This is a story that will make you think twice about who does your nails.

My Beauty Salon Inspector told me of a nail salon who, instead of having Barbicide (that funny blue-green liquid required to sanitize implements), she inspected a nail salon that thought they could pass off MIRACLE GROW as sterilizer!!!  (Same color - but does NOT kill fungus, hepatitis, and all the nasties you can get from FEET!)  

This is SO SCARY.  There are so many frightening things crawling around in the world, MRSA being one of the scariest ... well, along with Hep-C, or AIDS, too many to count really.  

If you are having nail services, P-L-E-A-S-E triple-check that the person is legitimately licensed, AND that they properly STERILIZE all of their implements BEFORE touching YOU!  

Implements need to soak in that blue liquid (NOT miracle grow!) for at least 10-minutes to kill all the nasties.

On another point of contention, can someone please tell me how the 'nail girls' are getting their license when they can't even speak English???  I'm really beginning to doubt the system.  What are the schools teaching, and how are these people getting licensed in the first place?  

That leads me to another point, those chair massage guys in the mall ... they also don't speak a word of English, and I've never seen a massage therapy license hanging anywhere near their space.

What's going on?  How are these people allowed to do what I am not?  I have to take HOURS of continuing education and pay to renew my licenses in order to practice both cosmetology and massage.  And knowing how hard Dr. Eric's class in anatomy is, there is NO WAY someone without a solid grasp of our language could pass his tests.  

BUYER BEWARE.


  

I just finished up with a new massage client.  She said something that I've never heard during a massage treatment before.  She said, "I bet I'm the FLATTEST person you've worked on!"  I paused for a moment to grasp if I heard her correctly, imagining what she meant by that ... do you mean you lay really flat on the table?  So I asked her, "flattest?" and she said, "Yes, I have no bosom!"  I had to laugh. 

What funny things go through our minds. 

The usual massage client comment is, "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to shave my legs today."  Which also makes me laugh.  That is SO FAR from what goes through our minds - whether you shaved your legs - or what size or shape of body you have. 

What I hear from this is how self-conscious we are about our bodies. 

For the record, breasts stay covered during a massage.  But when she turned over, I bet she felt "exposed", even though she wasn't, and worried that I would spot her perceived inadequacies.

It also makes me wonder how many people don't go in for a massage or other spa treatment because of their body issues - or face issues for a facial.

I have had people tell me they didn't want to get a facial just yet because their face was breaking out!  I guess we have a long way to go in educating the public about professional spa services.  For the record, again, a good facial should not break you out or cause your acne to worsen.  In fact, it will help speed the healing of breakouts.  Your talented and experienced Esthetician can guide you toward daily home care products that will help clear your skin.

Well, I'm glad that the "flat" person went through with receiving her massage and I hoped she felt better afterward.  I don't know what I can do to help inspire body confidence, but please know that whatever your body - fat, skinny, tall, short, fit, not so fit, old, or young - everyBODY can benefit from regular spa treatments!

Love yourself - no matter what the form your body is taking at this moment! 

xoxox

Nancy.