How can a desire for well-groomed nails lead you straight to the doctor's office? It's not uncommon for hands and feet to get nicked and cut with all of the buffing and clipping that goes on. And wherever you have open wounds and a lot of skin-to-skin and skin-to-surface contact, you have a very good chance of picking up some gross bacteria or viruses.
While the majority of nail salon visits won't send you on your way with anything other than an excellent manicure and pedicure, customers -- and salon workers -- are at risk of spreading disease. We've got five culprits to watch out for.
- Athlete's Foot: Unfortunately, the pedicure baths of a salon provide a breeding ground.
- Swine Flu: H1N1 is a highly contagious strain of the flu virus. The virus can survive outside the body for up to eight hours, meaning that an infected customer at a salon can unknowingly booby-trap the establishment with the virus.