Wax pot cross infection question

[Deena]

I am a bit surprised about the redipping issue, as I recently did a waxing course and was taught that this was only necessary or expected for intimate waxing. :irked:

 

[JudithW]

Funnily enough the health and safety officer was suprised when I mentioned I used gloves. I explained about spot bleeding and she said that it didn't pose as a huge risk to me unless I had open cuts myself. She said that the gloves are more damaging to my health and if I MUST use them then I must buy vinyl..not latex ones.She said not many people use them as find them unsuitable when dealing with wax as feel they get in the way. As long as I use a gel based hand cleanser and don't redip then she was happy. I thought the gloves issue would have been more important but she didn't seem to care less!!!

The gloves thing is more of a consideration to the client. The chances of us catching anything is small although it is a possibility. However despite your best efforts at cleaning, you will still have bacteria etc on your hands when carrying out a treatment and the client could pick up something from you (not every client is in perfect health). As a client getting the underarm wax all those years ago, I was not impressed with the therapist wiping the blood away with her fingers (I bled a lot!). Gloves are cheap and offer you what little protection you need from anything clients may have - why accept even a low risk if you don´t have to.

I don´t understand the H&S officer saying that gloves are damaging to the therapist´s health :irked: By that logic, all medical professionals are risking their health several times a day by using them!!! :lol:

And, yes, vinyl gloves are the only ones to use for waxing as apart from some people being allergic to them, latex ones turn into a sticky mess when used for waxing.

 

[JudithW]

I am a bit surprised about the redipping issue, as I recently did a waxing course and was taught that this was only necessary or expected for intimate waxing. :irked:

Errrr...but if it´s an issue for "intimate" waxing, it´s an issue anywhere on the body - skin is skin!

 

[gillian w]

I don't wear gloves.I think as therapists we continually have skin contact there is no getting away from it.I dont wear gloves when massaging (obviously) so as long as im not drawing blood (which to be honest how often does that happen with legs) in a wax i don't see the difference.
With very intimate waxing you are coming into contact with actual body secretions so if i did that i would wear gloves.
I also dont usually for underarms and if someone spots they dont run blood so you can wipe them over with pre wax before putting aftercare on with a cotton pad so you never have skin on skin contact.

 

[weezie]

I have to say that this cross contamination is surely prevented by the therapist performing a thorough consultation to inquire of any medical conditions a client may have and throwing away the spatula if it goes over an area where there was spotting.

Surely we wash our hands, cleanse the clients skin and apply the wax to non-broken skin. The follicles are opened after the wax has left the skin pulling out the hairs and you do not go over that area again with the spatula, only the strip if one or two hairs are left. The wax that touches the skin will stick to the skin surely not the spatula unless we are scraping dried spatulas against them!

The wax is going on clean, prepped skin not the open follicle areas. Putting a spatula with wax back in the pot will be a million times cleaner than say a tube seat which we will happily put our bare legs against.

I would be more concerned that the client is not then putting herself at risk by allowing the waxed area to get dirty after the treatment and that salons are using paper toweling on the couches and therapists washing their hands and covering any cuts.

This my opinion

 

[bexi]

Just as a fyi, i had a rep out from perion reigot (sp) the other day, and your not allowed to use wax sticks that have been split in half,

hth

becki xx

 

[BABSann]

I have to say that this cross contamination is surely prevented by the therapist performing a thorough consultation to inquire of any medical conditions a client may have and throwing away the spatula if it goes over an area where there was spotting.

Surely we wash our hands, cleanse the clients skin and apply the wax to non-broken skin. The follicles are opened after the wax has left the skin pulling out the hairs and you do not go over that area again with the spatula, only the strip if one or two hairs are left. The wax that touches the skin will stick to the skin surely not the spatula unless we are scraping dried spatulas against them!

The wax is going on clean, prepped skin not the open follicle areas. Putting a spatula with wax back in the pot will be a million times cleaner than say a tube seat which we will happily put our bare legs against.

I would be more concerned that the client is not then putting herself at risk by allowing the waxed area to get dirty after the treatment and that salons are using paper toweling on the couches and therapists washing their hands and covering any cuts.

