I felt compelled to write this guide as a warning to the many women out there who regularly visit nail salons after a friend of mine was found to have contracted the Hepatitis C virus along with a nasty nail infection both of which were traced back to the salon she had been visiting.

Currently there is no proper legislation in the UK for nail technicians and although the vast majority have had adequate training either through a course at a public education facility, specialist training academy or manufacturing company anybody (trained or otherwise) can legally set up a business in this trade.

A trend that has become increasingly popular partly due to our obsession with the celebrity lifestyle and of course our desire to always look perfectly groomed can have hidden dangers if not carried out in the correct and proffessional manner.

How many establishments are there on your local High Street now offering this service? The industry is big business and is becoming more competitive every day.

If like myself you are a 'fan' of having lovely, low maintainence nails then follow this advice carefully in order not to suffer the same fate as my friend.

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Firstly compare the prices of your local salons. You'll probably discover that while most charge an average of between £30-35 for a full set of acrylic nails there will be the odd one or two who charge as little as £20. Now ask yourself why?

Simple. There are quality products on the market carefully developed for this trade and then there are the cheaper, inferior products that are potentially harmful and can cause permanent damage and infection to your nail-bed (see photos below).

Horrific aren't they?!

Some of the infections shown are so severe that they can result in you permanently losing the whole nail completely and what's more an untreated infection will spread quickly from one finger to the next.

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When you walk past your nail salon is the odour particularly strong and sweet smelling? If so they are most likely using a low quality product known as MMA (Methal Methacrylate) so avoid using them.

MMA is a particularly hard substance and is known to cause permanent damage to your natural nail. It is more difficult to file than the recommended EMA (Ethyl Methacrylate) and salons using it generally use the electrical type rotating files also known as 'drills'.

The MMA substance is also very difficult to remove and this is often where alot of the damage to the natural nail occurs. Nails applied using EMA should not leave any sign of damage to your own nail once removed.

If when your set of nails were applied the surface of your own nails were filed heavily (usually with an electric file) before the tips were applied to ensure that the acrylic adheres to the nail, this is likely to mean that your salon is using cheaper MMA products.

Another indication is that the liquid products will be stored in large unmarked containers and poured into smaller bottles for use. Have you witnessed this? Do the 'technicians' wear face masks? Chances are they are aware of how harmful the chemicals they are using really are and don't want to be breathing them in!

Nail Technicians who are qualified usually have their certificates displayed along with the salon's certificate of Public Liability Insurance. 'Dodgy' salons won't have these displayed probably because they don't have them!

Ask your Technician if they are a member of a Trade Association. There are two main ones in the UK which are The Association of Nail Technicians (ANT) and The International Nail Association (INA). Salons that are a member of one of these can be found in your local telephone directory.

Feel free to ask your Technician about which products they use. If they cannot tell you it often indicates that they either don't have the product knowledge so cannot be properly qualified or they are using MMA based products and don't want to tell you.

Above all, does the salon practice good hygiene?

A good salon will use a Barbicide or similar to sterilise their tools such as nail clippers and files. They will also spray their work surfaces to ensure risk of contamination is minimal.

Does your Technician request that you wash your hands before your session? Does she wash hers? In addition, are your hands sanitised with a spray before any work is carried out?

All of these procedures are for your protection so don't put up with anything slap-dash or unprofessional.

The busy salon that my friend caught Hepatitis C from was run by an 'Oriental' family. She had mentioned how sore her fingers were and the burning sensation she felt when her nails were being filed (with an electric file), which should have been a warning that her own nail-beds were being damaged. She said that often because of the language barrier she couldn't communicate properly with some of the technicians about this as they didn't speak English and could only pull her hands away when it hurt.

On more than one occasion she has told me that a Technician 'caught' her cuticle skin with the electric file causing her fingers to bleed and it is thought that this is how she contracted the infection as Hepatitis C is spread through the passing of blood and other bodily fluids between individuals.

She became concerned after the salon, which she had been visiting for over 4 years, suddenly closed without warning and an article published shortly after in the local press reported that it was linked to a Hepatitis scare. She immediately got herself tested and unfortunately found that she did have the disease. The family from the salon, meanwhile mysteriously disappeared.

Hepatitis C - some facts

Hepatitis C is usually spread through the transfer of contaminated blood - this can be a miniscule amount (pinprick size is more than enough!) It is less commonly contracted through other bodily fluids and cannot be caught through kissing or sharing toilets.

It is not, however, just a disease to be associated with drug users who share needles and can even be picked-up through using a pair of contaminated tweezers or even sharing a toothbrush or razor as well as sexual contact.

Most people who have contracted the virus have no symptoms as it can take many years or even decades for them to appear.

When symptoms do appear they can include:

*Fatique

*Weight loss

* Loss of appetite

* Joint pains

* Nausea

* Flu-type symptoms (headaches, fever, sweats)

* Anxiety

* Difficulty concentrating

* Alcohol intolerance and pain in the Liver area

It is suggested that over 200,000 people in England alone have the virus and as many as 8 out of 10 are unaware of the fact.

In up to 50% of all cases the origin of the infection is never found.

As many as 3 out of every 4 people infected will develop chronic Hepatitis C which leads to liver damage and even cancer of the liver.

The good news is that effective drug treatments are available.

If you are concerned visit your GP for a blood test.

So please, be vigilant and pay attention to your surroundings when you visit your salon and if you are not happy with the service then try somewhere else.

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You may also find my other guides of interest:

* Step-by-step guide to creating salon style nail art

* How to remove acrylic nails safely

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