While not everything can be measured in just what you see, here are some general things to look for when choosing a salon or spa.
Good Signs for Safe Waxing:
- You fill out a client questionnaire. This helps them find out if you have any allergies, health conditions, or are taking any medicine which would not make you a candidate to receive the hair removal procedure. If they are taking your health into account with a questionnaire, they are more likely to be following sanitary measures too.
Paper is placed down for body hair removal. It's much more hygienic than just having someone lay down on sheets.
The technician wears gloves. Any type of hair removal can draw blood, even if it's a tiny amount. And skin is much more vulnerable to infection right after waxing or sugaring. Gloves help protect both the client and the technician.
They don't double-dip. Once a stick (applicator) has been placed into product and touched your skin, it should be thrown away. The stick should never put back into a pot of wax or sugaring paste because it could contaminate the product, and then infect clients.
Panties are given to you for a regular bikini wax. They're disposable and much more hygienic than wearing your regular cloth (or, excuse me) silk panties.
Bad Signs for Safe Waxing:
- Things are a mess when touring the facility. Need I say more?
Shelves and containers are dusty. If they aren't doing the basic cleaning, are they really going to be following sanitation measures?
Implements are put back into a drawer or cabinet after use. There are items that can be sanitized after use, like metal tweezers, by being washed and soaked in a strong solution. If they use a tweezer and put it away where they got it, then they aren't sanitizing it.
Wax pots (heating units) have wax all over them. Waxing can be messy, but a special product cleans wax off pots, so there is no excuse.
They have a hard time explaining their sanitation measures when asked. If they can't describe it, they're not doing it.
