It’s not just for our nail techs, or our guests, it’s because clean nail services with sterilized instruments are what the industry should have. The unfortunate part is that some salons are lacking when it comes to cleanliness, and guest are unsure of how nail salons are cleaning their tools.
We’re proud to announce that at Shimmer Spa, we use hospital-grade cleaner (it also happens to break down when it gets to the environment as an eco-friendly cleaner!) and a hot steam dental autoclave (not a UV sanitizer) to completely sterilize nail implements.
Without going over the gory details of two months of pain in my foot (part stubbornness, part doctor’s waitlist), I suffered an ingrown toenail and later surgery about two years ago. It happened about a week after I received a pedicure, and I had never had a problem with my toenails prior to that. While the two may have happened by coincidence, I was hesitant to book a pedicure after that–and couldn’t while I waited for the nail to grow back.
We didn’t know if my toenail would grow back, and I didn’t think the thought of unmatched toenails would bother me as much as it did. My husband had the same surgery and his feet never looked the same. Would my nail grow back? Would I have mismatched toes forever? These are a few thoughts that entered my mind as I agonized over pain for a good two months. Any little bump to my foot was excruciating–even for a stubborn woman like me!
I don’t want anyone who walks into my salon and spa to feel trepidation about their next spa service. I want them to know that any hurdles weren’t likely from my establishment and that all tools used are completely sterilized. I wanted to minimize the risk of ingrowns for people who are more likely to get them, and I surrounded myself with a professional nail technician team who felt the same.
There is a misconception that disinfecting and sterilizing are the same thing. They are not. Disinfecting is necessary by the State Board of Cosmetology’s standards. If done CORRECTLY, and your nail technician takes the time, it minimizes risk of infection. Sterilizing is not necessary by our Board’s standards, but we sterilize instruments at Shimmer Spa. Sterilizing means that the surface bacteria on an instrument is completely gone. Completely. A tool that has been sterilized is like brand new. UV light does not sterilize. Many UV cabinets are called a sterilizer by name when they only disinfect. We use a medical grade autoclave with hot steam to make sure all bacteria and organisms on the surface of an instrument that touches on or under the free edge of your nail are completely gone. And so you know that we do, we take our implements out of the sterilized bag in front of you. We also take the health of our guests seriously. The beauty business is a lot of fun and fashion, but at the end of the day, your body should be kept safe, and that can only happen when the establishment you go to is completely clean.
To book a nail service I have personal confidence in, call us at 440-783-1473 (we are open 7 days a week) or hit reserve below!
I want to reserve my next nail experience with Shimmer!
[…] hot steam? We adopted these standards (and a medical autoclave) at Shimmer after the owner’s personal experience turned into a mission to prevent guests from experiencing complications from improperly cleaned […]