While pedicures serve as ways to make your feet beautiful, salons, spa and manicurist storefronts are a breeding ground for infection. And as the mild summer climate calls for exposing your feet and toes to the world, one may find their way in a salon ridden with health hazards. However, before you expose yourself to the fungal and bacteria of the most impeccable nail salon, review what lurks in the deep:

1) Regardless of how popular, clean or prestigious a nail salon is, patrons are vulnerable to other individual’s germs.

2) Spas and salons are breeding bank of funguses, virus and bacteria. From the steady flow of customers, to the hot and tepid pools of water, salons represent a high risk for viruses.

3) All it takes is a diminutive gash or scrape and a visit to the cleanest spas for a pesky infection to transpire.

Fortunately, there are ways to avoid the adverse effects of having a pedicure:

Evaluate the salon or spa. Read the salon’s license. Is it current? Each state requires that certification be prominent enough for customers to see. Are all the manicurists licensed?

Monitor employees work habits. Do they wipe tubs, tools and other salon items between patrons? Is good hygiene being practiced?

BYONG (bring your own nail gear). Tools such as cuticle sticks, emery boards and nail files cannot be sterilized. To avoid infection, bring your own. As an added measure of prevention, bring your own metal tools (clippers, tweezers, etc).

Conceal those scrapes and cuts. The best way to avoid infection – altogether is to cover up any wounds and do no allow the manicurist to trim/cut your any calluses or cuticles. In case your manicurist breaks the surface of your skin, be sure to keep it out of the salon’s water. (In other words, do not dunk your hands or feet in water with broken skin).