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Shameful Habits Survey
How meticulous are you when it comes to practicing safety and sanitation guidelines?
by Staff
August 1, 2007
2 min to read
Thank you to all the readers who took our recent Shameful Habits Survey. We appreciate your honesty when it comes to the good and the not-so-good habits practiced in the salon. We hope the results shed some light on where we as an industry are working safely and where there’s room for improvement.
Do you ever dispose of acetone or other flammable liquids down the drain?
Yes, often 5%
Yes, occasionally 21%
No, never 74%
Why we care: 1) We love the environment; 2) We’d hate for anything to explode.
Do you ever warm up acetone in the microwave?
Yes 3%
No 97%
Why we care: It can, and sometimes does, catch fire.
Do you always replace the towel between clients?
Yes 80%
No 5%
Almost always 15%
Why we care: Besides the ick factor, a clean towel reduces a client’s exposure to uncured product, filing dust, and other undesirable substances.
Do you clean your pedicure basins according to state regulations ALL the time?
Yes 86%
No 6%
Almost always 8%
Why we care: Because we love our clients and want them to remain infection-free.
Do you ever reuse one-time-use implements?
Yes, often 10%
Yes, occasionally 17%
No, never 73%
Why we care: See above.
Do you ever neglect to disinfect metal implements?
Yes, often 5%
Yes, occasionally 10%
No, never 85%
Why we care: See above again.
Do you change your UV bulbs according to the schedule recommended by the manufacturer?
Yes 56%
No 44%
Why we care: Improperly cured gels increase the risk of allergic reaction.
Do you claim all tips on your tax return?
Yes 33%
No 67%
Why we care: This one’s between you, the IRS, and your conscience.
Do you eat at your workstation?
Yes 20%
No 59%
Almost never 21%
Why we care: Filing dust and chemical vapors can ruin an otherwise tasty snack.
Do you wash your hands before each new client?
Yes 67%
No 14%
Almost always 19%
Why we care: Simple hand-washing takes care of 99%
of germs.
Do you have clients wash their hands before their service?
Yes 46%
No 38%
Almost always 16%
Why we care: See above.
Do you use credo blades even though they are illegal in your state?
Yes 6%
No 94%
Why we care: For safety’s sake, leave the cutting to those trained and licensed to do it.
See more beauty industry statistics and analyses at Nails’ Beauty Industry Research.
Originally published in NAILS Magazine, August 2007.
KEYWORDS: industry research
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