Hygiene watch- That cheap nail-do is not that cheap
Feb 28, 2010
WHAT do you know about the nail polish boys, the ones who walk the streets everyday in search of women desiring a manicure or pedicure? That they charge cheaper rates than the average salons and find you anywhere you are? Ask one of them what hygiene or contagious diseases are and they will look bla
By Gilbert Kidimu
WHAT do you know about the nail polish boys, the ones who walk the streets everyday in search of women desiring a manicure or pedicure? That they charge cheaper rates than the average salons and find you anywhere you are? Ask one of them what hygiene or contagious diseases are and they will look blank.
As they file and paint your nails, they are oblivious of the health risks their work poses to customers. Before you seek their services, ask yourself how many times they have washed their hands after touching a client’s feet. How often do they clean their instruments before and after doing a manicure or pedicure?
How clean are the tools?
In a bid to improve our hygiene and appearance, we tend to overlook important health indicators and hygiene. Rita Nakiboneka, who usually utilises the services of these boys, says she has never seen them clean their tools before or after using them.
“I do not think these boys know the health dangers they pose to their customers,†she says.
Wilberforce Kabweru says the spirit most of these men use has less than 5% alcohol content which makes their effort virtually useless. The only thing they have closest to alcohol is the nail polish remover.
Those tiny plastic boxes they carry around do not have sterilisers or alcohol to sterilise their equipment. In such a situation, fungal infections are easily spread.
“If an infection spreads to the bone, it will lead to surgical treatment and can cause gangrene. Fungal infections are notorious and common,†says Kabweru.
The few men who make an effort to maintain hygiene use pure water, which, according to Kabweru, cleans only 30% of the germs and infection, while soap cleans up to 50% and alcohol clears more than 80%.
The towels are washed at most once everyday after working on many clients. Sometimes they are only washed only when the dirt is very visible.
Lately some of the operators like George Mubiru have devised more hygienic means such as wearing aprons and face masks while working on an individual and using cleaner towels.
However, the problem according to Dr. Amos Mulindwa of Care Clinic is they think water and soap are all they need yet these two alone cannot kill fungal infections or clear all harmful bacteria.
“There should be use of standard spirit (alcohol) which will wipe out the infections and also sterilise when using the machine,†he suggests.
Risks involved
While a manicure and pedicure will cost one between sh500-sh1,500, in a good salon one will part with sh5000-sh15,000. Quite expensive for the everyday Ugandan but what happens when you pick an infection from the less costly services?
Treating a fungal infection will most likely drain you of all you saved while trying to cut costs as a minor operation in Mulago Hospital’s private wing costs sh200, 000 while treatment of fungal infections cost a total of sh40, 000
Fungal infections can eat up fingernails when left to spread.
Worse still, that fungus is easily transferred from one person to another. The injuries make one prone to infection and potentially progress to deeper tissues, causing bone and muscle infection, according to Kabweru
“Nail and hair salons may be a source of blood-borne as well as other infectious diseases,†says Dr. Shelly Sekula of Dermatological Society.
He says razors, nail files, scissors, tattoo needles and body piercing instruments are risk factors for transmitting hepatitis B and C.
Contagious fungal infections on toes and feet are common among women who go for pedicures and get cuts.
“Failure to sterilize also leads to community infections.
A group of people can suffer from the same disease as a result of an infection being passed on from one person to another,†says Kabweru.
Fungal infections are hard to clear from the instruments because they form spores which do not respond to alcohol.
However, if one picks an infection, she should visit the doctor for treatment.
When left to spread, the infection could lead to surgical conditions such as gangrene and the bone will have to be drained of the infection if it is affected.
But worse still, it is unanimously known that sharing sharp objects increases risks of contracting more severe diseases such as hepatitis B or HIV/AIDS if the objects are not properly sterilised.
Advice from experts
The good news is that manicures and pedicures are not entirely being blacklisted for being unhygienic. Experts say one can ensure a safe homemade pedicure and manicure or by visiting a reputable salon.
Mulindwa says the best treatment against fungal infections is boiling the equipment to 1000C although using steam is even more effective because of the latent heat. “Steam is so effective that it is used in main operating rooms,†he reckons.
According to Kabweru, sterilisation can be done in different ways; for example alcohol or spirit which removes 85% of germs if the concentration is 75% or above. It cleans bacterial and viral infections.
He says the ideal concentration should be 90% although most producers stick with 75%.
Instruments like nail files and nail cutters should be dipped in the liquid to avoid spreading infection. You can also apply direct heat to the instruments to kill germs or sterilise the equipment.
Also use disposable instruments for different individuals. Sterilising should also be done at boiling point, which is 1000C and cleaning should be done with highly concentrated alcohol.
