1. HEALTH
louses instead of cutting them.
That way, he says, the foot is still
protected, but it isn’t rough. This
requires routine maintenance — another
angle for making pedicures a year-round
service!
KNOW WHEN TO SAY NO
There are certain disorders which
make performing pedicures inadvisable.
Most notable among these are topical
infections like athlete’s foot.
“Athlete's foot, eczema, and other
topical infections usually have obvious
symptoms," says Marc Blatstein, D.P.M.,
a podiatrist in Holmes, Pennsylvania, “If
you handle the feet of a person with an
infection like this, you stand a good
chance of getting it on your hands."
By giving the client a
doctor’s card, you
prove that you are
responsible and care
about your client’s
health and well-being.
Dr. Blatstein says you can — and
should — refuse to do a pedicure on a
client who appears to have a topical
infection, and recommend that she see a
podiatrist. Of course, you cannot diag-nose
a disorder — that's the doctor's job.
Still, you can say, "You seem to have
some sort of rash on your foot. I can’t do
a pedicure if you've got a foot disorder. I
suggest you see a doctor and come back
to me when the problem's cleared up."
Rudy Lenzkes and Blatstein both
suggest that you establish a referral
relationship with a podiatrist in your area
for just such situations. By giving the
client a doctor's card, you prove that you
are responsible and care about your
clients' health and well-being. Also, adds
Blatstein, you set the stage for referrals
from the podiatrist.
There are other, more serious,
disorders that may go undetected. The
AIDS epidemic has resulted in a
widespread concern over safe practices
in many fields. Most experts agree that
AIDS can only be transmitted through
sexual contact or contact with the blood
or semen of an infected individual.
" It’s technically possible if a
manicunst had a cut on her hand and cut
the foot of a client who had AtDS and got
some of the blood from the client s cut
into her cut, she could get infected,' says
Blatstein "The same is true of hepatitis or
any communicable disease that s
transmitted through the blood." Strft, with
reasonable care, this can be avoided
and is certainly no reason to stop doing
pedicures.
To avotd any nsk erf infection,
Lenzkes suggests that technicians do
not use metal implements or
any cutting tools, except toenail
clippers of course, on the feet.
He trains pedicurists to use plastic
implements instead, because they are
easier to disinfect and not likely to
break the skin,
THE CRUELEST CUT
One of the biggest problems with
credo blades and other cutting
implements used in pedicures, according
to Lenzkes. is the possibility of cutting a
client, This is never a positive situation,
and in some cases it can be extremely
dangerous.
“There are two conditions in which
you’re going to have problems if you cut
the feet," says Blatstein. These two
conditions are peripheral vascular
disease and diabetes.
"With peripheral vascular disease,
such as arteriosclerosis (hardening of the
arteries], often patients are put on blood-thinning
drugs," explains Blatstein. "Even
people who are taking aspirin every day
are going to have thinner blood. If you cut
someone with
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Nails Magazine April 1989 87