This my opinion

I agree with this,it's always been my opinion.

I would never use a fresh spatula every time,if need be, do the dribble method from one to the other, that was what we were taught,using a fresh one everytime is totally non cost effective.

 

[tinkywinky]

I was taught at beauty school:

change spatulas for different body areas each time you change area

I use clean and easy; if you google their website you will see this is a pretty hygenic system -

Although when it boils down to it, I think whoever will question whatever system if you get my meaning.

We can't win!

 

[Chameleon]

After reading all these posts i knew there was a reason why i love the ABC tube wax system....LMAO....wow confusia city:lol:

 

[gillian w]

After reading all these posts i knew there was a reason why i love the ABC tube wax system....LMAO....wow confusia city:lol:

Whats your take on gloves Beautyguru?.Would have pmd you but others would probably like to hear your view.

 

[VICKYBROOKES]

i started my waxing training last week and we have been taught not to redip and use a new spatula after each dip . even tho the area is prepared skin cells and fluids still enter the pot other wise which i feel is really unhyginic. also the pot is at a temp where the bacteria isnt killed if nything it will fester . as said b4 i would hate to be the last client to use the wax . i would never redip just to save a few pence whats the point? that is why we reflect the cost of materials into our pricing in my opinion. i get my wax spatulas from beauty xpress for £1 for 100 . not ecaxtly expensive in my opinion .

i am also being taught to wear gloves to , which i do find anoying to wear if they r to loose .once i have pulled the strip off i plae my hand over to sooth the area and many clients have said they find it annoying as the glove sticks .
thing is this is the method i have been taught . any one else get this? and is there a solution? i would like to continue wearing the gloves tho. i feel this is important and i wont pass assesment if not so i would like to get into the habit now !

 

[gillian w]

i started my waxing training last week and we have been taught not to redip and use a new spatula after each dip . even tho the area is prepared skin cells and fluids still enter the pot other wise which i feel is really unhyginic. also the pot is at a temp where the bacteria isnt killed if nything it will fester . as said b4 i would hate to be the last client to use the wax . i would never redip just to save a few pence whats the point? that is why we reflect the cost of materials into our pricing in my opinion. i get my wax spatulas from beauty xpress for £1 for 100 . not ecaxtly expensive in my opinion .

i am also being taught to wear gloves to , which i do find anoying to wear if they r to loose .once i have pulled the strip off i plae my hand over to sooth the area and many clients have said they find it annoying as the glove sticks .
thing is this is the method i have been taught . any one else get this? and is there a solution? i would like to continue wearing the gloves tho. i feel this is important and i wont pass assesment if not so i would like to get into the habit now !

I could be talking a load of rubbish here but you could try just rubbing the smallest amount of oil on your gloved hands to stop the sticking.
There are many threads on oil being put on leg before waxing as long as its a tiny amount so it shouldn't stop the wax from sticking to the hair.
Try it on yourself first...Also nitrile gloves seem less sticky in that they dont stick to themselves they maybe better if not a tad more expensive.

 

[BABSann]

i started my waxing training last week and we have been taught not to redip and use a new spatula after each dip . even tho the area is prepared skin cells and fluids still enter the pot other wise which i feel is really unhyginic. also the pot is at a temp where the bacteria isnt killed if nything it will fester . as said b4 i would hate to be the last client to use the wax . i would never redip just to save a few pence whats the point? that is why we reflect the cost of materials into our pricing in my opinion. i get my wax spatulas from beauty xpress for £1 for 100 . not ecaxtly expensive in my opinion .

i am also being taught to wear gloves to , which i do find anoying to wear if they r to loose .once i have pulled the strip off i plae my hand over to sooth the area and many clients have said they find it annoying as the glove sticks .
thing is this is the method i have been taught . any one else get this? and is there a solution? i would like to continue wearing the gloves tho. i feel this is important and i wont pass assesment if not so i would like to get into the habit now !

£1.00 for 100 may not be expensive Vicky but if you're doing several clients a day times that by goodness knows how many spatulas per treatment it soon adds up and in this game the aim is to be economical in business to make max profits.Best to dribble from one spatula to the other that way you can use only 2 spats per client.We use Clean and Easy system for most of our waxing anyway,only spats for little areas,i.e lip wax.

