Infection Control & Safety
Protecting clients and yourself from the spread of infection is the single most important professional responsibility in cosmetology. This chapter covers the levels of decontamination, the disinfectants used in salons, common pathogens, and the correct response to an exposure incident. These principles are grounded in standard curriculum and public-health science and apply the same way everywhere.
The Three Levels of Decontamination
Decontamination happens at three levels. Sanitation (or sanitizing) is the lowest level: it reduces the number of germs on a surface, such as washing hands or wiping a station. Disinfection is stronger: it destroys most pathogens (but not necessarily all spores) on hard, nonporous surfaces and implements, and is the required standard for reusable salon tools. Sterilization is the highest level, destroying all microbial life, and is generally reserved for medical settings. Every reusable, nonporous implement must first be cleaned to remove visible debris, then disinfected — cleaning alone does not kill pathogens.
EPA-Registered Disinfectants and Contact Time
Surface and implement disinfectants used in salons must be EPA-registered, meaning the manufacturer has proven to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that the product kills the pathogens named on its label (bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal claims). Common salon disinfectants include quaternary ammonium compounds ('quats') and accelerated hydrogen peroxide formulas. The label states a required contact (dwell) time — the implement must stay wet with the product for that full time to be disinfected. Porous, single-use items (files, buffers, wooden sticks) cannot be disinfected and must be discarded after one client.
Pathogens, Precautions, and Blood Spills
Salons can encounter bacteria such as MRSA (an antibiotic-resistant staph), viruses such as hepatitis B and C, and fungi. Because you cannot tell by looking who carries an infection, follow Universal (Standard) Precautions: treat all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious. If a client is cut and blood appears, stop the service, glove up, stop the bleeding and bandage the wound, then clean and disinfect any contaminated implements and surfaces with a product effective against bloodborne pathogens, and dispose of contaminated single-use materials in a properly sealed container.