Sometimes i wish i didnt know what I know

Being in cosmetology school has been a real boon and blessing.

It has also been a curse.

There are times i wish i didnt know what I know. especially about germs and sanitation.

ESPECIALLY when it comes to Nail salons.

On Saturday my friend and I were Bridesmaids at Dawn's wedding.

We went out in the morning in search of a nail salon to get pedicures.

We found one up the street from our hotel in Tinley Park.(Illinois)

The building itself was kind of an older strip mall, a little worn on the outside. The parking lot was a little bumpy and full of holes and there was zero landscaping to be spoken of. However it was in the same strip as a very busy Jewel/Osco, which really was the only redeeming quality.

As we were walking up I whispered "I'm scared". i dont know why.I just got that feeling.

But i kind of shook it off, thinking that I was just in unfamiliar surroundings and that all would be well.

We walk in and had to wait behind 2 other people. On the television screens they were playing ABC Saturday morning kids shows. So while waiting for an adult pedicure I had to watch Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zach and Cody. All of the magazines are somewhat out of date, and the walls are painted a really un-soothing purple.

They finally have a pedicure opening and I go up first.

There was a woman in the chair next to me and a woman in the last chair on the end.

They get started and she pulls out her instruments from a plastic cup and goes to town. She made me bleed while she was trying to nip my cuticles with her very blunt nippers. She is jabbing at them with her cuticle pusher and it hurts more than it helps.

The woman next to me gets done and the manicurist drains her tub and does a QUICK SWISH RINSE with tap water and fills it up for Lindsey to come in. Thanfully we were running out of time so she just said "I just want a polish change. We have to get going and i dont have time for a full pedicure".

They ask if she would like a manicure for her nails as well. She said no. They ask again. She said No, just the polish change.

She sits down in the chair and they start conversing in Vietnamese, apparently irritated that she changed her mind because we had errands to run and a wedding to get ready for and were running out of time.

So over the course of the 45 minutes i observed MANY things wrong with this little hovel Nail Salon.

Here were the list of infractions:

1. They were not washing and sanitizing their foot spas after every pedicure. It was a quick swish rinse with tap water. This is houw you get MFF and other contagious foot diseases and fungii.

2. The lady next to me finished her pedicure and the implements they used on her feet were all put in a bowl. Instead of washing, sanitizing and putting them in an autoclave, they were taken to the back sink and given a quick rinse with tap water and taken back out to be used on the next client. again, a really Top rate way to spread disease, bloodborn pathogens and other things.

3. The razor callus shaver used on my foot was given a quick rinse in my dirty foot spa water, the blade put back on and put back in the "clean" drawer. i now have a very red and sore area on my foot where I was shaved with this dirty razor. I think it is an infection. Do I really need to say it again about spreading germs??

4. They did eyebrow waxing. They used ONE STICK ONLY! They dipped it in, spread the wax in the face and kept double and triple dipping the stick and sticking it on the face. What if this woman had a skin disorder or infection? They are putting that wax stick on her face, then sticking it back into the wax, contaminating the entire pot of wax.

5. Their nail polish selection was old and clumpy. You couldnt even shake half of the colors they were all sticky and gelatinous. This is not a sanitary infraction, you can add thinner, but it was gross.

It was NASTY!! I am lodging a complaint with the Illinois State Board. It was HORRENDOUS. They were NOT careful and very blatant about their unsanitary habits. It was as if they were trying to get shut down.

The whole night i felt sick about it. Seriously. sometimes ignorance is bliss. I told Lindsey outside "tell everyone you know to stay away". It was THAT bad.

sometimes i WISH I didnt know what I know. I probably could have enjoyed my evening a lot better instead of feeling gaggy about my feet.