Dump your manucurist if...
Aug 08, 2010
Kayondo, a nail specialist, in Kintintale suburb moves with his equipment stacked in a green container. At a snap of a client’s fingers, he lays down his container and starts work.
By Joyce Nyakato
Kayondo, a nail specialist, in Kintintale suburb moves with his equipment stacked in a green container. At a snap of a client’s fingers, he lays down his container and starts work.
Oblivious of the dust that his tools have collected, he pulls out his nail cutter and starts work without sanitizing. He uses a toothbrush to wipe dust from his tools, should a customer protest. When he is done, he wipes his tools with a towel. He says he cannot afford a sanitiser because he charges sh500 per client as opposed to his counterparts in upscale salons who charge between sh3,000 to sh15,000.
Many manicurists are oblivious of the hygiene standards that nail care personnel must uphold. According to Ruth Kibirige, the principal of Tiner International School of Beauty, nail equipment like clippers, cutters, tweezers and nail files should be sanitized in between clients. One can buy a disinfectant from a pharmacy.
Kibirige says a standard salon should have a sterilizer. Since sterilizing takes a long time and customers may not be willing to wait, it is advisable to have more than one set of working tools.
“Nail specialists should clean their workstation. They should use clean towels every time to prevent germs and bacteria from spreading,†she advises.
Despite the charges, some uptown salons have poor hygienic standards.
A survey of Kampala salons
Jesus Is Lord Nail Salon at Energy Centre Building is amazingly clean.
After a customer has been worked on, the manicurist asks a customer for a few minutes to wash his hands, sanitize the tools, clean the working area and change towels. The salon has a sterilizer and many tools.
Various salons that The New Vision visited leave a lot to be desired. Some manicurists do not have time to sanitize their tools. Customers place their feet on the manicurists’ thighs, cushioned by a towel.
At a certain salon, a manicurist used the same towel on four customers before replacing it. He used a nail file to remove residue underneath a client’s feet and one towel to clean all the client’s feet. When he was done, he dumped his tools in warm water and used a toothbrush to clean them.
Many salons had no sterilizers, or disinfectants.
Kayondo, a nail specialist, in Kintintale suburb moves with his equipment stacked in a green container. At a snap of a client’s fingers, he lays down his container and starts work.
Oblivious of the dust that his tools have collected, he pulls out his nail cutter and starts work without sanitizing. He uses a toothbrush to wipe dust from his tools, should a customer protest. When he is done, he wipes his tools with a towel. He says he cannot afford a sanitiser because he charges sh500 per client as opposed to his counterparts in upscale salons who charge between sh3,000 to sh15,000.
Many manicurists are oblivious of the hygiene standards that nail care personnel must uphold. According to Ruth Kibirige, the principal of Tiner International School of Beauty, nail equipment like clippers, cutters, tweezers and nail files should be sanitized in between clients. One can buy a disinfectant from a pharmacy.
Kibirige says a standard salon should have a sterilizer. Since sterilizing takes a long time and customers may not be willing to wait, it is advisable to have more than one set of working tools.
“Nail specialists should clean their workstation. They should use clean towels every time to prevent germs and bacteria from spreading,†she advises.
Despite the charges, some uptown salons have poor hygienic standards.
A survey of Kampala salons
Jesus Is Lord Nail Salon at Energy Centre Building is amazingly clean.
After a customer has been worked on, the manicurist asks a customer for a few minutes to wash his hands, sanitize the tools, clean the working area and change towels. The salon has a sterilizer and many tools.
Various salons that The New Vision visited leave a lot to be desired. Some manicurists do not have time to sanitize their tools. Customers place their feet on the manicurists’ thighs, cushioned by a towel.
At a certain salon, a manicurist used the same towel on four customers before replacing it. He used a nail file to remove residue underneath a client’s feet and one towel to clean all the client’s feet. When he was done, he dumped his tools in warm water and used a toothbrush to clean them.
Many salons had no sterilizers, or disinfectants.