning to redden. Do not perform more than a few seconds of a scrub, and be gentle. Massage should not be intense or aggressive. If redness occurs, cool compresses should be applied on a reddened area to relieve the sensitivity. client because these products cause reactions, sometimes even skin lifting, on persons who are on them. Rapid exfoliants – Products such as Retin A and other vitamin A products may cause skin to respond with high irritation and blistering, even lifting of the epidermis if certain products (such as AHAs) are used in a treatment. Never use AHA or peeling products on this client’s skin. Exfoliation products, AHAs – The use of products with these ingredients on skin that is continually exposed to the sun, such as the hands, can develop hyperpigmentation. Hand lotions with an SPF ingredient should be sold to these clients for application in the morning and after each hand washing to refract the UVB
Book Code: NTFL1024
Page 4
EliteLearning.com/Cosmetology
Powered by FlippingBook