Supplies and Sanitation

Transcript

1. SUPPLY LIST 100% Cotton thread, not polyester. Anything other than cotton will cause you to cut your client's skin Good quality tweezers; my preference is a slant-tip. Small scissors, 3 1/2"; my favourite are the stork scissors Disposable mascara wands or spoolies Alcohol swabs to clean the skin prior to starting Baby powder, or translucent setting powder to absorb any moisture and help the thread glide better Brow oil (almond or castor oil do well) to nourish the hairs and skin post-procedure. Examination paper or disposable table covering for your massage table Check with the health authorities in your area to see if you're required to wear disposable gloves during this procedure. You'll also need to decide if you plan to wear an apron, and if that needs to be disposable as well.
2. HYGEINE THOUGHTS With any method of hair removal, it's important to keep hygiene in mind. Once you remove that hair from its follicle, the skin is open and succeptible to reaction and infection. Since your client will be using their hands to stretch their skin, you should ask your clients to wash their hands, or at the very least use hand sanitizer. Regardless of whether or not you're wearing gloves during your brow treatment, you should also be washing your hands before starting. If you need to leave your treatment room, re-wash your hands or use a new pair of gloves when you return.
3. HYGEINE THOUGHTS Once you've finished your brow magic, you can dispose of all single-use items, such as your examination paper covering your bed, your gloves, and your disposable spoolie. Your implements, however, are not single-use and you need to prepare them for use with your next client. Do you sanitize? Disinfect? Sterilize? Do you know the difference?
4. HYGEINE THOUGHTS Sanitizing generally just refers to cleaning. You'd be removing all visible debris and contaminants. This is usually not enough for most health officials inspecting your workstation. Disinfecting is the process of killing all bacteria, fungus, viruses off of surfaces that may have come in contact with your client's skin. When you properly disinfect your tools and surfaces, it's highly unlikely that you will be transmitting anything infectious to the next client. Sterilizing kills any trace of microscopic life on your surfaces. Chemical sterilants are usually too harsh and hazardous for a salon environment, but you could potentially use an autoclave to steam sterilize your tools. The easiest method is disinfecting, because you could sanitize your tools of visible debris (a tweezed hair, some dead skin) by scrubbing with soap and water, and soaking in a disifectant solution to kill remaining bacteria (like CS20, a 20 minute soak). Consult your health authorities to see what their mandate is. Once you've determined the required disinfection protocols for your municipality, add those supplies to your list.