The pressing the hand down can be soothing after waxing and if you get all of the wax off shouldn't be too bad with sticking.Personally I was taught to wear gloves for areas that are prone to blood spotting only,in reality I rarely wear gloves at all as I never touch the area so see no point at all.This is just my opinion though,each to their own.

 

[Chameleon]

I could never get to grips with the pot and spatula system when i was trained at college....and it was a really poor quality wax...:irked:

When i saw ABC demonstrated i just liked what it was about,no mess,hygenic,was always smooth after waxing,less reddening,anti fungal anti bacterial,the tea tree sells itself as it has the highest percentage of tea tree sourced from australia,the after care products are a dream to use and are all utalitarian in usage for all the family aswell....blimey after that i should be a rep for them...LMAO:lol:

Going back to gloves....well yes i was trained...but i dont like using latex i use vinyl,as they are "softer" and dont stick to the skin when waxing,something i always hated!!

 

[gillian w]

I do think it an unnecessary waste this one dip idea for legs.We are all supposed to be recycling and all, and they are wood.
I think its like many things you will be trained one way but in the working world you use common sense and do things your own way.

 

[BABSann]

I do think it an unnecessary waste this one dip idea for legs.We are all supposed to be recycling and all, and they are wood.
I think its like many things you will be trained one way but in the working world you use common sense and do things your own way.

Couldn't agree more Gill.

 

[Chameleon]

"common sense dictates...."geez im watching too much judge judy....LMFAO:lol::lol::lol:

In all honesty,why use all those sticks,its a waste....i think theres a word for it..."overkill".

 

[huberella]

In all honesty,why use all those sticks,its a waste....i think theres a word for it..."overkill".

I agree!! We live in an age were people are so germaphobic.

Wax does not contain water, thus, bacteria cannot thrive in such an environment. Sexually Transmitted Diseases are exactly that.... Sexually transmitted..not wax pot transmitted. Things like , AIDS, HIV and Herpes are all extremely delicate and cannot survive outside the human body without a very specific environment... which includes water...and the simple use of a hospital grade disinfectant or Isoproply will kill almost immediatly.

I really believe that Bacteriology and infections should be a much larger chapter in our textbooks when taking esthetics and nail technology... they don't give us anywhere near enough information.

 

[weezie]

Was thinking about this as I was going to sleep last night. When you drizzle wax onto another spatula do you hold it away from the wax pot? otherwise the wax can just drizzle back into the pot from the "diseased" (LOL) spatula (not that I believe it is any danger). Surely this is what drizzling is trying to avoid. Or do you drizzle it away from the pot into another vessel and waste extra wax? :hug: Also does this technique add on alot of time to the treatment?

Just remembered I had a client who had PHD waxing once and noticed there was a pubic hair on the roller the therapist tried to put on her leg. Do you use a new tube each time otherwise surely skin and hair debris may roll back into the tube on the roller. At least with a spatula you can see there is no hairs on it before you place it back in the pot!

 

[VICKYBROOKES]

£1.00 for 100 may not be expensive Vicky but if you're doing several clients a day times that by goodness knows how many spatulas per treatment it soon adds up and in this game the aim is to be economical in business to make max profits.Best to dribble from one spatula to the other that way you can use only 2 spats per client.We use Clean and Easy system for most of our waxing anyway,only spats for little areas,i.e lip wax.

The pressing the hand down can be soothing after waxing and if you get all of the wax off shouldn't be too bad with sticking.Personally I was taught to wear gloves for areas that are prone to blood spotting only,in reality I rarely wear gloves at all as I never touch the area so see no point at all.This is just my opinion though,each to their own.

yeah i do agree to babsan , but im only wantin g to do it part time at the mo as its kind of a hobby so im not that bothered about maximum profits at the mo . i will however try ur drizzling method , that seems to solve the problem . i guess its just becuase my tutor drums it in to a\ll our heads that we must change spatulas everytime etc , . it does seem a waste of wood tho i agree .