Buyer Beware When Getting Nails Done

It’s Buyer Beware When It Comes to Getting Your Nails Done

Looks to die for can actually kill you. Such is the conclusion to be drawn from the death last week of a British Columbia woman who contracted necrotizing fasciitis, or flesh-eating disease, after a selfadministered pedicure with unsterilized tie clippers.

Regional Coroner Dianne Olson confirmed that the unidentified 61-year-old Victoria resident died in her home two weeks ago from a streptococcus infection related to a minor toe injury. "The pursuit of beauty can kill you," says Toronto dermatologist Dr. Lisa Kellett, who in the past year has seen a marked rise in skin infections related to body piercing. "You have to be careful where you go and what you have done."

Grooming basics such as manicures and pedicures are high on the list of potentially risky aesthetic ventures. Instruments such as acrylic nail drills, callus-paring blades, cuticle scissors, nail clippers and reusable razors can spread bacteria if not properly sterilized.

But even if the premises are spic and span, allergic reactions can occur from repeated exposure to the harsh chemicals used in nail polishes (formaldehyde), removers (acetone) and materials used for attaching acrylic nails. Allergies tend to develop over repeated exposures, so even if you don’t get a reaction the first few times, you may develop one later.

Even a haircut at the local barber can be life-threatening if an unhygienic pair of scissors pierces the skin, Kellett says.

"I tell my husband all the time that he is putting his life in someone else’s hands each time he sits in one of those leather chairs. It all boils down to sterilization. Any instrument used in any beauty procedure can potentially seriously compromise your health if not properly sterilized."

From the The Globe And Mail, January 26, 2002, By Deirdre Kelly.  To read the entire article please click here