There are salons with sterilising machines, the right chemicals to clean up, fresh towels, and qualified personnel.
Before you surrender your hands and feet to a manicure/pedicure hawker, be sure of what you are getting into.
WHAT do you know about the nail polish boys, the ones who walk the streets everyday in search of women desiring a manicure or pedicure? That they charge cheaper rates than the average salons and find you anywhere you are? Ask one of them what hygiene or contagious diseases are and they will look blank.
As they file and paint your nails, they are oblivious of the health risks their work poses to customers. Before you seek their services, ask yourself how many times they have washed their hands after touching a client’s feet. How often do they clean their instruments before and after doing a manicure or pedicure?
How clean are the tools?
In a bid to improve our hygiene and appearance, we tend to overlook important health indicators and hygiene. Rita Nakiboneka, who usually utilises the services of these boys, says she has never seen them clean their tools before or after using them.
“I do not think these boys know the health dangers they pose to their customers,†she says.
Wilberforce Kabweru says the spirit most of these men use has less than 5% alcohol content which makes their effort virtually useless. The only thing they have closest to alcohol is the nail polish remover.
Those tiny plastic boxes they carry around do not have sterilisers or alcohol to sterilise their equipment. In such a situation, fungal infections are easily spread.
“If an infection spreads to the bone, it will lead to surgical treatment and can cause gangrene. Fungal infections are notorious and common,†says Kabweru.
The few men who make an effort to maintain hygiene use pure water, which, according to Kabweru, cleans only 30% of the germs and infection, while soap cleans up to 50% and alcohol clears more than 80%.
The towels are washed at most once everyday after working on many clients. Sometimes they are only washed only when the dirt is very visible.
Lately some of the operators like George Mubiru have devised more hygienic means such as wearing aprons and face masks while working on an individual and using cleaner towels.
However, the problem according to Dr. Amos Mulindwa of Care Clinic is they think water and soap are all they need yet these two alone cannot kill fungal infections or clear all harmful bacteria.
“There should be use of standard spirit (alcohol) which will wipe out the infections and also sterilise when using the machine,†he suggests.
Risks involved
While a manicure and pedicure will cost one between sh500-sh1,500, in a good salon one will part with sh5000-sh15,000. Quite expensive for the everyday Ugandan but what happens when you pick an infection from the less costly services?
Treating a fungal infection will most likely drain you of all you saved while trying to cut costs as a minor operation in Mulago Hospital’s private wing costs sh200, 000 while treatment of fungal infections cost a total of sh40, 000
Fungal infections can eat up fingernails when left to spread.
Worse still, that fungus is easily transferred from one person to another. The injuries make one prone to infection and potentially progress to deeper tissues, causing bone and muscle infection, according to Kabweru
“Nail and hair salons may be a source of blood-borne as well as other infectious diseases,†says Dr. Shelly Sekula of Dermatological Society.
He says razors, nail files, scissors, tattoo needles and body piercing instruments are risk factors for transmitting hepatitis B and C.
Contagious fungal infections on toes and feet are common among women who go for pedicures and get cuts.
“Failure to sterilize also leads to community infections.
A group of people can suffer from the same disease as a result of an infection being passed on from one person to another,†says Kabweru.
Fungal infections are hard to clear from the instruments because they form spores which do not respond to alcohol.
However, if one picks an infection, she should visit the doctor for treatment.
When left to spread, the infection could lead to surgical conditions such as gangrene and the bone will have to be drained of the infection if it is affected.
But worse still, it is unanimously known that sharing sharp objects increases risks of contracting more severe diseases such as hepatitis B or HIV/AIDS if the objects are not properly sterilised.
Advice from experts
The good news is that manicures and pedicures are not entirely being blacklisted for being unhygienic. Experts say one can ensure a safe homemade pedicure and manicure or by visiting a reputable salon.
Mulindwa says the best treatment against fungal infections is boiling the equipment to 1000C although using steam is even more effective because of the latent heat. “Steam is so effective that it is used in main operating rooms,†he reckons.
According to Kabweru, sterilisation can be done in different ways; for example alcohol or spirit which removes 85% of germs if the concentration is 75% or above. It cleans bacterial and viral infections.
He says the ideal concentration should be 90% although most producers stick with 75%.
Instruments like nail files and nail cutters should be dipped in the liquid to avoid spreading infection. You can also apply direct heat to the instruments to kill germs or sterilise the equipment.
Also use disposable instruments for different individuals. Sterilising should also be done at boiling point, which is 1000C and cleaning should be done with highly concentrated alcohol.
There are salons with sterilising machines, the right chemicals to clean up, fresh towels, and qualified personnel.
Before you surrender your hands and feet to a manicure/pedicure hawker, be sure of what you are getting into.