Frequently Asked Questions

Q) Why are your prices more than other nail salons?

A) Because I purchase only the highest quality nail products from reputable distributors, which includes hospital grade sanitizer for my tools. I have more than 22 years experience doing nails, plus I pay for extensive education in addition to the continuing education hours we are required to take each year in order to keep our professional licenses.

Q) What is "hospital grade sanitizer"?

A) All metal tools (nippers, clippers, cuticle pushers) must be totally immersed (because germs 'creep' up the handles) for a minimum of 10 minutes in a medical grade disinfectant that provides broad spectrum protection:

1. Bactericidal

2. Fungicidal

3. Tuberculocidal

4. Virucidal

5. Staphylocidal

6. Pseudomonacidal

***All it takes is the tech to nick someone, draw blood onto the tool, not sanitize it properly, use that tool on the next client, and pass on an incurable disease such as hepatitis C, herpes, and possibly HIV. Rubbing alcohol, bleach, Lysol, etc. are not hospital grade sanitizers. Would you want your surgeon cutting into you with a scalpel that was simply sprayed with Lysol?

Q) Why is sanitizing properly important?

A) Because germs and viruses are easily spread to everything we touch, so the hands harbor all kinds of bacteria. It's a disgusting thought, but not everyone washes their hands upon using the restroom or blowing their nose. Then you touch things that they've touched, such as a door knob, the shopping cart handle, you shook their hand, exchanged money, etc. It's especially easy for nail techs (and the tools they use) to pass the common cold, flu, and nastier health concerns such as warts, hepatitis, and herpes (there are documented cases already) if they are not taking the proper steps to sanitize their hands, tables and tools. Untreated staph infections from tools that have not been properly disinfected have resulted in amputations, even death. Don't believe me? Just Google it.

Q) Are those metal shavers (that look like cheese slicers) safe to use when pedicuring?

A) They are illegal for nail techs to use on paying clients in Kentucky, and in many other states, too. That means that any salon caught with Credo blades (the technical term) can be fined and cited by our state board of cosmetology. To report the use of a Credo blade by any salon, please call the Ky. State Board of Cosmetologists at (502) 564-4262 or go to www.kentucky.gov.

Q) Why can't nail techs use them in the salon?

A) Because we're not educated in our training to use tools that actually cut into live skin. Our licenses prohibit that. Cuticles are dead skin, so we can use nippers. Only podiatrists (medically trained doctors that specialize in caring for the feet) are allowed to use the Credo blades. Stores still sell them for your own personal use, which is still not recommended by doctors and educated nail techs.

Q) What's the big deal?

A) It's actually a huge deal on many levels:

    First, if they aren't sanitized properly, you're at risk for blood borne diseases like hepatitis, herpes, and possibly HIV. There's no cure for those, so are you willing to take the chance? All it takes is the tech to nick someone, draw blood onto the tool, not sanitize it properly, use that tool on the next client, and pass on an incurable disease.

    Second, techs can't always determine the depth of the callus they are shaving, so it's common to take off too much. That results in sensitive, pink skin, emphasized with jagged cut marks (due to the techs lack of training with Credo blades). Walking is painful after that, plus the wounds are open to infection.

    Third, diabetics are at extreme risk of getting an infection due to the lack of feeling in their feet (neuropathy) and their inability to heal normally. Even a small nick can lead to gangrene, resulting in the amputation of toes, feet, or legs. Then if the infection can't be contained, death follows. A  large portion of people walking around today have diabetes in varying stages, but they just haven't been diagnosed yet. You could be one of them.

    Fourth, calluses are natures way of protecting a bone within your foot. When there's friction between your foot and shoe, a callus occurs. Women that wear high heels normally develop calluses on the balls of their feet. Women that wear backless shoes, such as flip flops or strapless sandals, usually have calluses on their heels. It's far better to reduce the callus with an abrasive foot file, which smooths it down, instead of shaving it off. Calluses always come back anyway, only much thicker if you shave them off.

Q) Good grief! Maybe I shouldn't go to a nail salon at all?

A) Nail salons are safe when the techs are educated and informed on proper sanitation. Some techs come from 3rd world countries where the concept of germs is not widely known because people are used to bathing, urinating, and drinking from the same river. Some techs just don't care to be informed on sanitiation and safety issues. Some salon owners don't want to spend the money that it costs to sanitize because that cuts into their profit.

   In my salon, both the tech and the client wash their hands with germicidal soap before each service. Metal tools are completely submersed in hospital grade sanitizer for the required amount of time. Disposable files are used for manicuring and pedicuring. Clients that see me regularly have their own file folder with sanitizable files, buffers, plus their own orangewood stick and nail brush. The nail tables are sanitized between each client and disposable table towels are thrown away after each use. The hospital grade sanitizer is disposed of at the end of each night and a new formula is mixed at the start of each day. You will never see bits of debris floating in my sanitizer jar!

Q) Do you use a pedicure spa throne with a whirlpool tub?

A) No, because they are known to harbor bacteria (called 'bio-film)' within the pipes. Upon refilling the tub this bio-film is spurted back into the filling water from the jets. Even if they are the newer "pipeless" whirlpools, the filters and jets need to be cleaned by running sanitizer through them for 10 minutes between every client, then again for 30 minutes at the end of each night. Ever see a tech do this? Rarely do they have the time. Plus, it doesn't take jetted water to make a fabulous pedicure.....try mine and compare!