Poor Nail Salon Hygiene Practices Can Lead to Serious Risks

Recent news reports across the United States reveal the potential health risks of visiting a nail salon一 especially if a nail salon uses inadequate hygiene practices. 

Hygiene-Related Injuries at Nail Salons

Several news reports over the past year reveal the risks of receiving nail care at a salon that doesn’t follow required hygiene practices.

In Portland, Oregon, an injured nail salon visitor filed a 2024 lawsuit, claiming a salon’s poor hygiene practices caused her to contract genital herpes. According to the lawsuit, the nail technician did not wear gloves during the procedure and did not store the drill bit used during the procedure in a sterile manner. 

Several days after the nail visit, the woman visited an urgent care clinic for swelling and blisters on one of her fingers. Tests revealed that she had contracted HSV 2, a viral infection responsible for causing genital herpes.

Similar cases from around the US include a Texas woman who had a finger amputated after contracting an infection from an unlicensed salon and a Georgia woman who needed a fingernail removed after a salon visit. Earlier news reports from nail salon visits describe visitors who contracted serious bacterial infections. Many of these infections required surgery, hospital stays, or both, to address the injury.

What To Look For When Choosing a Nail Salon

Visiting a nail salon is an uplifting experience for many people. Friends and family members may go together for a fun outing. Others prefer to attend their nail appointments alone to focus on the experience.

How do you keep your nail salon trip from turning into a serious medical situation? Here are several items to look for when choosing a nail salon.

Proper Licensing

The South Carolina Board of Cosmetology sets licensing requirements for nail technicians and nail salons. A licensed nail technician must:

• Be at least 16 years old,
• Have completed the 10th grade or equivalent education, 
• Complete a 300-hour course of instruction in a board-approved cosmetology school.

Nail technician instructors must meet additional requirements.

Nail salons must also meet the hygiene requirements that apply to all salons in South Carolina. These requirements include rules for the building itself, meeting state and local building, plumbing, and electrical codes, and toilet facilities. There are also regulations for cleanliness, repairs, and similar requirements. 

The South Carolina regulations for salon sanitation and safety state that “all licensed cosmetologists, instructors, nail technicians, and estheticians shall be held individually liable for implementation and maintenance of the sanitary rules applicable to them.”

Hygiene Practices

In addition to checking whether your chosen nail salon meets requirements and employs licensed technicians, take a look at the hygiene practices happening when you step into the salon. For instance:

• How are single-use items handled? Nail files, buffers, cotton balls or swabs, and similar items should never be reused. New ones should come out of sealed packaging for each person. 
• Is anyone cleaning up, and if so, how? Look around for technicians who are cleaning their workspace or sanitizing tools between clients. Also, see if technicians wash their hands regularly. Any sign that a technician skips these steps is a red flag. 
• Do tools, equipment, and workspaces look clean? Look for signs of visible dirt, grime, or debris. This step is especially valuable when having a pedicure since foot baths can easily transmit bacteria if they are not thoroughly cleaned and all single-use parts are changed between uses. 
• How do my own hands and feet look today? Look past your nails and examine your skin. Cuts, scrapes, and other open wounds make it easier for bacteria to enter your body and cause harm. Ask technicians about any additional measures that might help protect you if you have open areas on the skin. 

Finally, when in doubt, ask! Professional, licensed technicians are often proud of the education and experience they’ve earned and will be willing to explain how their cleaning practices work. 

Injury or Illness From Getting Your Nails Done? Where to Turn for Help

A trip to the nail salon shouldn’t land you in the hospital. If you’ve been injured or contracted a serious illness from having your nails done, talk to an experienced attorney as soon as possible.

At the Steinberg Law Firm, our South Carolina personal injury attorneys are dedicated to serving each of our clients with the highest standards of care and professionalism. We’ll protect your legal rights as we work to secure the compensation you deserve.

To learn more, contact us today. Call our office or fill out our online form to request a free, confidential consultation with one of our attorneys.