Yesterday I spoke to one of my best friends and she was asking me if I knew a place that does a good bikini wax & not even a good 30 minutes later I saw a status from a friend that was getting a Brazilian wax. Well I told her where I went & so on but I also let her know what to look out for. I feel compelled to share this info with everyone now that I know it by being a California Licensed Esthetician because its so easy to walk into somewhere & literally "lay it out all on the table". It all boils down to being clean & sanitizing/disinfecting properly.
If you go to a nail shop to get a pedicure, do you watch as your manicurist cleans out the foot spa after you finish? Or even better when he or she reaches in to get an implement from a "clean" labeled container vs. a "soiled" label container? Some years ago in the state of California nail salons were getting shut down for those lovely foot spa's w/the massaging chair because they didn't clean out the trap. So when state board came out they found dead skin & other particles in the trap.
When it comes down to waxing check out the wax warmers. If they look dirty, wax all over them, hair, etc...that's not clean. Check out the wax stick too. If you see someone waxing a persons eyebrows, how many times do they use the same stick? Do they use one stick & throw it away right after? These are things people might not really think about because its a simple & quick service but at the same time that same service could leave you at risk for a lot of "little" things.
The spread of infection is real. So real that HIV, Herpes, Chlamydia, HPV, etc. can be in that same pot of wax or that same cuticle cutter used on you that has been used on the person before you & before them.
So to eliminate you from being one of those people who could possibly get a foot fungus from a "simple" cut on the toe @ your favorite nail salon or getting your "va-jay-jay" waxed with the same stick & wax that the previous person used here are my suggestions/tips for you:
1. Ask around- there is nothing wrong with asking questions. The teachers would tell students from the beginning "there are no stupid questions" especially if you don't know. Ask people you trust about the places they go to have certain services done.
2. Open your eyes & look- trust me if you catch someone doing something wrong in a salon setting they know what they are doing. So let them know you know too. Some folks forget about state board disinfection procedures once they leave school or their job wont require them to fulfill the complete disinfection procedures but frankly they know whats wrong & whats right w/o being told. So dont be afraid to say something because it is unsafe for YOU and others.
3. Bring your own supplies- if you are skeptical you can always bring your own supplies. I told my friend to bring her own wax if she wants when it comes time for her service. It can put your mind @ ease knowing that you are safe & free of any nasty STI's, bacteria & fungus because believe me some people have the attitude "what you don't know, wont hurt you" & in this case it could.
I truly hope this helps someone because I never thought before school how often things were properly handled or even what the proper procedures were. I would go get my eyebrows waxed, manicure/pedicure, brazilian, etc. not knowing or even thinking about what happened before I arrived.
So feel free to post a comment.
And also the only people qualified to wax you are a licensed Cosmetologist or a licensed Esthetician....NOT A MANICURIST a.k.a NAIL TECH.
If you want to know more info like the most common violations, etc. check out
http://www.barbercosmo.ca.gov/
hey folks,
i have a shoot today w/ a good friend of mine and this lovely guy! he so lovely he can pass for a woman....no seriously! i love his look! i have some new ideas to shoot and i cant wait to get this thing crackin! im on my way to the glendale galleria mac store because i have a beautiful nail polish waiting on me called soiree from their cham pale collection. i also bought the highlighting powder that come out called rose ole. its soooo pretty! now its time for me to be outta here! happy new year and happy friday! talk to ya soon.....
ash
