Double dipping wax

[angelina221]

Like Martin, i have clients that don't mention it too.
Only ever had one client talk about it and she was talking about another salon. She actually lives in London but comes back to Kidderminster to see her family.
She was telling me about a salon she had been too where there were used spatulas and used wax strips left out ready to use on the next clients!
The whole time she was telling me i was happily double dipping into my pot.
She still comes to me for waxing whenever she comes back to see her family.
I'm a stickler for hygiene. My wax pots are scrupulously clean and look as good as the day i bought them. My room is spotless and i never skip corners.
I wondered why everyone called me 'Monica'!

 

[PolishedAussie]

Hi,
In regards to waxing over an area of visible infection etc, of course not knowingly, but sometimes people are contagious and infectious and the symptoms are not yet visible.
I am also well aware that we are not in a sterile environment and that we are constantly shedding skin, breathing etc - we are not in a bubble and wax is not sterile but by not double dipping into my wax I minimize the risk of cross contamination and reduce the numbers of bacteria and other pathogens that may enter into my wax pot.
A lot of people have argued though that wax cannot harbor or grow bacteria or other micro-organisms, where this study showed again that it is possible for bacteria to be found in samples. I think that we need more than one study that took samples from only 13 salons to determine if there is potential to cross contaminate. They also only took samples to measure the bacterial numbers not viral numbers etc.
From the quick look at the study that they did, they are relying on the fact that someone actually sent in samples that were actually from used wax pots. They just took their word for it. Even if they were used samples I would imagine that only the salons that practice more hygienic practices would be willing to send in a proper sample of their "used" wax! Even if at the moment there is only limited proof that there is a chance to cross contaminate due to double dipping, on an ethical stance I still would not double dip as theoretically it could happen (plus here in Australia it is again't health regulations). One of the reasons that it is hard to pinpoint cross-contamination is that there is often a gap time between contraction and signs of infection with many more variables in between like aftercare compliance. As you can see there has been no real research into the area and the odd one they have done has been poorly done.

I would just like to say also that the laws and guidelines are different in each country, and I know in the UK they are different to Australia and that everyone should be complying with the standards set in that country/area.

 

[Kim Lawless]

The thing that puzzles me is, how come it's always outside of the UK that therapists have clients, or know of clients who have contracted something?

 

[essentia]

The truth is we do not really know what clients have contracted following waxing and as yet a full media scare story has not happened here in the UK. When I DD I never knew of any ill effects but in this enlightened age I do wonder...

The study is not conclusive by any stretch of the imagination and should not be used as a definitive answer to the debate. It just hilights more thorough trials need to be undertaken.

Whether the risks are great or not I do not think it is a practise that is desirable. I also agree with the post that states we do not always see evidence of a fungal/viral disease as it can be active before presenting.

 

[PolishedAussie]

Hi Kim,
I am not sure exactly why there is more reports of beauty therapy practices and the spread of disease in other countries. There could be many reasons, from more awareness, more reporting, more investigation, more complaints, more potential litigation??? But you will probably find in the countries like Australia where there have been connections with the beauty industry and the spread of something then there are much more restrictions on the health regulations in regards to beauty industry.

 

[huberella]

The thing that puzzles me is, how come it's always outside of the UK that therapists have clients, or know of clients who have contracted something?

LOL I think it's like the classic "a friend of a friend of a friend said such and such". I have been an Esthetician in Canada for 10yrs and have yet to have a client report to me that they picked up anything, nor heard of a single documented case where someone has gotten something from a wax pot.

 

[Kim Lawless]

LOL I think it's like the classic "a friend of a friend of a friend said such and such". I have been an Esthetician in Canada for 10yrs and have yet to have a client report to me that they picked up anything, nor heard of a single documented case where someone has gotten something from a wax pot.

Me neither! It's like all this 'hair and skin in the wax' business.....that never happens to me. xxx

 

[huberella]

Me neither! It's like all this 'hair and skin in the wax' business.....that never happens to me. xxx

My wax pots that are very used, definetly do not have anything floating in them either.

 

[miss_petite]

My problem with double dipping is that i have a colegue (cant spell today) who does hot wax so i decided to do it ( cant have her out doing me now lol) and i have found hairs floating in it , i have asked her to do the drizzle method, and she said she wouldnt it was 2 time consuming . she also denied it was becouse off double dipping and it must have been somone else ( only she uses it) .