Over the summer, I had TWO infections as a result of having a pedicure. Did this scientist stop having them? No.
A Better Place?
I changed to a nail salon where the chairs overlook “sanitizing stations,” each with a UV sterilizer. The sterilizers were full of instruments carefully enclosed in sealed pouches. Looked good.
Since UV light is an effective antimicrobial (it kills germs), the technicians and most clients feel confident that they are safe from infection. But are they?
Bad News
Actually, no. This is because UV light only sterilizes what it touches. The underside of the instruments? Still contaminated. The top side of the instruments enclosed in a pouch? The pouches, too, block UV rays. The instruments at the bottom of the pile of pouches? All the germs are alive and well. Probably growing in the warm, damp atmosphere!
About the pouches that the nail salon uses. They look sterile because medical instruments are sterilized in them. However, medical instruments are sterilized with hot steam in an autoclave. Not in a UV box. Why? Because UV sterilization of medical instruments doesn’t work!
Do We Care?
In conclusion, nail salons do NOT use sterilized instruments. The technicians doubtless don’t know that, but now you do. Nonetheless, most of us survive. Happy pedicuring!