Dirty secrets of the nail salon exposed

When you visit a nail salon, you expect to leave with beautifully done tips and toes, not a skin or nail infection. Yet, a fungal, viral or bacterial infection is something you risk contracting every time you have a regular manicure or pedicure.

According to Dr John Yu Ho-tak, a specialist in dermatology at Matilda International Hospital, the most common infections nail salon customers may contract include tinea pedis, also known as athlete's foot; onychomycosis, a fungal infection of the nail; cellulitis, a potentially serious bacterial skin infection; and viral warts.

Owing to the use of contaminated instruments or a simple lack of hygiene, nail salons can be a hotbed for all kinds of nasty bacteria.

In 2004, singer Paula Abdul battled a staph infection on her thumb after getting a manicure at a Los Angeles nail salon. The infection reportedly took about a year to heal, with the former American Idol judge saying that the pain was so excruciating that even her hair touching her thumb caused her to scream.

Yu adds that it is also possible to develop hepatitis or even HIV through a manicure or pedicure, although the chances of this happening are slim.

A study by researchers in Brazil published in October 2014 in Aids Research and Human Retroviruses, described a case of a 22-year-old woman who had seemingly contracted HIV-1 from having shared manicure instruments with a cousin who was later found to be HIV-positive. The subject had no apparent risk factors for acquiring HIV, but genetic analysis of the viruses from both patients showed that they shared a common viral ancestor, suggesting that the virus was likely transmitted through the manicure tools.