What to Look for In a Pedicure and Your Technician

As stated previously, many do not think of pedicures until summer is approaching, or a vacation is in sight. However, it is essential to maintain one's feet even during the winter months. This will ensure that the "piggy's" are ready to be bared, and the bottoms of the feet are free of cracks and fissures due to the dryness of winter.

One pedicure alone is not going to be the miracle. Once again regular pedicures, attained once a month, and constant home care will ensure not only healthy feet but pretty feet. So that brings me to my quest of educating people on what to look for in a technician, and the services they provide. As consumers, we are entitled to ask questions about services and practices. When we shop for items, they are generally tangible. They can be touched, looked at, or the scent can be examined. However, for services, we only have the person as the marketable "item". As a result, we are often not aware of what we are getting until we are in the midst of getting that service done. Therefore, it is our responsibility as a consumer, to do our research before purchasing the service.

A pedicurist should be certified. Unfortunately, in Canada, Estheticians do not have a regulating body, nor are there set laws for criteria. As a result, there are many people practicing that should not be. Your proposed technician should be able to answer your questions with knowledge, and expertise. Professionalism is defined through education and expertise. Even "infant" technicians should be able to provide answers for you.

Hygiene of course is of the utmost importance. As a consumer, you should be aware of how the salon cleans their implements, and stations. A hospital grade, broad spectrum disinfectant that has a Health Canada assigned DIN#, is the answer you should get. Many times salon owners, or techs get very offended when asked about cleanliness. It is very difficult for anyone to handle scrutiny, however, if they are practicing proper hygiene and sanitization, they will not have a problem explaining things to you or showing you their practices. For better understanding, I will explain sanitization and define things as I go. Remember, you are at anytime welcome to post me a message. It will not show up unless I decide to publish it, so therefore you have the opportunity to ask questions privately.

Sanitization is the process of making an enviroment clean and disease free. There are different levels of sanitization, as well as different quidelines for personal service providers, and our everyday life. It is divided into three basic categories. Sanitization is step one. This is where elbow grease and detergents are applied. A technician should be scrubbing her pedicure implements in anti-bacterial soap. This is to remove debris. If any debris is left on the implement or in the pedi-basin, a simple spray of disinfectant is not making those objects clean. In order for disinfectants to work, the debris must not be present. Sanitizers , (now remember this is for professional service and not home life, as it is a different environment all together.), are household cleaners, detergents, and soaps. With these and scrubbing debris is removed. Technically, floors cannot become cleaner than this level. However, it would be rather digusting to go for a pedicure while someone else's toenail clippings are staring you in the face, would it not? Sweeping and mopping this area is a must between each client.

Basins and implements need to be scrubbed to remove all debris. The next level is disinfecting. This includes the hospital grade disinfectant. In Canada, Health Canada has more rules than the F.D.A. of our U.S. neighbors. A Drug Identification Number (DIN#) is assigned to anything medical. This number means the product is recognized and is true to what it claims. As well, it is only as good as it's technician. If techs do not follow label instructions, it will not be as effective. This level is as far as the esthetics industry is required to practice by law. We do not penetrate nor do invasive work like doctors or dentists, so we are therefore not put in the same category. However, disposables like files, orangewood sticks and buffers (IN MY OPINION) should be thrown out after each client. There are files on the market that allows techs to disinfect them, so do ask if the files are sanitizable. I, personally, like to use one file per client.

Feet are full of so much bacteria, and fungi, that I do not want to be liable for spreading it. On the note of a disinfectant, broad spectrum means that it is a bacteriacide, fungicide, viracide, and tuberculocide. Tuberculosis and related bacteria, are the hardest to render inactive. Therefore, all soaking times for disinfectants are based on the time it takes to render tuberculosis as inert. That my readers is the definition of disinfect. It is the process of rendering bacteria, or viruses and such as inert or inactive, they cannot reproduce and cause the spread of disease. I like to say that the bacteria has had a vasectomy. That is usually good for a few giggles in the classroom.

The next step is sterilization. This is when bacteria is dead. In our industry, it may be in the form of an autoclave, or bead sterializer. I like to use the bead sterilizer, because the part that touches the client is put inside and heated to approx 250 degrees. WE ARE NOT DOCTORS, nor do we do the invasive procedures that doctors do. It is our responsability to ensure that we are using our implements correctly, however, accidents do happen and we can cut a client. The disinfectants are strong enough, but the sterilizer just takes the cleanliness to one step better. Note that if your tech does not have a sterilizer, that it is not required by law. However, the re-use of disposable materials is prohibited.

In conclusion, do be sure to ask about hygiene practices and watch very carefully to ensure that materials used on you are clean. Remember, you get what you pay for. So if you expect high quality services, and hygiene, for cheap prices you are unrealistic. Proper professional products costs are factored into your service price, I would question a cheaper price.