Check Hygiene Practice of Salons

12 Sep 2005, The Straits Times

Question

Name of the Person: Wong Chee Meng

Check Hygiene Practice of Salons

Risk of viral infection during beauty facials? 

THERE are a lot of beauty salons in Singapore and many people go for facials nowadays. 

The beauticians use an extractor to pluck blackheads from the face and there is sometimes a little blood due to slight trauma of the skin. 

The extractor is sterilised with ultraviolet rays. 

But are these rays effective against HIV and the hepatitis C virus? 

Does any regulating body, like the Ministry of Health, ensure that sterilisation processes are complete and the right sterilisers are used?

Reply

Reply from MOH 

In "Risk of viral infection during beauty facials?" (ST, 5 Sep 05), Mr Wong Chee Meng asked about the risk of viral infection during beauty facials. 

Currently, beauty salons are not regulated by any specific law and the approach is to educate the service providers on hygiene practices. The public is advised, as far as possible, to patronise establishments that use disposable equipment. When non-disposable equipment has to be used, customers should patronise establishments that perform proper disinfection or sterilisation, or bring their own equipment if possible (e.g. nail clippers). 

The Health Promotion Board provides health education information to barbers, tattooists, hairdressers and beauticians. This includes advice on using disposable equipment where possible, and properly disinfecting and sterilising non-disposable skin-piercing equipment. Non-disposable skin piercing equipment should be washed with soap or detergent, and then disinfected using appropriate chemicals or sterilised using autoclave, after use on each customer. 

According to current evidence, the risk of getting HIV or viral hepatitis from the use of appropriately disinfected extractor to remove blackheads from the face is very small.