Northern Kentucky Nail Salon Earns Industry Certifications, Practices Stringent Infection Control

March 7, 2013 - PRLog -- Florence, Kentucky – Dee Dee Harper, owner of the Northern Kentucky nail salon Beautiful Cuticles (http://beautifulcuticles.me/) at Salon Concepts in Florence, recently earned three industry certifications that testify to her commitment to safety in the nail salon industry.

Harper, a Walton resident, received certifications from the Medinails Learning Center (http://medinails.com/) as an Advanced Nail Technician (ANT), Medical Nail Technician (MNT) and Podiatry Medical Assistant (PMA). To earn the latter two, Harper served an internship under the supervision of a local podiatrist.

Currently, Harper is the only nail technician in the Tristate – as well as the only nail technician in both states of Kentucky or Indiana – to have received all three certifications from Medinails Learning Center, a Tennessee-based organization that aims to develop mastery of knowledge and skills, promote safe delivery of effective services, and establish collaborative partnering with the medical and other communities.

“At Beautiful Cuticles, my customers can pamper themselves with a manicure or pedicure without worrying about the risk of infection,” says Harper.

This isn’t necessarily the case at all salons, says Robert Spalding, DPM, a Chattanooga, Tenn. podiatrist who founded the Medinails Learning Center. He notes that many nail salons do not meet infection control standards. As a result, hundreds of thousands of consumers throughout the United States each year end up with infections. “Consumers can avoid these problems by going only to caring salons that perform careful, high-standard disease prevention,” he says.

“I not only meet the Kentucky safety standards, but I take it a step further by using an autoclave to sterilize all of my stainless steel implements,” says Harper. She explains that while other salons use chemical solutions such as barbicide or a dry sterilizer as their means to disinfect their tools, an autoclave – a device that uses steam under pressure to kill all bacteria, viruses, fungus and all spores on their surfaces – is the only way that disease-producing microorganisms can be 100 percent annihilated. (Currently, only two states – Texas and Iowa – require autoclaves in nail salons by law.)

While Harper’s practice of providing safe services may be advantageous to all who visit her, they are especially beneficial for customers who suffer from specific medical issues and could suffer worse ramifications than the average person if they were to contract an infection. As a Podiatry Medical Assistant, Harper is specially trained to provide services to customers whose immune systems may be compromised – such as those with diabetes, lupus, arthritis, thyroid disease or psoriasis.

Harper also adds that at Beautiful Cuticles, items that cannot be sterilized, such as files and buffers, are used only once on a customer and then discarded. This ensures that nothing will be transmitted from one client to another.

Harper explains that her actions to implement hospital-grade infection control practices in her salon stem from care and concern for her customers, as well as her desire to provide them with the optimal spa experience. “I want my clients to feel safe in my salon. That way they can relax and fully enjoy the experience as I work with them to make their nails look beautiful.”

To learn more about Beautiful Cuticles nail salon, its safety standards and services, or to make an appointment, contact Dee Dee Harper at dd@beautifulcuticles.me.