Health

Can you get an infection without being cut?

February 01, 2009 | Bookmark +

My coworker did a manicure on a client and the client came back with a major infection. My coworker didn’t cut her during the service. My question is, can you get an infection without being cut? Could it have been my coworker’s fault?

Answer

Anytime the skin barrier is broken or cut, it becomes possible for germs to start an infection. However, breaks in the skin aren’t always visible. For example, shaving the legs creates hundreds of invisible, microscopic cuts that can become infected. This is why clients should be advised not to shave their legs within 24 hours of receiving a pedicure service. Nail infections don’t require the skin to be cut and can also be spread by contaminated implements. So in short, it is possible to give the client an infection without creating a visible cut or break in the skin. This explains why all implements and tools must be properly cleaned and disinfected before use.

— Doug Schoon is chief scientific advisor for CND.

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What’s the cause of the pinkish-red oval area on the pad of my client’s toes?

I have a client who has a recurring problem with her fourth toes during the winter months. Both of her “ring finger” toes develop a pinkish-red oval area on the pad. Then a month later, when I see her again, the skin has become dry and hard like a callus, with the layers of skin peeling away to reveal a deeper, dark epicenter.  It’s extremely painful for her and, needless to say, we do not touch it. But it clears up in the summer when she’s wearing open-toed sandals, so I suspect it has to be due to the boots she wears in the winter. Plus she never puts lotion on her feet or uses a foot file in between visits. What do you think causes this?

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What are the big white spots on my natural-nail client’s nails?

I have a client who has been with me for about two years. She used to wear acrylic nails but has been a natural nail client for eight months or so. She has these white spots on her nails — big spots that are dry, but not flaky, right in the middle of the nail. I did try to buff them lightly but they do not come off or grow off. I had a new client come in last week who had the same on her toenails. She said it started after she had a pedicure done at another salon. Can you help?

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