Looking good is very important for all women so they give close attention to their makeup and hair. In recent times, nail grooming has been the main reason why women visit salons. However, many beauty salons don’t hire professionals who know how sensitive this issue is.
Cosmetic care for feet in beauty centers works on the principle of cutting the nails and painting them quickly and randomly, at the hands of those who are not quite experienced because it works out cheaper for beauty salons in economic terms. So little importance is given to cleaning and disinfection when working with one client and moving on to the next. Even if the customer brings her own tools, it does not mean protection from contamination and infection.
Staff in beauty salons do not take into account the client’s condition or state of nails and skin. Arab News spoke to Dr. Khalid Idriss, consultant podiatric foot and ankle surgeon, who throws light on some common problems regarding foot and nail care at beauty salons:
1. Ingrown toenails
This results from cutting the nails with techniques that show lack of experience and skill, and ingrown nails in general is when parts of the nail grow into the skin; thus leading to inflammation and pain, especially when walking. In the absence of treatment this may expose the inflamed skin to rot and infection.
2. Nail fungal rot
This is the result of poor hygiene or lack of any kind of sterilization kits in beauty salons. And nail fungal rot usually causes a change in the color of the nail and swelling in size, and the emergence of some unpleasant odors. In the absence of treatment, the infection may pass to the rest of the nails and skin, and are treated by taking drugs for a period of not less than three months and this could lead to liver damage.
3. Contagious conditions and viral diseases
Due to lack of necessary sterilization of tools and kits used in beauty salons; some diseases become contagious such as: warts, and bacteria resulting from athletic shoes, and some viral diseases such as harmful bacteria (MRSA), and hepatitis; also due to poorly trained staff in beauty salons.
4. Cutting nails incorrectly
Incorrectly cutting the nails may lead to uncover the root of the nail, thus leaving it vulnerable to contamination and dry skin. In some cases it might lead to the distortion in the shape of the nail.
5. Using sharp blades and stones
In beauty salons, they often use sharp blades and stone to remove dry and cracked skin until the skin becomes softer, which in the end may lead to cuts, scratches and burning itching.
6. Medical and scientific side
In beauty salons there are no medical or scientific specialists and there are no standards in training.
7. Soaking feet in lukewarm water
It is a customary procedure in beauty salons that leads to high humidity in the feet and skin.
There are significant advantages for medical pedicures, in addition to the peace of mind that we feel. Dr. Idriss defines medical care for the feet as “a medical pedicure session carried out by a specialist trainee under the supervision of a doctor who specializes in foot and ankle care, and usually a nurse or nursing assistant.”
The session takes between 45-60 minutes in which both the nail and surrounding skin are examined to ensure their good condition.
“Ingrown or disfigured toenails, nail skin and skin between the toes are problems. In the absence of any of the above, nails are then cut properly, and feet are cleaned, as the case requires. In the case of some of the problems mentioned above, the worker here in turn gets rid of these problems, taking into account the proper medical standards, such as the use of sterile medical instruments, so that any infection or other illness, God forbid, will not transfer from one person to another,” he added.
Here are some details of the criteria provided by Dr. Idriss with regard to medical care for the feet:
1. Intern under the supervision of a doctor who specializes in foot and ankle, and usually a nurse or assistant nurse.
2. Staff qualified and trained in the best global institutes, at the highest medical standards.
3. All the tools used are sterilized following the methods of sterilization of surgical instruments in hospitals, through the use of devices and sterilization units called Autoclave.
4. Podiatric session uses special and powerful hardware, similar to those used at the dentist, as opposed to beauty salons that use hand tools.
5. Podiatric session includes proper pedicure, removal of coarse and harsh unwanted skin, in an innovative way.
6. As the result of a medical background of specialists podiatric care of the foot and ankle, the purpose of the sessions is completely different, using different procedures, and most important of all, results are also different.
Dr. Khalid Idriss Medical Center’s goals:
1. Educating the client regarding how to deal with his feet and nails and understanding his condition.
2. Preventing any problems for feet and nails, whether during the session or in everyday life.
3. Treating and pampering the feet.
4. Intervention to reduce the risk of foot and nail problems as much as possible.
5. Medical care pedicures are designed for people with difficult problems of the feet, but are available to everyone, and will be satisfactory and useful for those who want to pamper their feet.
6. Every time you put your hands and feet under the less-educated and trained hands of those working in beauty salons, you gamble your health.
