Glove Up!!!

Lately, I’ve been reading and viewing images of skin care professionals not wearing gloves. I thought it would be advantageous to inform consumers and professionals who don’t quite understand why it is imperative to WEAR GLOVES.

Think about what a licensed Esthetician is doing when removing your hair when waxing, threading or sugaring? She is removing hair by the root. It isn’t uncommon to see pin point bleeding from the hair growth cells. Wearing gloves is barrier protection for both the client and the practitioner. We are talking about blood borne pathogens here. That means, viruses, fungus, bacterial spores, and possible infection. Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, HIV are just a few that come to mind.

What if I have a hang nail? What if I have a microscopic cut? What if I, the professional, touched a contaminated object and then sugared or waxed your skin bare hands?

I know some professionals think it is only necessary to wear gloves when waxing Brazilians and not a leg or a back, but bleeding, skin tags and skin issues can also occur when performing hair removal in these areas. We simply cannot become relaxed on wearing gloves.

Here are some excerpts from OSHA, World Heath Organization, Health and Safety Executive and Texas Government.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) dictates that gloves should be worn when practitioners anticipate coming into contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials; mucous membranes; non-intact skin; when performing vascular access procedures; and when handling or touching contaminated items or surfaces.

Rationale for using medical gloves:
Medical gloves are recommended to be worn for two main reasons:
1. To reduce the risk of contamination of health-care workers hands
with blood and other body fluids.
2. To reduce the risk of germ dissemination to the environment and
of transmission from the practitioner to the client and
vice versa, as well as from one client to another.

Gloves should therefore be used during all client-care.

The use of gloves does not eliminate the need for hand hygiene. Likewise, the use of hand hygiene does not eliminate the need for gloves. Gloves reduce hand contamination by 70 percent to 80 percent, prevent cross-contamination and protect  clients and skin care personnel from infection. Hand rubs should be used before and after each client just as gloves should be changed before and after each client.

In conclusion, if you are a consumer and the practitioner removing your hair is NOT wearing gloves, LEAVE and find a new professional. Professional is not synonymous with cutting corners. Not wearing gloves is just as bad as double dipping wax applicators. You are paying for a professional service, expect high standards in sanitation and consumer protection.