Take precautions to make sure pedicure doesn’t lead to disaster

Summer is here, and people are lining up to get pedicures, but many are unaware of the possible danger lurking unseen in footbath tubs. According to the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation’s Board of Cosmetology, two cases of mycobacteria skin infections have been reported in people who have had pedicures in salons in Charleston and Spartanburg. To prevent further spread of the bacteria, both salons have been prohibited from using footbaths.

There are methods that can be employed by salons to help prevent the spread of the bacteria and other skin problems such as rashes that can result from a pedicure.

Dr. Michelle L. Butterworth, a board certified foot and ankle surgeon practicing at Pee Dee Foot Center, said one way to combat pedicure problems is to only go to salons where the nail technicians are certified by the state.

“An advantage of going to a certified nail technician is that they are approved through OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) as far as the sterility of their nail supplies,” she said.

She said always look for signs that the instruments are clean and sterilized after each customer.

“I’ve seen patients come in who have said I didn’t have (a problem) until I had a pedicure,” Butterworth said.

Le Phuong, a nail technician at Golden Nails & Spa in the Florence Mall, said she advises her clients to avoid shaving the day of the pedicure because it can cause many irritations to the legs.

“It is better not to shave the day of a pedicure,” she said. “When you shave your legs, it can lead to a rash or irritations because we use a sea salt scrub.”

Butterworth said the most common problem she sees relating to pedicures are ingrown toenails.

“My advice would be, when they cut the nails, make sure they cut the nails across and softly round the corners a little bit,” she said.

Some people say the best part of going to a salon for a pedicure is the razor to remove callouses from the bottoms of customers feet, but according to the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulations, those kinds of callous removers are illegal in South Carolina.

According to their Web site, razor blades being used to cut calluses off the feet are considered unsafe — a topic on which Butterworth agrees.

“To my knowledge I don’t know any nail places that use scalpels,” she said. “Sanding (feet) or filing is fine, but if they use the scalpel or razor blade that can be dangerous.”

Butterworth said some of the problems with allowing a salon to use a razor on customers is possible infection and/or scarring.

“Sometime it is difficult to tell the difference between the calloused skin and the good skin,” she said. “Not only can (customers) get cut, it can cause a scar, bleeding or infection in the foot.”

A salon that doesn’t follow this particular state guideline is likely not following others, as well, including sanitation protocols that protect customers against mycobacteria skin infection.

Some of the symptoms of the infection include lesions that look similar to mosquito bites on the legs and feet roughly a week after the pedicure. The lesions then become inflamed and open which can lead to scarring.

The only way to treat the infection is through extensive antibiotic treatments, since the bacteria is resistant to standard antibiotic therapy.

In light of the two incidences of bacterial infection in Charleston and Spartanburg, the State Board of Cosmetology issued an alert to salons across South Carolina, reminding them of the proper procedures to follow when disinfecting footbaths.

Charlotte Moore, a stylist and manicurist at First Impressions Salon on Second Loop Road in Florence, said stylists at the salon must follow a rigorous routine to properly disinfect the tools and footbaths there on a daily and weekly basis.

“At the end of each day, we put about a half gallon of bleach in it and run it for 30 minutes,” Moore said. “It is required by law that we do that. But after each customer, we spray a 10-percent bleach solution in it and clean it out.”

Moore said the mycobacteria comes from improperly cleaned footbaths.

“It’s from dead skin and nails remnants stuck in the pipes allowing bacteria to grow,” she said.

After each customer, state guidelines advise salons to empty the used water and remove all debris from the footbath, sanitize the surface of the foot bath with soap and rinse with clean water. Then they must disinfect the footbath with a bleach-based cleanser for at least 10 minutes prior to wiping the foot bath dry and refilling it for the next customer.

By taking a few simple precautions when getting a pedicure, your feet can be footloose and fancy free this summer.