If you are worried about getting a good haircut in a hair salon, that should be the least of your worries. Microscopic organisms, viruses, and bacteria thrive in hair salons. Dirty and contaminated combs, brushes, clips, curling irons, towels, robes, shampoo capes, shampoo bowls, chairs and floors are violations for a growing number of salons. State boards of cosmetology are the regulators for sanitization in hair salons, but their hard work still leaves room for improvement with the respect for health concerns of the consumer.
If this disturbs you, then you might want to consider inspecting the hair salon yourself. There are several factors that you should consider when evaluating the cleanliness of a hair salon.
First, look at the overall picture:
- Are the walls, floors, and ceiling clean?
- Is there dust on the shelves, on the products for sale, on the chairs?
- Can you see trashcans without lids for hair clippings?
- Are the shampoo bowls and hair strainers clean?
- Are the towels in a closed cabinet and do they smell fresh?
- Do you see dirty towels overflowing from a container?
Next, look at the workstations:
- Are there hair clippings on the floor, counter, chair?
- Is there a container for used combs and brushes?
- Are the clean combs and brushes in a drawer? (Note: It may be impossible to know if the combs and brushes are in a sterile environment without intruding!)
Finally, observe the hairstylist:
- Does he or she wash his or her hands in between customers?
- Is the hair stylist’s fingernails and clothing clean?
- Do they have food around their workstation?
- Does the stylist use a clean towel or neck strip on the patron before using a shampoo cape?
All of these questions relate to the sanitation and cleanliness of the salon. You may have never thought about these issues, or maybe you just thought all hair salons are regulated, so they must be clean. Speaking from experience, many hair salons are only inspected once a year, not nearly enough in my opinion.
Everything considered, you could reduce your chances for getting sick from unsanitary hair salons the following ways:
- Buy your own combs and brushes, and insist the hair stylist use them on yourself and your family.
- Inspect the salon for sanitation yourself, even though you will never be sure there are not lurking bacteria and contamination of equipment.
- Do not go to a hair salon. Cut your family’s hair at home.
One more thing… To the three quarters of a million hair stylists in the United States, if you are practicing sanitation and sterilization as you were trained in cosmetology school, THANK YOU! You should not be offended by this article, and know this is not meant to harm you and your business. For the ones who are careless about sanitation, please reconsider your current practices, as your health and the health of your customers depend on it. Cabinet médical mobilier
