Sanitation and Infection Control When Waxing

I am glad that you enjoyed my previous blog post on sanitation in the workplace for Estheticians, and would like to expand upon that topic now with some insights about waxing. Sanitation and infection-control are some of the first things we all learn in beauty school, and for good reason! It is crucial to have an understanding of the different kinds of infections you may come across, in order to protect yourself and the client. Clients rely on our knowledge and professionalism, and trust us with their health, so we must abide the law, and give them the best treatment without taking any shortcuts.With that said, spa and salon workers must be aware of contagious bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses that can be contracted through broken skin, and pose serious health risks. Not only should we treat all clients with care to avoid getting them sick, but we must also protect ourselves in the workplace. Since the body’s first line of defense is unbroken skin, take care of your hands - they are your tools, so don’t bite your fingers, or pull on your cuticles. Keep your nails short, to avoid scratching the clients face, or breaking and snagging a nail by accident.

A very important service that must be performed with utmost care is waxing, and no matter what anyone else tells you, gloves are essential any time during contact with a client's blood, bodily fluids, secretions, excretions, non-intact skin, and mucous membrane. You must assume that all blood and bodily fluids are potential sources of infection. It is especially important to wear gloves when performing Brazilian/bikini waxing when the follicles are left open and can bleed, especially because that area has thick, coarse hair. In addition to any unknown blood-borne pathogens that may be transmitted via open pores, there is possibility of contracting herpes through broken skin, if you have any cuts/ broken lesions on your fingers, and don’t wear gloves.

Correct use of spatulas is very important during waxing. Be aware that hairs, as well as dry, dead skin may get into the wax container if you double-dip, so don’t keep using the same spatula throughout the service. The wooden tongue-depressors we use for waxing cost pennies, if even that! They are meant to be 100% disposable after ONE time use, so don’t double-dip - just toss it out and use a new one.

Make cleanup easy after waxing by using a disposable roll of waxing paper (just like you would see at your doctor’s office) over your sheets. Not only will it save your sheets from sticky wax, but it will give your clients the assurance that they are laying on a 100% clean surface.